Alone in the Wilderness (2004)

One of my all time favorites.

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Even though the documentary is not slick its pretty cool. Its amazing what one man in his fifties accomplished. The documentary follows him throughout the months from building his cabin to surviving the winters in Alaska. Someone told me about this movie and I was lucky enough to find a torrent and download it.It was really cool to see a normal person accomplish something cool. It just shows you that if you're motivated enough then you can pretty much do anything you set your mind to. One can only imagine what the makers of stonehenge must have gone through, I believe that those people were just as motivated as this man was.

I recently saw this on PBS and it certainly is a documentary that strikes a fundamental chord in everyone, living a life in solitude almost entirely off the land. You do need the skills and knowledge and a little backup from the outside world to pull it off and the film's subject Richard Proenneke had all three. He grew up on a farm then went into the Navy. His various occupations in the first 30 years of his working life included; carpenter, diesel mechanic, sheep rancher, cattle rancher, heavy equipment operator, salmon fisherman and fish & game service. After moving to Alaska and living there for 27 years he decided he would retire, build a cabin and live alone in the wilderness. In 1967 at the age of 51 he cut timber and prepared a site to build his cabin on. Late the next spring he returned to the site and for the next 16 months he chronicled in his journals and on 16 mm self- shot film his construction of the cabin and the changing of the seasons as he adapted to his new lifestyle. He was totally self-sufficient except for an occasional visit from his friend bush pilot Babe Alsworth to bring him beans, flour and cooking condiments to supplement his wild game, fish and berries that he harvested from the land and his own climate-limited vegetable garden. After the 16 months that is the subject of this film he did return to the lower 48 to visit relatives as he would occasionally over the next 30 years but this was his home until 1999 when at the age of 83 he could no longer keep up with the demands of such a life and returned to civilization to live out his remaining years. His journals were published in 1973 as One Man's Wilderness: An American Odyssey by his friend Sam Keith. Another set of journals were edited by another friend, John Branson, and published in 2005 as More Readings From One Man's Wilderness: The Journals of Richard L. Proenneke (1974-1980). For this film nature photographers/filmmakers Bob Swerer and his son Bob Jr. compiled and edited the 16 mm films shot by Proenneke and added some additional cinematography to enhance the narrative. There seems to be some conflicting information on who is the narrator of this film. Although it is not Richard Proenneke himself it is read from his journals and in a matter-of-fact first person tone as if it were actually Proenneke. IMDb and others credit the filmmaker Swerer as the narrator but it is probably Proennneke's nephew Ray Proenneke Jr. He is credited as additional cinematography but I think that is incorrect and he is in fact the narrator. It would account for his voice being genetically similar to his uncle and a more perfect match to the man on the screen. Since Richard Proenneke went through so much effort of filming this and setting up his shots and carting his camera around the wilderness and taking copious notes in his journals I have to wonder why he didn't tape record his voice at the same time he was doing this. Anyone will enjoy the dual simplicity and difficulty, the romanticism, naturalness and ingeniousness of the experience that this film documents. I couldn't have did it. The bush pilot would have found my animal scattered bones near the remains of my pathetic crudely built lean-to. This is a fascinating film and I would give it a 9.0 out of 10.

This movie shows the beauty of Alaska and the tenacity and ingenuity of man. It is somewhat simple in its presentation, but this makes it all the more endearing. The narrative is in Dick Proeneke's own words though and show his intelligence and respect for the wilderness. If you see only one documentary in your life, this is the one to see. Once you see it you will want to share it with everyone you know. By the end of the movie you will have a tear in your eye because you both don't want it to end and have been introduced to an amazing man who has since left us. To sum this up, watch it, watch it, watch it. After seeing this movie be sure to go to the library or book store so you can read more about this amazing man. There are 2 or 3 books written about him and are based on his writings.

I have never seen in all my life someone who "walked the walk" that this man did. From the most simple basic of life's needs to the more complex ones. He takes us through the days and months in such a way that no matter what year it is currently, no matter what background you are from, You are right there with him every step of the way. It is a true testament to what living in harmony with nature is all about. I highly recommend this film to anyone who can truly appreciate living life to its fullest. Whether you are a weekend warrior or an outdoor enthusiast you will be able to appreciate the painstaking way He chronicles his daily life. It will make you reevaluate some of the things that we all take for granted in our daily lives. If we all looked at life the way he did, we would definitely be able to find the beauty in this world around us.