Movie 169: Where The Wild Things Are

Where The Wild Things Are (2009) by Spike Jonze
starring Max Records



In a nutshell: Not really a kids movie! Not sure I liked the emotions it brought out in me, but the fact that it created emotions says something

Quick synopsis: Max travels a mysterious island full of monsters to escape from his problems

Content: The more I think about Where the Wild Things Are, the more I like it. I am surprised at the mixed reviews. First of all, you can't fault any of the visuals. Spike Jonze creates something completely unique. Whatever they did to bring the monsters to life was perfect. Possibly the best visual interpretation of classic illustrations EVER put on the screen.

But the worthiness of the extrapolated story is much less clear. The book couldn't have been more than 1 full page worth of text, so it required a lot of interpretation. And while I don't necessarily think that Jonze's interpretation of the story is the same as the author's, I think it is a very valid interpretation.

The bulk of the extrapolation occurs when Max leaves his everyday life to sail to the island of the Wild Things. When he meets them is where opinions diverge. The story becomes extremely disjointed, jumping from one mood to another with odd dialog that makes little logical sense. Characters have mostly unexplained motivations and emphasize strange things in their conversations - like holes in trees. But I am convinced that it was written that way the monsters are figment's of a young boy's imagination, and he is the one putting words into their mouths. Therefore the fact that it all seems oddly juvenile and simplistic is exactly what Jonze was going for. They things that hold their interest change in an instant. This is how little kids think when they are playing. All they talk about is forts, and holes in trees, and dirt fights and sleeping in piles and that is what the Wild Things talk about. If this is not straight from the mind of a 9 year-old then I don't know what is. Jonze even tipped off what he was doing early in the film when Max delivers another meandering narrative to his mother when she asks for a story.

Also because the interactions between the monsters are being controlled by Max's imagination, they are not your typical magical creatures. There is no all-knowing sage like Aslan from Narnia because Max doesn't have the knowledge that this type of character would dispense. They are confused because Max is confused by his suddenly complicated life. The Wild Things ARE Max. Most representing different aspects of his personality. And that brings me to the most interesting conclusion I drew from the film. It's not really a kid's movie about the wonders of imagination and a mystical journey...it's about the end of Max's innocence. Max is going through some tough times in real life, so when he goes and visits his imaginary friends, things are not so simple anymore, even with them. They fight with each other and break things and are jealous. These are all reflections of the complications that Max has run into recently. So he finds that he can't use them as his escape anymore because he brings his confusion with him. It's really very sad, because Max's innocence is probably ending a little earlier than it should. And at the end Max comes to the conclusion that he needs to deal with his problems in reality, not in imagination, and leaves his imaginary world possibly for good. Very sad!

Unlike other "imaginary journey" movies like Time Bandits, Labyrinth, Alice in Wonderland, etc., Where The Wild Things Are keeps it's journey very much rooted in the reality of the character. The world is very much limited by what Max himself knows. Any wisdom imparted by the Wild Things is Max himself figuring things out through them. Also, Max is imagining everything while he is hiding in the woods. That is why all the things he does with the Wild Things involve digging holes, playing with sticks, throwing dirt, talking to owls (i.e. things he can do in the woods). Notice that everything built on the island is made of sticks! I really liked that touch and it further supports my interpretation.

I have purposely avoided other reviews and interpretation of this movie before writing this. I can't wait to hear if others draw the same conclusions I have, although the large number of disappointed reviews seem to indicate otherwise. Perhaps I am wrong in giving credit to Jonze for the way events unfold on the island (which seems to have been the most problematic sections for critics), but I really don't think so. I do, however, think that Where The Wild Things will become a classic worthy of study in years to come. There is a lot to analyze and it's stature will develop as the next few years pass.

Rolling rankings:
1. Inglourious Basterds (#168)
2. Do The Right Thing (#162)
3. Where The Wild Things Are (#169)
4. Duplicity (#167)
5. Battle Royale (#165)
6. Into the Wild (#166)
7. Doubt (#160)
8. Interview With The Vampire (#163)
9. I Love You, Man (#164)
10. The Happening (#161)