Index

Introduction

Rebirth through suffering Memorable Moment Plot Conclusion Rating

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Introduction

Many times it happens that life surprises us, sometimes in a positive way, sometimes in a negative way. This is one of the reasons that make it wonderful and worth living.
There are times, however, when we are not used to being hit so hard and some people cannot get up again.
We have all been through hard times, some more and some less, and each of us experiences them differently and deals with them differently. The loss of a loved one for example is one of the most difficult trials you can face in your life, and if you are not prepared for it and not mentally strong enough, you risk being crushed by the emotions and not being able to recover. In such cases, people look for an 'easy way', such as alcohol or drugs, but these are not solutions because they only postpone the problem.
Everyone has their own way of dealing with this type of situation and there is no right way that works for everyone, but the important thing is to try to do something and not be a victim of oneself.
"Wild" talks about all this, about how to deal with one own problem, with even drastic solutions at times. Because life is not forgiving to anyone.

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Rebirth through suffering

The movie has been criticized for not paying enough attention to breathtaking landscapes, but in this instance, the rebirth that the woman needs is not brought about by nature, observation of it, or being engulfed by it in a panic ecstasy. Rather, it is brought about by the infliction of physical suffering, self-flagellation, going "in spite of," mortification of the body (washing will be a luxury confined to the breaks in the midst of civilization granted by the campsites crossed along the way).
There are dangerous pathways, bad weather, silence, and introspection. There is a spirit of pain-survival, there is an ongoing conflict between who we are and what we are, there is an unceasing stream of images, feelings, and sensations that arrive on the screen with an exceptional force, and there are circumstances and structures in which each of us can recognize ourselves.
The skin incisions and a certain amount of masochism are what liberates, renew, and cast aside the junk and the pieces of one's identity that are no longer recognizable. This is why the traveler fills every frame; the camera is trained on her, framing her in medium or half-length shots, so that her body is always there, with her legs permanently extended in an effort to carry the weight of necessity and the journey.

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Memorable moment

My personal memorable moment of the movie is the scene where Cheryl is changing clothes after meeting two creepy hunters. She is changing clothes and suddenly she screams of fear while we see the camera turning around and pointing towards one of the two hunters who was spying on her from the bushes... he starts talking to her and being very direct about her clothes and her being very pretty, showing too much attention and interest, which could clearly lead to a sexual assault being them alone in the middle of the forest. The girl is clearly scared and terrorized, and tries to be as nice and polite as possible, appealing to the humanity of the hunter... nut this doesn't seem to work and when everything seems to be going in the wrong way, a voice from far (the other hunter) calls him and tells him to get back...
The girl is so scared by what just happened that she packs immediately her stuff and starts running away.

The scene is very powerful and shows how dangerous it can be to go through such a journey alone, particularly if you are a woman.

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Plot

The Pacific Crest Trail is a hiking trail that starts in the Mojave Desert and runs through California and Oregon to Washington State. In 1995, 26-year-old Cheryl Strayed, recovering from a divorce and after the death of her mother, decided to walk it alone.

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Conclusion

The film is very powerful and the director's choice of interspersing many flashbacks with the normal continuation gives even more insight into what is going through the protagonist's head. Her journey into nature and the suffering she experiences are natural triggers towards the memories of her life that made her feel bad and made her make questionable choices.
The film is a journey through suffering and rehabilitation from it.

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Rating

My personal vote is:

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8.0/10

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