Marilyn Salloum
Theatrical films retain their charm and brilliance that does not fade, no matter how the film industry develops, and no matter how the tastes of audiences change over the generations. “Wonka” is one of the films whose appearance was awaited by a large number of viewers around the world. It is noteworthy that the fans of this character and those waiting for her appearance in a new film were not only children. Rather, theaters around the world witnessed a turnout from different age groups, especially families, to watch the latest What was adapted from the works of the wonderful writer Roald Dahl, “Wonka,” is a sweet-tasting film about a candy maker, or rather about the most famous chocolatier in fantasy stories. It satisfies the audience and critics, but it does not reach the level of dazzlement capable of competing with a film like “Barbie.”
Who among the fans of fantasy stories does not know the character of Willy Wonka? Created by the writer Roald Dahl, and presented by cinema in two films, the first of which was “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” in 1971, and the second “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” in 2005. In every experience, success was with the film and its makers. And an ally of the original book, as young men and women rush to buy the book and read it before or after the movie is shown, and in 2023, director Paul King decided to shorten the title and present a completely different version from the previous two works, starting from the character of Willy Wonka himself. He used the original story written by Dahl, But he added a lot of imagination to it, and made the chocolate maker have a past from which we can begin to know where he came from, how he built his famous factory, and how “Wonka” became a distinctive brand in the world of chocolate, before Charlie and his companions arrived there, and entered into the heart of the unique and tempting experiences at Willie’s factory. Wonka.
New characters
Paul King collaborated with Simon Farnaby in writing this wonderful cinematic spectacle. Through them, we were introduced to new characters that had nothing to do with Roald Dahl, but they succeeded in preserving Dahl’s style himself, to the point that you feel his spirit, his ideas, and the breadth of his imagination… living inside his world and this. Their brilliance and loyalty to the original writer, but also loyalty to Roald Dahl’s fans and his beloved characters, and this we do not find in the era of modern cinema, whose makers intentionally break all the rules, extract childish imaginary characters from their beautiful mythical molds, and break this eternal connection between children’s imagination and romance. And the world of pink dreams.
The film opens its events with a song performed by Wonka (Timothée Chalamet), from aboard a ship, through which he introduces himself to us about his story and his journey, which he spent seven years roaming the seas until he reached the city, in which he dreams of building his empire. He says, “I have nothing to offer but chocolate and a hat full.” In dreams.. Willie carries in his pocket a piece of chocolate with “Wonka” written on it. It is all that remains of his mother, who left him alone and left him an important legacy when she taught him how to make very special and unique chocolate, as she used to do before she died. She also taught him to follow his dreams and not to give up, and that she will be by his side and he will see her when he succeeds in building the chocolate factory, so Willy sets his sights on this one dream of his, and is determined to implement it no matter the cost.
Heir to the empire
It seems that director King was more impressed by the first version presented in 1971 starring Gene Wilder, directed by Mel Stewart, which focused mainly on the fun character of Willy Wonka, but in it the hero had reached middle age and began searching for an heir to the chocolate empire that… He made it and it became famous for years…while King decided to go back to the beginnings and start with Wonka from scratch, and we live with him the events of the beginning of his dream and how he turned it into reality and all the details that he lived through, both sweet and bitter, and this work is distinguished by the fact that it gives viewers successive bursts of hope and optimism despite all the conspiracies. What Wonka is exposed to from the moment he arrives in the city, and falls into the trap of Mrs. Scrapit (Olivia Colman), the owner of the modest inn, who exploits the guests and makes them sign a contract through which they become her captives, working in her underground laundry, and they have no way out or escape. He finds himself among a group of prisoner workers who have been deceived by Scrabbit over the years, including the orphan girl Noodle (Cala Line), who becomes Willy’s first assistant, and is the one who teaches him to read and write. With his extreme intelligence, he is able to devise an escape plan with his prisoner friends, but he encounters a gang. Made up of the city’s three most important merchants, Slagworth (Patterson Joseph), Pletcher (Tom Davis), and Bardnose (Matt Lucas), they own chocolate factories and conspire with the police chief to prevent Wonka, from setting up his factory and selling chocolate with a magical taste and the ability to easily influence people.
The magic lies not only in Wonka’s hat and the chocolate he makes, but also in the words, melodies, dance, and spectacles, which also remind us of the first old version, especially the costumes, Wonka’s shape, and his movements. Chalamet, the French-American actor, is very suitable for the role. He is light-hearted and befits the character that the authors painted for Willy Wonka in his youth, and for the funny comedic situations that he goes through or creates. Despite his lack of experience in musicals, he was able to succeed and compete with actors who were famous for this type of film. the movies. Dazzling decorations with bright colors, a fast and lively rhythm, and very lightness in the transition from normal dialogue to songs, so you do not feel a pause or a break between them.
This is in terms of directing and acting, but in terms of content, the film is distinguished by highlighting class discrimination, not racial discrimination, in a sarcastic manner, capitalism controlling the markets, monopoly, and preventing small merchants from appearing and working, and vanity, condescension, and arrogance, which are embodied by the three merchants, especially Pletcher, who vomits every time. He heard the word “poor,” not to mention Slugworth, for whom class was embodied by the distinction between his niece Noodle and her mother because she was “poor” and a “reader” who reads a lot of books, so he left her at the door of an asylum so that everyone would think that she was an orphan and deceive her mother that the child had died.
On the other hand, we are surprised that the fictional character “Oompa Loompa”, with her green hair and very short stature, who is considered Willy Wonka’s lieutenant and assistant, is a guest of honor in this work, and is played very nicely by the star Hugh Grant, and despite his appearance in the second half of the film, he was able to… He leaves a mark and attracts the audience. In fact, his song “Oompa Loompa” spread quickly and became an international trend. The star Rowan Atkinson, famous for Mr. Bean, also appears as a guest of honor in the role of a priest.
It’s candy
“Candy does not have to have any meaning, and that is why it is candy.” This is the phrase that Willy Wonka said to one of the children who visited his factory and for which he became famous. We remember it in this movie, and the same content and meaning was inspired by the two writers through a phrase written by Willy’s mother, She left it for him inside a piece of chocolate that was attached to him, which he had not been able to read previously when he was illiterate. She says: “The importance is not in the chocolate, but in the people you share it with.” So he decides to share the only remaining piece of his mother’s making with Noodle, and the group that helped them get out of… Underground, and the establishment of the factory, and the conclusion must be with Lofty Oompa Loompa, with whom he founded the chocolate factory, and appointed him responsible for tasting in it, and with that phrase left by Wonka’s mother, an emphasis on the most important feature of the film, which is that it is a family, and belongs to the films that It addresses the family, and develops awareness of the concepts of friendship, will, family, work, and optimism, and it succeeds without needing to resort to romantic stories, but rather the feelings in it are human and familial.