A film of the beloved 1963 children’s book, Where the Wild Things Are has been in the pipeline for years now, with many different film projects quashed before coming to fruition. How to turn the 10 page, sparsely worded picture book by Maurice Sendak into a feature length film? Director/screenwriter Spike Jonze (Being John Malkovich, Adaptation) has succeeded where many before him have failed and delivered a finished product. His efforts were not without their trials, with changes between studios, leaked footage and rumoured creative disputes. The big question, has it been worth the wait?
Filmed on the shoreline of outer Melbourne, utilising the varied landscapes of charred forest, beach and desert, Where the Wild Things Are is above all things a piece of visual mastery. Jonze has created two separate worlds; Max’s home, wintry suburbia and the wonderfully bizarre land of the Wild Things, with equal attention and care paid to both. The Wild Things have been spectacularly brought to life with the help of the legendary Jim Henson Company, which created enormous costumes that are works of art and feats of structural engineering (with the magic touch of CGI added for facial expressions).
The book with such iconic imagery was always going to provide inspiration for a fantastic visual narrative. The real test was creating a script worthy of the source material and its many fans. Here is where the film may surprise its audience: this is not a children’s film, it’s a film about childhood. Where the Wild Things Are has been made for people who grew up with the book.
click here to read my full review at Trespass
