It is easy to romanticize Proenneke's films, they are cinematically beautiful but also don't highlight the hardship and practice the man had to go through to ge

It is easy to romanticize Proenneke's films, they are cinematically beautiful but also don't highlight the hardship and practice the man had to go through to get to where he was in his mastery. Proenneke was a trained mechanic, who spent most of his life around farms and who's father was a carpenter and welder. He was also a very happy introvert. At age 53 the man had enough skills under his belt to fully appreciate the risks and work needed to survive in that harsh environment. McCandless was unfortunately just a young man in search of himself.