Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (****)
review by Jon Waterman

The hermit candy king is finally letting people see not only himself, but also his entire factory. The catch: you have to have one of 5 golden tickets found only in his own candy bars. The group of five children (accompanied by adults) all go inside to behold the wonders of the magical factory.

The movie is sort of divided into two halves. We follow the young London boy Charlie (played by Peter Ostrum in his only acting part) as he desperately searches for a ticket. He doesn’t have many chances as his family is too poor to even afford a second bed for four grandparents. His hope of finding the “most sought after prize in history” is dwindling as kids around the world unwrap millions of bars. The second half shows what happens inside the factory as the irresponsible kids are being weeded out, one by one. It makes for a nice contrast between the drab but cheerful outside world to the magical yet somewhat creepy factory. Let’s talk a bit more about each half, shall we?

The search for the golden tickets sets the mood for the whole movie. It makes the audience anxious to get inside and see what all the fuss is about. Luckily, Wonka doesn’t disappoint. The world is placed in such a fervor over these passes that they’ll do anything to find one. Some buy a box of bars in an auction. One woman refuses to pay kidnappers the candy ransom in hopes that she has a winner. The contest is what’s happening throughout the world and the news reflects that. The jokes are rather screwball, but also satirical and sketch like. The film also manages to weave in straight forward jokes as well. The mix is unlike most comedies of any era and the various comedic directions never step over each other. Like I said before, the scenery is drab and lifeless. The children keep a good attitude and are still very sing-songy. I guess they have to be, what with this being a musical and all.

The cheeriness and the faded backdrop are left behind when the final golden ticket is revealed. On we go to Wonka’s factory. Here we find an astonishing place full of brightly colored rooms and scenery like no other. The sharp contrast between the two settings brings to mind Dorothy opens her door in “The Wizard of Oz.” The only bland thing about this seemingly utopian location is the lighting which offers no depth or added character to the scenes. The boat ride seems to be the only planned out lighting set up. The color scheme isn’t the only thing that changes with the new surroundings. The mood turns more cynical and jaded. Wonka himself (played brilliantly by Gene Wilder) effectively quotes famous literature to support his eccentricities and the nuances of the happenings around him. Wilder’s matter of fact, yet enigmatic delivery is genius.

The structure of the two halves isn’t a new thing, but rarely does it work as well as it does here. Oddly, though, once we reach the second half, the conflict in the storyline rests more with all the other kids, rather than the main character. The alien like Oompa Loompas provide a lesson in song each time a child is removed which reinforces the anything can happen, surreal nature of the factory.

It’s a very unusual, very trippy movie. The quick pacing leaves no time to soak in anything that’s going on. The tour moves from one room to the next, showing off all the incredibly inventive devices and contraptions and confectionaries created. Everyone’s literally in awe of this secret world that Roald Dahl created. The music by Anthony Newley is fantastic. It’s catchy and fun and always appropriate. If you’ve never seen the movie, then you owe it to yourself. If the last time you saw it was when you were it kid, then give it another look, because it’ll be better than you imagine. This movie deserves a quality sequel. Not a remake.

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