Into the wild

Maybe a little late, I was touched and moved by the story of Chris McCandless or Alexander Supertramp -alter ego and protagonist- of the story he wrote for himself. A moment in the life of a real character, his psychology, his motivations, his fears and passions, his decisions (good, bad, brave or naive, don't mean to discuss that), a narrative, an author, a book, an opinion, a director, a screenplay, a movie, a reader. Many steps to reach the final reader and spectator, me. First the movie, then the book. Interesting order. In college, I had the opportunity to take a class that changed the way I approached a text and its adaptation to the film language. I am not only fascinated by the story of Chris McCandless, I believe that the two works are worth our attention. In the book, impecable and strong narrative flows naturally regardless the jumps in time, space, narrators and the author's implicit thoughts and instrospection. Krakauer does not write an impartial biography, he just can't. He was obsessed with the story of McCandless. But it's his reading. The author's first reading. Then comes the second reading. Sean Penn (actor and director) that, in my opinion, does a great job keeping the movie true to the book. We can't forget that literature and film are completely different languages, they use different resources, they strike the reader differently. Then, the third reading, the spectator. The author, the director, the reader/spectator, we all create and recreate the amazing story of Chris McCandless. That creative process is just amazing. Because we have different backgrounds, we have different attachments, different opinions on the boy's life, we found him in different moments. I think that a book is waiting somewhere to be read by you, just when the time is right. So does a movie. And I am glad that both works complete and complement each other. What I found more interesting was the different readings on the same story. It's just fascinating. And I have my own opinion, my own set of ideas, the pictures on my mind, what I share and what I reject, what I admire and what I condemn. The reader, the spectator, in this unique process completes the creative cycle. I like to think we are also co-creators of the stories that find us. What I like about the book is that different narrators help underline Chris's psychology. Isolated quotes of people the author collected, places, the smell, the textures, the contrasts, every detail in his descriptions outline the psychology and the humanity of McCandless. On the other hand, the movie uses visual resources, editing, soundtrack to create a mood. Chronological time, pace, silences, lighting, shots, frames, intertextuality, cross-references, are equally powerful. I strongly recommend both works. They are exquisite, subtle and beautifully done.