Sometimes revisiting old classics can be scary. Was it actually good? Was it horrible? Watching through a critical lens may give you a very different opinion of a film on a rewatch. It turns out Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory WAS and IS excellent! It is a total masterpiece on many levels and a movie that any kid or adult would probably enjoy. What really stood out to me is that it is genuinely both funny and interesting throughout.
First example of substantial funny: The scene where the scientist was asking his computer where the remaining golden tickets were located. I’m dyin’ laughing by the end of this scene. It was just a really funny bit they came up with that was basically like it’s own little stand alone skit. Another part I actually laughed at was when his teacher is calculating percentages based on how many chocolate bars each student opened. When Charlie reveals how many he opened, the teacher exclaims “Well I can’t figure out just two!”
There are a number of other interesting things I noticed in my rewatch of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. One is that I think he reveals that the secret to his success is that he mixes his chocolate by waterfall. The problem with this is it looks to be an unsanitary way to make chocolate. Other scenes also make me suspicious that Wonka has built this difficult maze of rooms to move through solely for the purpose of warding off health inspectors.
In a way, the plot eventually becomes: Is Willy Wonka good or evil? His actions are bizarre and he does not seem to be concerned for anyone’s safety. He blames the children for what they do wrong and takes no responsibility for himself. There are also these 4 moments that communicated to me that he is truly unhinged in some way:
1: On the boat he shows them horror images, starts singing, transitions to poetry, then just screams. Oh, you were just joking, Willy? Heh heh, I guess?
2: He makes the most out of place peculiar comment near the end of the film. “We are the music makers and we are the dreamers of dreams. Come along”
3: “Stop. Don’t. Come back.” He appears to say sarcastically. OK, now you are not even trying to warn anyone properly of all the dangers.
4: The objects in his study at the end are all just half an object. He must have purposefully split them in half as some kind of representation of himself. It’s as if he is half a person or feels like half a person, or maybe has some kind of split personality. I’m just throwing some ideas out there, but I think it conveys a very intimate place in his mind when we see the environment in his study at the end.
Here’s where the film must be interpreted. The only information we have that the other kids were safe at the end is merely a statement from Wonka. We must take his word for it when he has already proven himself untrustworthy. After the credits roll, what happens next for the characters is one of two very different things. Either Charlie moves into the factory, the other kids are home safe, and everyone lives happily ever after OR Willy Wonka is now on the run as a criminal! Charlie and his family have trouble moving into their new home because it is a crime scene. Additionally, the factory is discovered to be an unsafe and unsanitary maze that is now a hazard to the city. I guess one other possibility is that Wonka gets off scot-free because of the contract he made everyone sign at the beginning.
The second interpretation makes me very sad for Charlie and his family so I choose to believe the good natured ending. But even so, Willy Wonka was still kind of evil for what he put everyone through wasn’t he?
Final thoughts: 10/10 Crowns if you are overlooking the obvious problems from a modern day lens. I am giving it this high of a rating because I feel Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory’s quality level completely justifies the status it has as a top level classic. The movie is funny, exciting, fantastic, has great acting, has an enjoyable plot, and keeps you on edge the whole time trying to determine if Wonka is good/evil/sane/trustworthy. I don’t know if they intended the ending to be open to interpretation, but I don’t trust Willy Wonka’s word by the end of the film. It almost seems more likely that he’s an unhinged evil genius over an eccentric businessman, but each viewer must decide this for themselves!
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