Review #634: 'Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory' (1971)

There have been many movie adaptations of the great Welsh children's author Roald Dahl, to various degrees of success. I used to love his books as a youth, relishing the dark twists and the playful, if somewhat dark, humour. Yet even the best adaptations didn't really capture the sinister themes behind the best of Dahl's works, but that was up until I saw this, Mel Stuart's adaptation of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, one of Dahl's most popular works. As well as being often psychedelic, it is Gene Wilder's wild yet subtle portrayal of the unpredictable and possibly quite evil Willy Wonka that truly captures Dahl's essence.

Poverty-stricken Charlie Bucket (Peter Ostrum) lives in a cramped house with his mother and the bed-ridden Grandpa Joe (Jack Albertson). The news announces that the reclusive Willy Wonka of Wonka's chocolate company is offering a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for five lucky children to come and see his world-famous factory. Five golden tickets have been placed in Wonka Bars throughout the world, and Charlie, finding the fifth and final ticket, arrives with Grandpa Joe along with fellow winners Veruca Salt (Julie Dawn Cole), Violet Beauregarde (Denise Nickerson), Mike Teevee (Paris Themmen) and Augustus Gloop (Michael Bollner) to meet the eccentric inventor.

This is one of those popular films that everyone had seemed to seen apart from me, so I was expecting a familiar family film full of catchy songs and annoying freckly kids. The songs, apart from the famous 'Pure Imagination', are somewhat forgettable, but I was surprised by the effective performance from the children, and the sheer darkness of the film. Apart from the various disappearances of the increasingly bratty, greedy and ungrateful children (who aren't actual seen again), the boat ride that Wonka takes his party on is particularly unnerving. There are bright, flashing lights, strange music, and various disturbing imagery (including a chicken being decapitated) that infest the screen, making me wonder if I was in fact watching a children's movie, or some fucked-up acid trip from the 70's.

Gene Wilder has made many films that portray his energy and comedic ability that often borders on genius, but he blew me away as Wonka. From his entrance, shuffling along on his cane only to do a somersault in front of the awe-struck crowd, to his furious outburst at the climax, makes Wonka an almost threatening presence, never allowing us to feel completely comfortable when he's on screen. He's ultimately a misanthrope, with only a glimmer of hope that one of the children he's welcomed to his home is truly worthy of inheriting his life's work, using subtle glances or whispers of poetry to merely hint at his true personality. Along with the beautiful sets and solid supporting cast, Willy Wonka was a complete surprise, and surely the best Dahl adaptation that's yet to grace the screen.


Directed by: Mel Stuart
Starring: Gene Wilder, Jack Albertson, Peter Ostrum, Roy Kinnear
Country: USA

Rating: ****

Tom Gillespie