In the darkness the trees are full of starlight (henwy) wrote,
In the darkness the trees are full of starlight
henwy
  • Mood: amused

It's just not the same

The old Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory is on Bravo right now. The one with Gene Wilder and not Johnny Depp. It's so much better than the remake all around. In fact, I think the remake was almost a crime in how it tainted the original. I know there's at least one person on the friends' list who's spasticly pro-Depp, but it was just an inferior film. I love the songs for the original and even those cheesy animated effects. The worst of what's missing though is the misanthropy. It's just not right for Willy Wonka to be a screwed up son of a dentist. A mean, disillusioned, cynical, misanthrope on the otherhand just fits perfectly. Hell, I know if I was forced to be around busloads of kids as they are nowadays, I'd probably be more pissy of a person than I am now.

It's been decades since I read Ronald's Dahl book on which the movie is based so I can't be absolutely certain which side of the debate he landed on. The misanthropic, Gene Wilder, Wonka just has much more depth. I can only imagine Dahl's reaction today as you see kids killing people rather than simply being spoiled or annoying. It's like writing a cautionary tale only to find that reality has not only beaten you to the punch, but skipped on ahead.

I just love those sarcastic little comments uttered by Wilder.
Tags: movie club: willy wonka
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