Each of these films left me feeling worse than when I first stepped into the cinema. And I think “Into the Wild” has the biggest impact, because it is based on a true story.
When I saw the interview of the author, the director and the actor on Oprah Show, it really pushed my desire to watch this film. On the interview, a lot of emphasis was given to the process of the filming, how real the whole experience was to the actor, how he had to put himself into a kayak and actually paddle down the roaring river; how he was floating in the icy-cold water, how he nearly lost his life during the process.
The actor actually specifically mentioned it was once in a life time experience-in a positive way, he got to experience a lot of the things Christopher did; he got to see all the beautiful natural sceneries of the continent of North America; though on the other hand, don’t forget, beautiful sceneries as such, often seem challenging, and remind us just how powerless we are as human beings.
I knew finally Christopher died, and I thought I was ready to handle seeing the dead body of Christopher in the film, but apparently I wasn’t.
The story happened in the early 1990s, when I just started to learn how to write pinyin and basic Chinese characters, started to learn basic numeracy, when I did not know anything.
Christopher grew up in a dysfunctional family, family life was a torture to him and his sister, he excelled in his studies, but contrary to other graduates which the same grades, he did not start to seek employment, and he did not go straight into Harvard Law. Instead, he took this drastic move, he chose to run away. In his own eyes, though at least, in his words, he did not admit he was in escape, he just wanted to live for just once; he wanted to retreat, but to retreat to the “real life”, he wanted liberation, liberation from the materialism of the society, he wanted simplicity, a life where money is no longer meaningful, and people don’t need to be cautious.
“20 or so years olds who don’t believe in Communism don’t have a dream, and those above 40 who still believe in Communism are foolish.”
Christopher wanted a life without all the strives he had witnessed in the society, so he sought a life all on his own in the wild Alaska.
On his way, he spent time with the Hippies. I don’t know if Hippies was still a fashionable thing by then. But really, watching the Hippies made me feel weird, made me feel hopeless, disoriented, it poses a life without a direction. Pure rebellion, a community that was totally unrelated to the value of the main stream American society, but they themselves were seeking, via different means, including drugs and Eastern mysticism.
Christopher was so disgusted with the American dream, that he felt more at home with the Hippies value; he was never brought up in that system, but this word family seemed so revolting to him, that it drove him further and further away from what his parents attempted to form him into.
Christopher went on with his “Great Alaskan Adventure”, and finally in Alaska, he tried to survive under the toughest conditions, he never wanted to die, he wanted to “live”, yet he knew there were a lot of risks that he had to take if he even wanted to “survive” in the wilderness all on his own. He took no map, limited supplies, refused to get oriented with the landscape before he set his food in the thick snow. He wanted to feel strong, at least, once in his lifetime.
All the beautiful natural sceneries could constitute an unforgettable, even pleasant (albeit extremely harsh) journey. But it ended a tragedy.
Having eaten poisonous plants, he literally had to watch himself die. It’s one thing to be struck by lightning, and another thing to starve to death as a result of poisoning.
Before he died, he penned down “happiness is real when shared”; he though he was happy, he felt happy in his “Great Alaskan Adventure”, but at the final moments, he found out, he’d rather reward his parents’ evil with a smile and a hug. But I know, it could never have become possible, he had his “principles”, he had his own set of values, and he would not bow down his head before the materialism he so despised and his parents who represented the value of the American society, the embodiment of the American dream.
An adventure ended in a fatal tragedy. It’s hard to watch someone die. I felt extremely uncomfortable listening to the accelerating heart beat of Christopher and then its sudden end.
He did realize he he had been running away from reality, though in his own words “seeking the truth”, instead of facing what had been his nightmare.
Having enjoyed the nature of America, it became the last page in his life, and all was too late, no more chance to face the reality, and to deal with it, to come up with a solution, or at least, some improvement.
Movies like this naturally make me think of my own life; we are all going to die, in our last minutes, if we are conscious, how will we evaluate our whole life, will we regret, be sorry and wish we could get another chance?
King Solomon’s wisdom still amazes me just when it’s least expected.
He said:
Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these [things] God will bring thee into judgment. (Ecc 11:9)
Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them; While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain: In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows be darkened, And the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of musick shall be brought low; Also [when] they shall be afraid of [that which is] high, and fears [shall be] in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail: because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets: Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern. Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it. Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher; all [is] vanity... And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books [there is] no end; and much study [is] a weariness of the flesh. Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this [is] the whole [duty] of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether [it be] good, or whether [it be] evil. (Ecc 12)
Love life, and live it to the full, even do go on journeys of unforgettable adventure, traveling around New Zealand sounds like a cool idea. Bu treasure it, treasure life, take necessary steps to protect yourself, take a map, keep in touch with family and friends; because we only get to live this life once, and there is no repeat if we fail ourselves.
“Happiness is real when shared”
Initial 03.12.2007
Revised 04.12.2007
Blogged with Flock
