Into the Wild (2007 Film) Literary Elements

Sean Penn

Emile Hirsch, Marcia Gay Harden, and William Hurt

Jena Malone, Catherine Keener, and Hal Holbrook

Biographical Survival/Drama

English

Into the Wild was nominated for two Academy Awards: Best Supporting Actor for Hal Holbrook and Best Film Editing

September 21st. 2007

Sean Penn, Art Linson, and Bill Pohlad

The film is set all across the United States

The film is told through the point of view of narrator Christopher McCandless

Sad, Revelatory, Adventurous, Solemn, Mysterious, Exploratory, Tense, Intense, Violent, Strange, and Naturalistic

Chris McCandless/Himself (and the animals/nature around him)

The major conflict of the film involves Chris' struggle within himself to be happy and content with the world -- and people and things -- around him. Later, though, the films major conflict switches (but doesn't change) to Chris' struggle to survive in the harsh Alaskan wilderness with little food or water -- and no one around him.

When Chris tries to leave the bus he had been living in for the final time, cross the treacherous river, and leave Alaska for good

Chris' death is foreshadowed in some of the talks he has with Ron Franz

Chris' struggles with materialism and mental health are understated in the film

Although undeniably well-shot and well-made, Into the Wild is not innovative in filming or lighting or camera techniques.

Books (the film is based on the book of the same name by Jon Krakauer), geography (the places Chris visits across the country), history, philosophy, and cultural movements (minimalism, particularly).

Chris has a loving family and everything going for him, yet he decides to live a minimalist and ultimately dies because of it.

There are no major instances of parallelism in Into the Wild.