100 Scariest Movie Moments: #74 Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory

I approached this film thinking that it would be another movie in which I understood the fear aspect, but didn't personally frightening. I think when I was a child, my interpretation of Gene Wilder's Wonka was always that he was a troll. He's such a technical nut that he's filled his factory with safety precautions and knew the kids were in no danger, so he enjoys watching their parents flip out. That said, as an adult he comes across as far more of a creep, seemingly trying to feel up each of the children when they're coming through the gate.

I also find Grandpa Joe (Jack Albertson) to be creepy. A man who can't get out of bed to actually work and support his family, but can get out of bed to escort his grandson to receive a fabulous prize, comes across as unbelievably sleazy to me. Also, his decision to give up tobacco to buy Charlie a chocolate bar comes across not so much as the act of a loving grandfather, but rather of a compulsive gambler feeding his addiction. That might actually help to explain just how his family ended up so goddamn poor in the first place.

The scene that's typically highlighted as being the most terrifying is the scary tunnel in which Wonka sings a bizarre song while lights and strange images surround the boat the children are on. I don't find this scary though. It simply looks like a fair ride to me. Relative to everything else in the film, it seems fairly tame; nothing more than lights and images on a wall.

I think the connection to Hansel and Gretel is fairly obvious. Wonka built a gigantic factory full of amazing delights which children can't resist, and then punishes them for failing to resist. Effectively, he punishes children for being children. Yes, they're bad behaved children, but it's not really their fault they have terrible parents, and the lessons don't really serve to teach them anything.

One interpretation I've heard of the ending is that Wonka never intended to give any of the children his factory, and made up the lie on the fly when he realized that he'd failed to break Charlie (Peter Ostrum), who he expected to eliminate with the Fizzy Lifting Drinks. It makes a disturbing amount of sense, because this way, he could have access to Charlie 24/7 to tempt him until he eventually succumbs. Charlie won't give in for personal gain, but he will certainly do anything if he feels it will benefit his family, so bringing them to the factory would be the next logical step in destroying Charlie.

I have yet to see the remake, so I can't really comment on Depp's performance. I can only say that Wilder is creepy as Hell, as is Grandpa Joe, and “Slugworth” (Gűnter Meisner). I literally don't think Charlie meets a single trustworthy adult who has his best interests in mind in this entire film. And yeah, that creeps me out. The real horror of this film is that Charlie is simply a tool in the games of adults that he can't yet understand.