DO IT TREE!

Monday, July 07, 2008

Netflix: Into the Wild (2007)

Or . . . Grizzly Man II: Eulogy for the Needlessly Dead

Contra Grizzly Man, I do not think Chris McCandless had a death (by bear) wish. I think he thought he was on some crazy adventure that would turn up roses and leave him with countless tales of adventure to tell.

He was not completely reckless, in that he prepared somewhat for his adventure. I say somewhat because, wanting to learn about smoking meat, he asked someone. And then wrote what the guy said to do in a notebook. And then when he later shot a moose, he ran back to his base camp and grabbed his notebook. Ok, ready to smoke some meat! Now, granted he had prepared himself for the need to be able to smoke meat, but having an list of instructions probably isn't enough preparation. In fact, any instruction set that begins with "cut out heart" probably needs to be experienced/practiced a time or two before you're ready to "go live" (as it were).

Eventually, after a hundred-some days in the Alaskan wild, the guy (most likely) starves to death. Inspiring, no? Yah, I don't really get the fascination. Alaska is riddled with bodies of guys like him. The wild is not a kind place. That's why we invented civilization. Guy was also kind of a dick. He left without saying anything to anyone and he didn't communicate with his family in any way over an entire 2-year period. He didn't even have the courtesy to make a late-night phone call from some phone booth to say, "Hey, I'm not dead (yet)." Admittedly his relationship with his parents was strained, but he didn't even notify his sister (whom he was supposedly very close to) of his plans. That, much like Alaska, is harsh.

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2 Comments:

Blogger Joe said...

Couldn't agree more. You go into the wild without a compass or map and with little knowledge of basic survival techniques and that's as good as committing suicide.

9:34 AM

 
Blogger roger said...

I likened it to a kid an spring break getting too drunk and falling off a balcony. Different means to the same reckless end.

1:16 PM

 

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