Into_the_Wild-_Belonging

Visual text- Into the wild- Directed by Sean Penn a) What ideas about belonging does the text relay to the responder' In Sean Penn’s ‘Into the wild’, it is saying that a sense of belonging can only be found when one is in solitude and alienated from other people. In these situations, a person can discover themselves and also what they desire from life. It is only then can people find their position in society. This is seen when Chris McCandleless, in Alaska (by himself) is dying. He only then realises that “true happiness is shared” meaning that nobody could be happy by themselves, instead only when they are with other people. Another idea about belonging is that even though when a person feels alienated from his family, they will always belong because they share the same blood. Chris decides to run away and isolate himself from home because he dislikes the idea of society and material goods. Also he believes that his parents are worried what other people think and so conform to society’s rules and expectations. Chris seeks a sense of belonging with nature because he does not feel as though he fits in at home. Chris however will always have a home to go to if he decides to return. A further idea of belonging is that there are factors in a person’s life that make them feel unaccepted by society. Chris overcomes the uncertainties that he has within himself. These fears include developing close and personal relationships and his fear of being judged. Overcoming these uncertainties are symbolised when Chris overcomes the difficulties associated with nature. In the movie ‘Into the wild’, it also subtly mentions that everybody has a place where they are accepted. For most of the movie, Chris believes that he is accepted by nature and it is where he belongs, but in actual fact, Chris doesn’t belong to Mother Nature. This is observed when Chris is in Alaska and is trying to make his way back. It has changed seasons and so the frozen river that he once crossed has now become a high rapid river. It is nature’s way of saying that he did not belong and he must now suffer the consequences. These consequences are emphasised when he consumes the poisonous potato which ultimately leads to his death. b) How has the composer relayed their ideas about Belonging to the responder' When Chris is on the road and trying to find where he belongs, he meets a middle-aged hippie couple. He feels an immediate connection with them as they to travel the road and belong to nature. A young adult, such as Chris, still requires some guidance and direction which is usually given to them by the parents. However it is the hippie couple that do so as they symbolise his parents on the road. A sense of non-belonging to his parents is illustrated in the scene where Chris is offered a new car from his parents. He immediately asks why he would need a new car if his Datsun runs fine. He then insults his parents by saying that he doesn’t care what people think about his old Datsun and doesn’t require material goods to be accepted by other people. Sean Penn creates a mood that is almost silent and uses close-ups to enhance the emotions showed by Chris when saying this. However a sense of belonging to family through blood is demonstrated by the fact that Chris’ sister is the narrator of the film. Chris feels a sense of non-belonging to society. This is illustrated in the scene when Chris begins his journey into nature and decides to burn his money. The director shows a close-up on the money being burned with Chris walking away, out of focus, in the background. This symbolises that he did not belong to society and did not believe in being controlled. Money to Chris is seen as the government’s way of controlling society. By Chris walking away, it ultimately symbolises that he is turning his back on society and walking into nature. When Chris reaches Alaska and finds an abandoned bus he feels an immediate sense of belonging. This is because it is a man-made object and can relate to it more so than nature itself. The director used close-up shots of the broken glass and rust of the bus which symbolises how much the bus had endured in nature. It was foreshadowing that it was not going to be easy for Chris to belong to nature and endure the harshness of the Alaskan terrain. Also while in Alaska, Chris screams out to the mountains saying “Is anybody out there'” There was no response only silence emphasising his solitude and alienation from society. Into the wild suggest that everybody belongs to a certain place or group. Even though Chris feels as though he belongs to nature, there are scenes in the movie that make the audience think otherwise. When he drives his car onto the beach and sleeps the night, he is awoken by waves crashing up against his car. He manages to escape before the car is swept away into the sea. The director uses an aerial shot of the car, which is all battered up, being swept away into the ocean. This symbolises that man cannot survive the wrath of human nature. Also the scene when Chris managed to kill a moose. Soon after killing it the meat becomes spoiled by flies/maggot which symbolises how he was never meant to embrace human nature this way. This is further emphasised when he died from the poisonous potato. This was nature’s way of rejecting him.