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Alone in the Wilderness

Alone in the Wilderness

Documentary · History · TV Movie · 2004

Dick Proenneke retired at age 50 in 1967 and decided to build his own cabin in the wilderness at the base of the Aleutian Peninsula, in what is now Lake Clark National Park. Using color footage he shot himself, Proenneke traces how he came to this remote area, selected a homestead site and built his log cabin completely by himself. The documentary covers his first year in-country, showing his day-to-day activities and the passing of the seasons as he sought to scratch out a living alone in the wilderness.

Movie details

Alone in the Wilderness

“One man's 32-year Alaskan experience in the cabin he built by hand.”

2004 Documentary · History · TV Movie 57m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

7.9 / 10

Community rating

Dick Proenneke retired at age 50 in 1967 and decided to build his own cabin in the wilderness at the base of the Aleutian Peninsula, in what is now Lake Clark National Park. Using color footage he shot himself, Proenneke traces how he came to this remote area, selected a homestead site and built his log cabin completely by himself. The documentary covers his first year in-country, showing his day-to-day activities and the passing of the seasons as he sought to scratch out a living alone in the wilderness.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Alone in the Wilderness?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Dick Proenneke · Bob Swerer Sr. · Bob Swerer Jr.

Dick Proenneke

Dick Proenneke

Himself

B

Bob Swerer Jr.

Narrator

W

Wendy Ishii

Narrator

Pamela Guest

Pamela Guest

On-air Co-host

B

Bob Swerer Sr.

Narrator

Court is in session

Put Alone in the Wilderness on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Auteur Devotee

“Ambition earns the room.”

The film reaches for consequence and scale, accepting the risk of seriousness instead of shrinking from it.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“Importance has entered the chat.”

The production keeps announcing its significance, as though awards-season posture were proof of insight.