Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

—Overview
—Photos
—About this Film
—Spiritual Connections

Chocolate Factory produces modern fairy tale

“It’s not as good as the original.”

How many times have we heard this overused phrase in the past year alone? Not only is this a testament to Hollywood’s over-reliance on remakes, but in the case of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, it’s a reminder that we just don’t read as much as we used to.

Despite all appearances, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is not a remake of the 1971 cult classic Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. At the time of writing the new script, screenwriter John August (who also penned Big Fish) hadn’t even seen the original film. Instead, he sought to recreate the world he first encountered in the children’s novel by Roald Dahl. And who better to translate such a twisted mind than equally demented director Tim Burton?

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory follows Charlie Bucket (Freddie Highmore of Finding Neverland), a destitute though obedient kid mesmerized by reclusive chocolatier Willy Wonka (played by a wonderfully awkward Michael Jackson-esque Johnny Depp). After winning one of five golden tickets to Wonka’s chocolate factory, Charlie and his grandpa enter the candy man’s mysterious world of wondrous inventions and tasty treats.

Visually, the film is a masterpiece. Burton’s artistic flair is quite obvious in this film as he contrasts the drab, grimy brown-and-gray landscape of Charlie’s slightly askew ordinary world with Wonka’s colorful though sterile factory environment. The casting is amazing, as each actor looks like a caricature of his or her role in life (without the use of any prosthetics). When these blue-eyed children and gangly grandpas prance around in such an imaginative expressionistic world, a modern-day fairy tale is born.

Fans of the much-loved-though-much-darker 1970s version will notice several things missing: Charlie’s temptation by Slugworth, Charlie and Grandpa Joe’s encounter with the Fizzy Lifting Drinks, golden-egg-laying geese and orange-faced Oompa Loompas with an annoyingly repetitious though catchy song. All of the major differences, however, are attempts to stay true to the book.

The geese have been replaced with nut-cracking squirrels that identify “bad nuts” rather than “bad eggs.” This element from the original novel seems to bring the story full-circle for Veruca Salt, who gains both fortune and misfortune through industrial nut-shucking (her father is a wealthy nut-factory mogul).

Though the new Oompa Loompas (all played by a shrunken-to-knee-level Deep Roy) still sing whenever another child reaches his or her demise, each song style is unique. Because Wonka has been isolated from the outside world for 20 years, these songs have a distinct ’70s feel (as do Wonka’s numerous attempts at slang). All of the other memorable songs have been omitted, creating a better contrast between the harsh real world and the sing-songy wonderland of the factory.

The other obvious changes in the original film seem to deal with a particular theme: Grace. In both incarnations, Willy Wonka is painted as a mysterious, powerful figure whom everyone wants to know, but whom few have seen. Though he’s pretty twisted in the ’70s film, he's not so flawed—just strange and mysterious. He can be seen as a God-like figure who opposes (and punishes) the proud, but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6).

Though the original film shows Charlie giving into Grandpa Joe’s temptation to try out the Fizzy Lifting Drink, his confession that he was going to give the Everlasting Gobstopper to Mr. Slugworth allows him to accept Wonka’s free gift: the keys to his Kingdom (his chocolate factory). In this version, Charlie can be seen as the run-of-the-mill Christian: someone who receives an incredible gift of grace from a powerful being through surrendering something valuable (a gobstopper for Charlie; a life for the rest of us).

Though this subplot is not present in the original book or the recent film, that doesn’t mean there isn’t religious subtext. Dahl spent much of his childhood in Catholic boys’ schools, most extensively in Repton Public School (where he received inspiration for the novel through tasting new chocolates for Cadbury). Though Dahl later doubted the existence of God (attributing his doubt to the evils done by Repton’s abusive clergy), his Catholic upbringing seems to have made an impression on him. The four other children are obviously naughty, but they can also be seen as representative of four of the seven deadly sins (Augustus Gloop is gluttony, Violet Beauregarde is pride, Veruca Salt is avarice and Mike Teavee is sloth).

Conversely, this version of Charlie is a perfect child. Having humble beginnings, he enters Willy Wonka’s world, acts as a mediator between Wonka and Wonka’s father (a new character in the film played by Christopher Lee), ascends into the heavens and eventually dwells in paradise. There is even a touching scene at the beginning in which Charlie breaks his only birthday present—a chocolate bar—and shares it with his parents and four bed-bound grandparents. The chocolate takes on a sacramental role for the child, who obviously deserves the chocolate but who gives it freely to those around him.

In addition to its subtle religious themes, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, rated PG, is just a fun film. Though not as psychedelically twisted as the original film, it still has its dark moments. Those with weak stomachs might not want to see the bug guts in the Oompa Loompa homeland.

Though this boat ride didn’t give me nightmares like the other one, it could be a little intense for younger children. The film has a slightly twisted thread that runs throughout, but it never goes over the line in my estimation. By all means, take the family and enjoy. But remember to give credit where credit is due: Remember to read the book!

MOVIE
—Overview
—Photos
—About this Film
—Spiritual Connections

BOOK
—Review: WonkaMania

—Blog: Kevin Miller
—Blog: Tom Price
—Blog: Jacob Sahms
—Blog: Jacob Sahms