The Wild Things in Human Nature
I have to admit that I went into this movie expecting a certain kind of retelling I had in mind from the age of 4, when I first read the book…and I couldn't imagine a better way to transfer the children's classic to celluloid. You know a film has a left an indelible mark on cinema when you think it's good or great…and yet, you can't quite categorize it. The movie is truly in a category unto its own. If I had to place it, I would describe it as a fantasy movie that touches on certain aspects of the human condition. A sort of American-style magical realism on film. Or to use a parlance of our times, it's “The Never-Ending Story” meets “Hook.”
Everything about the picture is top-notch, with the visual presentation being the most outstanding aspect. I would be surprised it if it doesn't receive Oscar nominations for costume design, art direction, set design, and perhaps even for best writing – adapted screenplay. From the moment Max first makes his way to the fantastic island home of the "wild things" we are transported into a crisp, autumnal, vivid, and yet simultaneously subdued and sepia-hued landscape. And the meshing of full-body creature costumes with nearly seamless-looking, CG mouth movements and facial expressions is truly remarkable.
As for the acting, first mention goes to the voice actors. It is commonly taken for granted that voice acting is easier than live acting. But to say anyone or any actor could play the characters in this movie is a stretch – it's easier said than done, no pun intended. The voices delivered by Chris Cooper, Paul Dano, James Gandolfini, and the rest are so nuanced that they convey just the right and proper amount of the tonality of dialogue. And I was impressed by the young Max Records. He was quite believable as Max (character has the same name coincidentally), and I think a lot of child actors would have wanted to over-act and show too much emotion or scream too loud in Max’s querulous moments. But I felt he showed just the right amount, and managed not to go over the top in physicality and line delivery. Catherine Keener, being the exceptional actress she is, was excellent in her limited time as Max's mother.
The only negative thing I could claim for this film is that this is not your typical children's movie or average children's book adaptation. It's quite depressing and melancholy calamity at times, and manic in general (many instances of joyful play quickly turning into catastrophe). Yet this is also what drives the main message home. Once you get used to the wild things' fantastic, larger than life frames, the monsters appear more human than creature, and quite childish in the way they behave and view the world – perhaps even more so than Max. They are big and powerful, and yet they don't seem to appreciate or fully understand their own strength, and easily misuse and abuse it. They love to play, but they throw tantrums, and appear to believe the only way to solve their problems is to eat or hurt the thing they think is making them suffer. Carol is the worst example of them all – he's the most powerful and the least mature, and is prone to tantrums and fits of rage as well as being the most gullible – but in the way a child is naïve and easily convinced. To be fair, some are more calm and mature than others. But they are all like children in the bodies of ten-foot tall beasts.
Probing further, the monsters can be interpreted as representing human nature and the struggle that is the human experience. They embody some of our most primal fears and simplest desires: fears of loneliness, rejection, of the unknown, of sharing, and the desire to be accepted and loved, and ultimately, to be happy and without fear or worry. They also remind us of how we often resort to childish aggression or self-victimization, unleashing our pain upon others or placing the blame on them when we feel we've been wronged or we don't get what we want. And what's more, they remind us of those who possess more power than they know how to deal with responsibly, and consequently misuse it by destroying things or hurting others unjustifiably. It's not such a stretch of the imagination as to liken the wild things with their massive, but poorly controlled strength to world leaders using their militaries unethically, or executives unfairly punishing employees, or someone with a gun who kills an animal or a person out of rage alone. Of course some wouldn't read all of this into it, but I believe these are at least some of/related to the moral messages and motifs intended by director Spike Jonze. (I don't include author Maurice Sendak, because I read an article on IMDb.com recently in which he said something like 'though I approve of Jonze's interpretation, the story was originally inspired by my crazy and fear-mongering immigrant relatives I had to deal with as a child')…and that basically Jonze and others have extrapolated from the story much more than he intended originally.
This is certainly not a movie for everyone yet anyone can relate to it on some level/s. It's understandable that not everyone would like the style or even the genre, but anyone can learn from/relate to its themes. Definitely recommended viewing for any fans of the book, parents, children with their parents, or anyone in need of a reminder to have fun and hold fast to our inner child, but at the same time, to play nice and to restrain oneself from taking anger out on others and/or abusing one’s powers, whatever they may be.
-S.G.S. Williams
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