Where the Wild Things Are

Spike Jonze

Cinema Release

Based on the highly successful kid’s book by Maurice Sendak, Spike Jonze uses his background knowledge of Sendak himself to expand the simple tale into quite an amazing work of cinema.

Where the Wild Things Are is a book of only 20 some lines, it is ambiguous and borders between dream and fantasy. In many ways it is a hard ask of any filmmaker to turn this into a full length film. In many ways what Jonze has done is quite unusual; he has made a film which is more for adults reflecting on their childhood than for children at all. It is a melancholic film filled to the brim with emotional dysfunction, loneliness and complex themes. The journey Max makes is really the descent into the unconscious or dream state. In many psychological schools a journey across a tempestuous ocean is used to represent a descent into the lower reaches of the psyche and the monsters all seem to represent the neurosis which not only make up Max but all of us. Certainly aspects of Maurice Sendak’s own experience as a highly intelligent but “outsider” child who knew he was different (he is gay), created an undercurrent in both the book and the film, but this should not be overemphasized, this is a honest portrayal of the experience of many during childhood.

Today with the upsurge of “family values” there is a tendency to turn childhood into some sort of “Edenic time” where everything is marvellous and lovely. Any psychologist will tell you this is not so and this amazing film offers a powerful portrayal of the confusion of that period within the framework of a strange and wonderful fantasy.

Max is a lonely and hyperactive young boy living with his mother and sister. His sister has older friends and he is regularly left alone. To top it all off, his mother has brought home a guest and Max feels his isn’t getting the constant attention he so desperately needs. They get into an argument and a bit of a tussle and Max bites his mother on the shoulder and bolts from the house. What happens next is anyone’s guess! Does he race mile after mile and find a boat which crosses great seas and takes him to Where The Wild Things Are or does he fall asleep after a long run and drifts into a dream state where the whole story happens.

In any event, Max lands in a strange and wonderful kingdom filled with angry and neurotic monsters, filled with fears and loneliness just like him. Soon he has made friends with the hot tempered Carol who being insecure like Max wants to keep everyone together. After being threatened with being eaten, Max spins a tale about his strength and wisdom and they make him their king. Max soon learns that being the King is not all it is cracked up to be and even in the land of the monsters he must face the same emotional difficulties he found in the real world.

This is an incredibly beautiful film; moving, emotionally powerful and visually astonishing. The cinematography is superb and is accompanied by great soundtrack made up of some very memorable songs. Certainly one of the most amazing feats is making the creatures so utter believable.

The character development is deep and profound, Carol (James Gandolfini) is the lonely protective monster who is in love with KW, KW (Lauren Ambrose) still loves Carol but finds his emotional turmoil difficult to handle, she is also a bit eccentric. Douglas (Chris Cooper) is a quiet fellow, best friend to Judith (Catherine O’Hara), who is bitter and a bit difficult. Ira (Forest Whitaker) is pleasant and supportive but timid, and then there is Alexander (Paul Dano) whose opinion never seems valued, who is the smallest monster of all. Max Records who plays Max certainly lives up to the role and gives a perfect performance, he will have a great future in acting.

If this film had been made by anyone else it would have been sentimental and even soppy, yet there is an honesty which makes this film quite unique within this genre of entertainment. While marketed as a film for adults, mature children would get a lot from it as well, but it is very hard to pigeonhole and hence will stand as one of the more unique films about childhood every made.

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This review will appear in Volume 3 No.1 of the digital and print edition of Synergy Magazine.

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