Mccandless 'Into The Wild': Comparing The Book And Movie

If a man walks into the woods as a protest against the rampant materialism and conformity of society, and no one is there to hear him scream in rage, does he make a sound? Directed by Sean Penn, Into the Wild is a film based on the true events which inspired Jon Krakauer’s book of the same name. Rather than revolving the plot around McCandless and his journey, both Krakauer and Penn took a different path on telling the story. The novel relied heavily on McCandless’ journal and accounts from those who encountered him to recount the story. But in the film, McCandless becomes a living, human presence, taking the viewers through his journey. In addition to being able to visualize the characters and settings, being in McCandless’ perspective and focusing on certain conflicts provides …show more content…
Using this obtained information, Penn told the story in McCandless perspective, narrated by his sister, Carine. While Krakauer’s novel uses a variety of mediums such as a combination of interviews, McCandless' letters and diaries, guesswork, deduction, investigative legwork, and sometimes a combination of all of the above in order to piece McCandless’ life story together. In addition, he’d include personal musings, fragments of similar memories, revelation and research in order to fill in the blanks. As the main character of the film, McCandless came across as a more sympathetic figure compared to the one in the novel. Penn’s film shows us how McCandless sees himself, shedding little light on how else others may see him. In addition, both characters have the same biased narrations that support McCandless’ choices. Therefore, the audience feels less judgmental toward McCandless as no other perspectives are provided and viewers are more likely to support the given narrated