A poor but hopeful boy seeks one of the five coveted golden tickets that will send him on a tour of Willy Wonka’s mysterious chocolate factory.
Released in 1971, “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory” represents the sort of timeless classic that simply endures. Gene Wilder seems born to play the enigmatic candyman named Willy Wonka, the distrustful owner of the greatest chocolate factory in the world.
Charlie (Peter Ostrum), the protagonist, is a nice kid with a generous heart, hoping to find his place in the world. He lives in a dilapidated home with his family – the bedridden Grandpa Joe (Jack Albertson), along with two grandmothers and an uncle. They support Charlie morally as best they can. Charlie’s mother (Diana Sowle) also possesses a giving demeanor, as she selflessly looks after both Charlie and the elderly, non-ambulatory relatives. Though she washes clothes by hand for an employer at her day job, she always has time for her son’s concerns.
When Willy Wonka announces that his factory will open to five visitors at random who find a golden ticket in one of his chocolate bars, the race is on – with a lifetime supply of chocolate and a tour of the factory in the bargain. Predictably, Wonka bars fly off store shelves, each customer desperately hoping to find a golden ticket inside.
Issues surrounding wealth and privilege infuse the production, as flush individuals purchase disproportionate quantities of the chocolate bars, only to discard them after failing to find the ticket. The sarcasm is thick throughout. When the last box of Wonka bars in the U.K. is auctioned off and the queen shows up – albeit off-screen – Wonka uses the circumstance to good effect later in the film. When an American is kidnapped and the demand is not money but rather their case of Wonka bars, the wife hesitates before asking the detective how long she has to think about it. The theme continues when a newscaster sagely reminds audiences that there are more important things in life than the golden ticket – though, at the moment, he can’t think of any of them. Wilder’s Wonka also eventually chimes in with generous portions of social commentary regarding gluttony and other bad habits.
Unlike Charlie, the remaining four winners consist of an annoying collection of spoiled, pampered, self-absorbed brats – all children of privilege, yet simultaneously oblivious and obnoxious to their elevated situation. As each winner comes forward, they are approached in turn by Mr. Slugworth (Günter Meisner), who mysteriously whispers an offer in their ear.
When finally the time comes, we genuinely feel the elation for Charlie as he opens up the candy bar containing the only remaining winning ticket. Since a family member may accompany the winner, Grandpa finds the motivation not only to get out of bed but to pour out a heartfelt duet with Charlie.
In various scenes, Grandpa reveals the backstory of the mysterious Wonka, who closed his factory years ago because competitors were sending in spies posing as workers to steal his recipes. Three years later, the plant reopened, yet now no one ever goes in or out. When Wilder appears nearly forty-five minutes in, attired with a purple coat and maroon top hat, things really get rolling. Though substantial early screen time focuses on who will find the golden tickets, the real fun begins when Wonka emerges from his factory. His deliciously hollow compliments to the children foretell his plans for the extended tour.
Wilder delivers a nonstop stream of subtle insults to the oblivious parents and children with obvious glee, like a mad wizard intent on testing his visitors at every turn. Only Charlie and Grandpa Joe take things in stride, while the rest – plaintive and impotent – endlessly voice their objections. Wonka’s feigned concern for the spoiled offspring may not register with the children in the audience, but adults will certainly pick up on it.
The movie is based on the highly successful children’s novel by Roald Dahl, who also adapted the screenplay. And while Aubrey Woods as the candy shop owner Bill suitably performs the “Candyman” tune, nothing compares to the Sammy Davis, Jr. version, which marked the singer’s first number-one hit on the Billboard charts in 1972.
“Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory” holds up well on this, its fifty-year anniversary, bringing the beloved story to closure in a very touching and satisfactory fashion. A film for the ages and not to be missed.
Now available on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Pack and Digital HD
