Into the Wild
Transcendentalism in the Film:
Into the Wild is a modern film capturing the real life journey of Christopher McCandless, a young man who feels that he wants to find out more about life and happiness. McCandless decides to go into the wild to try and find the answers he seeks.
McCandless' want to flee to nature embodies a transcendental characteristic. Transcendentalists believe in becoming one with nature, and looking inward to solve one's problems. This is what Christopher does when he leaves for Alaska; plan to seek solitude in order to find an answer within himself or in the wild.
Before leaving, he burns all his identifying documents, and later he burns his money. This rejection of societies markers of worth is also a transcendental idea, of following 'the beat of your own drummer'. That one doesn't need society to be happy. It also shows that McCandless felt he could live off the land, by his own means, without the help of outsiders, or the rest of the world.
Cinematic Techniques:
Through out the film Shawn Penn used a variety of techniques to show transcendental ideas. For example, started at the beginning of the film with Christopher McCandless arriving, and walking out into snow covered mountains, which were completely untouched. Pure and pristine. This showed how McCandless was using Alaska to escape because of the abundance of wilderness and the lack of people.
Penn also made a point of McCandless carrying a variety of books written by transcendental authors. This was used, as well as McCandless quoting Thoreau, to show that he felt the journey he was taking had roots in transcendentalism.
Into the Wild is a modern film capturing the real life journey of Christopher McCandless, a young man who feels that he wants to find out more about life and happiness. McCandless decides to go into the wild to try and find the answers he seeks.
McCandless' want to flee to nature embodies a transcendental characteristic. Transcendentalists believe in becoming one with nature, and looking inward to solve one's problems. This is what Christopher does when he leaves for Alaska; plan to seek solitude in order to find an answer within himself or in the wild.
Before leaving, he burns all his identifying documents, and later he burns his money. This rejection of societies markers of worth is also a transcendental idea, of following 'the beat of your own drummer'. That one doesn't need society to be happy. It also shows that McCandless felt he could live off the land, by his own means, without the help of outsiders, or the rest of the world.
Cinematic Techniques:
Through out the film Shawn Penn used a variety of techniques to show transcendental ideas. For example, started at the beginning of the film with Christopher McCandless arriving, and walking out into snow covered mountains, which were completely untouched. Pure and pristine. This showed how McCandless was using Alaska to escape because of the abundance of wilderness and the lack of people.
Penn also made a point of McCandless carrying a variety of books written by transcendental authors. This was used, as well as McCandless quoting Thoreau, to show that he felt the journey he was taking had roots in transcendentalism.