One
of the most unusual and unexplainable films of all time, the colorful
and sinister Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971) has amused and
disturbed children of all ages for over 25 years. As a young child growing
up in the late seventies this was my Wizard of Oz - a movie so full of
color and delights that I would be damn near hysterical when it came on
T.V.
Director
Mel Stuart does a fantastic job in capturing the dark side of Ronald
Dahl's work. Dahl understood that children love to be scared, and thankfully
Stuart follows through creating a truly demented Willy Wonka, a character
who is one part funny goof and one part frightfully unhinged.
Fueled
by Gene Wilder's frantic performance Wonka is a truly horrifying figure,
he makes offhand jokes as children are tortured and endangered (ok Augustus
Gloop and company weren't saints but does being tubby or disobeying
Wonka's rules call for such extreme punishments?). And he enslaves a
troupe of ghastly orange faced midgets (Oompa Loompas) who sing songs
defending their masters actions. Freud would have had a field day with
this film, if you don't believe my ranting of the disturbing undertones
to Willy Wonka you MUST click on the picture to the right and study
the Veruca Salt scene! (Take note that it's Salt's father looking at
her!!)
As a child I could never understand how Charlie could take that lazy bastard Grandpa Joe to the factory. Charlie's mom is busting her ass
at the laundry while Grandpa Joe lays around in that filthy bed acting crippled. Of course as soon as Charlie whips out that Golden Ticket, Grandpa Joe
is doing freakin' flips! That fake bastard!
The
highlight of Willy Wonka, and there are many, has to be the glorious
candy garden with the chocolate river. Watching it as an older, bitter
man it never fails to lift my spirits and put a smile on my face. Edible
flower tea cups, huge gummy bears, whipped cream filled mushrooms and
Gene Wilder singing his heart out - Good stuff!
Rumor has it that
Warner Brothers was preparing to manufacture Oompa Loompa dolls
in a full scale marketing campaign but came to understand that
most children were sickened by the evil, chubby dwarfs, thus halting
production. A special nod to Julie Dawn Cole as Veruca Salt the
sexy lil brat that was the first crush of about 2.5 million boys.
