Where The Wild Things Are

For those not already aware, Maurice Sendak’s Where The Wild Things Are was a children’s book written in 1963 that had the most mesmerising pictures.   It tells a poetic story in ten sentences that makes stringent material for a feature film adaptation. 

Sendak apparently encouraged director Spike Jonze to turn his beloved book into a film after watching his feature debut Being John Malkovich.  In an interview between Jonze and Sendak, Jonze recalls Sendaks advice to him; “I don’t want a faithful adaptation, I want somebody to take this and make it their own. And if you’re gonna do this, it needs to be personal and it needs to be dangerous.”  Yet Jonze has still remained true to the aesthetic of the book, somewhat reading between the lines in developing a more personal and nostalgic interpretation of the book.  Six years of collaboration between the pair, rumoured fall outs with producers, budgetary problems... finally lead to the release of Where The Wild Things Are.

As the film begins, we meet Max and are immediately made aware of his creative and inventive nature as he builds an igloo and commands imaginary ‘fence soldiers’ in the opposite garden.  Starved for attention from both his Mother (Katherine Keener) and sister, Claire (Pepita Emmerichs), he dons a wolf suit, fuelling his escapism as he runs around the house in a loud and animalistic fashion.  His sister in particular seems to be an important role model and someone Max really looks up to, particularly as we realise his parents are separated and his Mother is seeing a new man.  Max, like all children, cannot control his mass of emotions and after a fit of aggressive rage in a fight with his Mother, he runs away from home. Whilst hiding he stumbles upon a boat that takes him on what has to be said is a rather prolonged, dangerous and threatening journey to a mysterious island.  It is here where he meets the Wild Things and wild they are:  huge, monstrous creatures that could easily haunt the dreams of any young child with sharp teeth and exaggerated features yet, in a way, they are also quite appealing and loveable.  They smash into trees, boisterously throw themselves around and pummel each other with dirt-clods.
 

Beyond the size and playful impact of the Wild Things are their personalities. Each shows a basic human emotion defining them deep down as well as representing elements of Max’s own peronality.  Whether; insecure, Alexander (Paul Dano), sad, The Bull (Michael Berry Jr.), bitter, Judith (Catherine O’Hara), relaxed, Ira (Forest Witaker), maternal, KW (Lauren Ambrose),awareness, Douglas (Chris Cooper) or craving attention - like Max himself – Carol (James Gandolfini).  It is particularly worth mentioning the beauty of the Wild Things themselves and thank the heavens for the Jim Henson Company. The nine foot puppets along with subtle CGI to enhance the facial expressions and speech are so natural and believable that you are completely sold.  Puppetry is truly a far more effective way of delivering something so obscure that full CGI creations just can’t compete. When you add to this some wonderful voice cast performances, the Wild Things become truly alive on screen and will have any child and adult in awe.

Where The Wild Things Are is beautiful to look at: largely outdoors, it has a wild feel to the natural light and changing atmosphere that give the film a somewhat bleak outlook. Although classically not a straight forward saccharine children’s film, we all know that children love darker material.  Jonze has made something personal and I feel not only to him, but to Sendak also, it is a wonderful world in which to delve into and reminisce on all those trees you climbed and dens you made.

Where The Wild Things will be showing at Broadway until Thursday 7 January.