It’s been called a primal scream for kids, a perfect capturing of a wilful child’s impotent rage when faced with a parent’s authority. But, written and illustrated by Maurice Sendak, you’ll just know it as one of childhood’s most beloved picture books since its publication in 1963.
However, with just 18 pictures and a mere nine sentences, its five minute tale of Max, a mischievous boy who, sent to bed without supper, imagines himself transported to an island where he becomes king over its fearsome-looking creatures, doesn’t immediately sound like much material for a full length feature film.
Yet, in the hands of the creative mind of director Spike Jonze who approaches fantasy as reality, it’s become one of the best films made about children’s frustration and feelings.
The problem is that, since it requires a capacity for abstract thought to understand how Max’s fears, anger and confusions are represented in the ‘wild things’ he meets, the youngsters for whom this may be a favourite bedtime story simply won’t be psychologically equipped to get it. Indeed, up on the big screen, they may find some of it all rather scary.
That said, 10 year olds and over and their parents really should see this film together because, in the same way that Bridge To Terabithia dealt with death, it may help both to better understand the feelings the other finds hard to articulate.
Brilliantly played by new young actor Max Records, Max is a sad and lonely nine year old. He’s full of energy looking for a place to let off steam. Generally involving racing around the house in his wolf costume and terrorising the dog.
But he seems to have no neighbourhood friends of his own age, his self-absorbed sister says nothing when her jerk friend destroys the igloo he spent hours building in the snow and, while she obviously loves him, his divorced mum (Catherine Keener) is distracted by work and a new boyfriend. He’s also scared because his science teacher told the class that one day the sun will go out and the planet and everyone on it will end.
Everything comes to the boil that night when, unable to understand or express himself, he puts on his costume and has a massive temper tantrum, demeaning ‘Woman, feed me!”. Shocked at having bitten his mother on the arm, he runs out into the night, finds a boat and sets sail.
Eventually washing up on strange shores, he stumbles upon a group of strange, fantastical creatures, busily destroying their own homes. Discovered, he’s threatened with being eaten until he shots ‘be still’ and declares himself to have special powers. Promising to keep them safe behind his sadness shield, he’s welcomed as their king (that’ll be parent figure) and declares ‘let the wild rumpus start’. Which, indeed it does, with all manner of rough and tumble and howling. Because, after all, isn’t trashing things and letting emotions run wild the answer to everything?
But, as Max gets to know the creatures better - permanently gloomy one horned Judith (Catherine O’Hara), easy going Ira (Forest Whitaker), put upon goat Alexander (Paul Dano), hyper birdlike Douglas (Chris Cooper), pack leader Carol (James Gandolfini) and moody loner KW (Lauren Ambrose) - he realises they all have their own low self-esteem, insecurities and hurts.
Especially Carol who, sulking and lashing out because he thinks KW would rather be with her new friends (a pair of cute owls) than him, is clearly Max’s alter-ego, feeling rejected by those he loves. As KW tells him – spelling out the film’s message - “it’s hard to be a family”. But that shouldn’t stop you trying.
Closely resembling the illustrations, the wild things are marvellous creations, looking like what they are – puppeteers in creature suits with CGI facial expressions – but, as with Never Ending Story, feeling just like characters in a child’s imagination with the actors who provide their voices bringing them to vivid life. The film is never sentimental, but that won’t stop the tears as Max and the beasts fall asleep in a big shaggy pile or Carol realises what he may have lost in his rage. How you explain that to a six year old, is another matter.