Wild is not only an outstanding novel, but it has also been recreated in the form of a movie, which is flawless in itself and is accompanied by a soundtrack that is hard to forget. Eddie Evader’s song, Hard Sun, is played in the beginning of the movie when Chris is initially starting his Journey. He is driving on the highway in his Data’s 210, as the background music is playing, “Oh there’s a big, a big hard sun beating on the people, in a big hard world… “(Eddie Evader). This song is not Just a cover played by Pearl Jam’s one and only Eddie Evader.
It is profound in the way it portrays the life of Christopher Mishandles as he starts his escape from the big hard world. Another one of Eddies songs, The Wolf, is played right after the flashback of when Chorister’s parents are fighting. It is not exactly clear to me as to what Eddie is saying when he sings this song, but it is extremely gloomy and intimidating. This song helps emphasize Chrism’s feelings towards his parents and why he truly left everything behind. The name of the song, The Wolf, is possibly symbolic of Chrism’s father, an aggressive and abusive man, in that his father and a wolf are both vicious ND unfriendly.
On a more positive note, the song Rise, by Eddie Evader, is played a couple of times throughout the film, however, I remember the song playing as birds frolic in the ocean and Chris is subsequently climbing down a hill. Nearly every verse of this song is meaningful and relates to the film: “Such is the way of the world You can never know Just where to put all your faith And how will it grow Goanna rise up Burning black holes in dark memories Turning mistakes into gold Such is the passage of time Too fast to fold And suddenly swallowed by signs Low and behold Find my direction magnetically Throw down my ace in the hole. -Eddie Evader The song nearly speaks the thoughts and beliefs of Christopher as it talks about how the ways of the world are unpredictable and that it is impossible to predict how one’s Into the wild music By western seem or sound as if Christopher life did not turn out perfectly, but he is “goanna rise up, burning black holes in dark memories. Goanna rise up, turning mistakes into gold. ” As mentioned before, Chris has a flashback to when his parents are fighting and the song The Wolf is playing. These are the dark memories that he is burning black holes into while he continues his Journey, which is what turns his mistakes into gold.
The “black holes” that Eddie sings are significant in that they refer to the never ending black holes in space, and how these black holes are our only feasible path out of the universe and into an endless world of possibilities. While Eddie Evader contributed his fair share of songs to the Into the Wild soundtrack, so did several other artists such as MAC Hammer. In the scene when Chris is kayaking down the rapids fearless, and without a helmet, the song Can’t Touch This y MAC Hammer comes on and the mood is set from that point on.
I can only imagine that if Christopher is thinking about anything at that moment, it must be, “can’t touch this. ” He is finally free and feeling invulnerable as he embraces the gifts of nature, such as the white water rapids. Lastly, my favorite song of the film “King of the Road” by Roger Miller is played when Christopher is traveling from Mexico to LA on a freight train. As the Jingle goes, “third boxcar midnight train, destination Bangor Maine, Old worn out suit and shoes, I don’t pay no union dues. ” Christopher is coincidentally in a oxcart as this song is played, feeling as if he is the king of the road.
He doesn’t have to pay any dues, or listen to anyone but himself as he carries on with his Journey. This film, however, would be Just as great without its’ soundtrack. I truly enjoy the part of the movie when Christopher sees a heard of Moose after having arrived at the magic bus only a couple of days before. Every time I see this part of the movie I get the shivers because everything about the scene is so simple and beautiful. Christopher is standing on the mountainside as he sees a group of Moose come out f the trees, with the view of the mountains behind them.
This is the moment of the film when Christopher is most content, which is clear when you see the look on his face. He looks as if he had Just won a million dollars, or had gotten married. However, none of those materialistic things matter to him. All that he wants in life is right in front of him: nature and its beauty. I honestly think that the entire film is fantastic, however, if I could change one thing I would make the movie even more focused on Christopher than it already is. There is so much that is in the book that is not in the movie, and vice verse.
However, all of the extra Junk in the movie is typically about the hippy couple he meets and Slab City. I do not think these scenes made the movie unsatisfactory, but I do think that they were a little unnecessary and could be replaced with scenes that relate more to the book and Chrism’s life. The director of the movie could possibly think about adding more scenes in which Christopher is the narrator, instead of his sister. I believe this would add more value to the movie and would help the audience connect with the Christopher, especially if the audience has not read the book.
