 "Photo: N/A")
In Spike Jonze’s new movie Where The Wild Things Are, a word is worth a thousand pictures. Otherwise, it would be hard to explain how Jonze was able to turn Maurice Sendak’s original 10-sentence story into an hour-and-a-half-long movie.
Jonze’s creativity is astounding, taking the simple story of a boy who was sent to his room for “wild behavior” into a heartwarming tale of one who struggles with his parents’ divorce and his older sister’s abandonment. Max is no longer just a disobedient little boy, but a character that we could all relate to, whether when he fumes at his family for being ignored or feels guilty for doing something he cannot take back. We find ourselves rooting for him as he runs away from home and tries to find solace by sailing away to an island full of wacky monster personalities.
But for all of Jonze’s hard work, he neglected one important detail: This movie is based on a children’s book, and it should still appeal to that audience. The film adaptation may have earned a PG rating, but it certainly is not a children’s movie. The monsters of Sendak’s illustrations may have large horns and claws, but they are ultimately harmless. The movie monsters, however, punch through trees, attack each other and nearly kill Max several times. The charm of Sendak’s Max leading a monster parade through the forest is lost in the film as film Max’s kingly fun is constantly interrupted by trying to keep all the monsters happy. Worst of all, Jonze’s interpretation turns what should have been a young child’s carefree daydream into an isolated foreign land where real life problems are intensified.
Jonze succeeded in adding realism and turning Where the Wild Things Are into a movie for all audiences. But when a book is loved by readers around the world for inspiring childlike wonder, why break with the original formula?
Be the first to comment on this article!