| Date | |
|---|---|
| Author | DCM |
| Categories | cinema |
When Cheryl Strayed’s self-penned memoirs hit shelves in 2012, they did so with a bang. Vividly detailing her 1,100 mile trek on the Pacific Coast Trail after her mother’s death, it ended up being selected for Oprah Winfrey’s book club, and the rights to produce the film being snapped up by Reese Witherspoon’s production company. Director Jean-Marc Vallée has returned behind the camera very quickly since the success of last year’s Dallas Buyers Club, which catapulted both Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto to awards success for their towering performances, and it’s safe to say he’s done the same thing here for Witherspoon.
The opening shot of Wild shows us the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), bathed in sunlight and all its natural beauty, with Strayed (Reese Witherspoon) overlooking the gorgeous scenery. However, this is in stark contrast to the state of her feet, which have suffered from the length of the hike as well as wearing boots that are too small for her. The shriek of pain she lets out when she removes them echoes for miles, emphasising just how isolated she is in her quest to achieve closure and how far away she is from the American metropolis. Filmed in a series of interspersed, sometimes hallucinogenic montages, the film bounces to and fro from clips of Strayed’s relationship with her mother, Bobbi (Laura Dern), to various parts of the hike that Strayed has reached. This structure is intelligently used by Vallee, who achieves the right balance by ensuring that the switch between these time frames is entirely relevant, explaining to the viewer exactly how they relate to Strayed’s frame of mind. Wild’s imagery is one of its most striking features – cinematographer Yves Bélanger perfectly captures the trail in all its natural glory – but it’s the significance of images such as the animals Strayed encounters on the trail, to the extreme weather changes, that are used as cues to introduce the audience to the deeper realms of her conscious, and let us know exactly what she’s thinking.
Witherspoon brings a certain anguish to the role which illustrates just how traumatised she’s become by her mother’s death, resulting in a subsequent descent to experimenting to heroin and engaging in promiscuous sex with anyone she can find to fill the void left by her mother. However, she shows a steely resolve in scenes along the trail that are potentially threatening, such as when she’s encountered by two hunters who speak to her suggestively and spy on her changing. The more human interaction Strayed has along the trail reveals more about her true colours, and the progress she’s making to recover from her personal tragedy. Wild’s light-hearted moments are very heart-warming, especially at the end when Strayed makes friends with three male college students who’s goofy humour triggers Strayed’s hysterical laugh, revealing the happiness and closure that she’s inching ever closer to.
This is the first role for Witherspoon since winning the best actress Oscar for Walk The Line (2006) that she’s scaled the heights of June Carter. With Cheryl Strayed, she has a canvas to paint a woman who experiences a full spectrum of emotions at their most extreme, learning to cope with her grief whilst seeking the path to redemption. It’s her most interesting roles in years and reminds us just how talented Witherspoon is when given a character whose back story and circumstances are so captivating.
Some DCMers were present at Monday night's premier of Wild:
