A fake empire, an empire of dirt

Oct 16, 2009 by Joshua    2 Comments    Posted under: film, film feature

Title: Where the Wild Things Are

Directed by: Spike Jonze

Genre: Fantasy, Nostalgia

Starring: Max Records, James Gandolfini, others

Maurice Sendak’s “Where the Wild Things Are” is a staple of many a young adult’s childhood. The storybook has a certain nostalgic quality to it that strikes home for a wide scope of people. It seems only fitting, then, that the movie based on the book is not so much a children’s film as it is an emotional romp through the joys and fears that come with growing up. In fact, it’s not really much of a children’s film at all.

Max (Max Records) is a young boy with an overactive imagination. He lives with his work-stressed mother and his older sister, who is getting to the age when she is too old to hang out with her little brother. As Max adjusts to his changing world, he develops feelings of loneliness and uncertainty about the future. He wishes for things to go back to the way they once were.

Being a child, Max does not know how to deal with such anxieties properly, and instead he lashes out and misbehaves. This behavior culminates in an emotional fight between the child and his mother, and Max runs from his home to escape his fears and vent his stress. After running into the woods in his monster footie pajamas, he comes upon a boat, and decides to set off to whatever distant land it will take him.

Those familiar with the children’s book know what happens next. He comes to an island where enormous beasts dwell, articulate creatures that have mud fights and build forts for fun. Thanks to Max’s quick thinking and the support of one beast named Carol (James Gandolfini), the beasts dub him their king, with the promise that he will bring them happiness. What Max and the beasts learn, however, is that one cannot escape fear and uncertainty simply by running away from it.

The cinematic quality of the film is beyond excellent. The combination of animatronic suits and computer-generated graphics makes it difficult to see the beasts as anything but real. They come to life in their environment, interacting with Max and the trees around them with an expert fluidity. At the same time, despite their monstrous appearances, the beasts are able to convey a multitude of deep emotions through their movements and behavior.

Another wonderful quality of the film is its soundtrack. Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs teamed up with a number of other artists to create music that is just as emotional as the film. The roars and yelps of Max and the beasts are coupled with equally animalistic and arguably more melodic utterances from the wild vocalist. The soundtrack also has a sort of childish feel to it, never delving too deeply into meaning and instead focusing on raw feeling, a good match to the content it frames.

And this film is, if nothing else, highly emotional. Just like Max, the monsters act on impulse and don’t always think their actions through. Like a playground full of children, their games can turn from fun roughhousing to intensely angst-ridden arguments. Each monster essentially embodies Max’s fears or behavioral quirks – loneliness, uncertainty, smallness, argumentativeness, and so on. Through their interactions, the beasts clearly illustrate the doubt that can develop in a relationship that has deteriorated over time.

That is not to say that the film is one big downer. Not exactly, anyway. The beasts and Max share some great times, and their initial interactions are full of hope and excitement for the future. After a little while, however, their behaviors start to mirror the events in Max’s life back home, and re-established bonds start to fall apart once again.

Were this film judged as a Shakespearean play, it would fall under the category of “tragedy” rather than “comedy”. A multitude of issues surface, and the characters fail to resolve them. It is an emotional train wreck, one that will drive the hardest heart to tears, clearly diverging from the source material. It is difficult to tell whether Max or the beasts learn anything from their adventure. When the film finally comes to a close, one cannot help but feel that some big resolution has been left out.

But, again, I do not mean that as criticism. The film is, as one might say, an emotional roller coaster. But for those who hold the story close to their hearts, and for those don’t mind a story that doesn’t go for the easy happy ending where everything turns out perfect at the expense of reality, check out “Where the Wild Things Are”. Just don’t forget the tissues. Also, know that it isn’t really geared toward children, despite the source material.

Rather than post the trailer, as I normally would, I will instead share with you a featurette about the movie, with commentary from Sendak and Jonze. They do a wonderful job of explaining how the movie is done in such a way that it, in Sendak’s words, “takes nothing from my book, but enhances, enriches the book.” If you haven’t seen the wonderful trailer (with Arcade Fire’s powerful “Wake Up” playing in the background), check it out here.

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