So really, where are the wild things? No one really knows, and let’s be honest, who cares? The book, written and illustrated by Maurice Sendak, was good enough to go without question. The movie, directed by Spike Jonze, continued the tradition.
The original story was made up of only 10 sentences, to make a full length film about the book was a great feat that Jonze tackled with ambition. In an interview with Filter magazine, Jonze went into detail about keeping the movie very simplistic and child-like, never making things “too grown-up.” He focused on the emotions of Max, the main character, and really got a sense of what he was going through.
“Feeling out of control emotions were scary and that’s what I was writing about in the script,” Jonze said about his childhood to Pat McGuire from Filter.
Throughout the movie, shows his raw emotions. This is what the movie is about as a whole: the things that a child cares about. Upon meeting the wild things, Max takes control and crowns himself king, convincing the wild things he was a courageous man, more than just a boy in a wolf costume. As a child, you are the most important thing; children are selfish and want the best for themselves most of the time. It’s just human nature.
The movie changes the story slightly, but always recognizable to the book. Sendak helped produce the film as well and had no problem with a few changes here and there.
While the movie woke up the kid in you for some, for others, it put them to sleep. The film took Max’s problems at home and brought them to the wild things’ island where Max was put in the mother position and see’s things from a different point of view.
As far as the soundtrack went, Karen O from “The Yeah Yeah Yeah’s” produced and sang through the entire thing. The word phenomenal comes to mind. Karen sings with a children’s choir through all the songs.
The song “Worried Shoes” is featured especially, during emotional scenes. Karen’s vocals aren’t exaggerated or complex; she keeps a very steady youthful tone through the entire film.
“Rumpus” and “Rumpus Reprise” are played when Max first meets the wild things. Both songs are friendly and inviting, fitting the scenes like a puzzle as the wild things accept Max as their king. “Rumpus Reprise” includes dialogue from the movie, including Max yelling his first order of business, “Let the wild rumpus start!” This stays true to the book.
“All Is Love” was featured on the album and sums up the whole movie in 2 minutes and 52 seconds of Karen and the kids’ vocals singing the main theme of the film.
“Capsize” was a more powerful, driven song on the album. Spelling out the word and spelling out Max’s troubles at home, the song tells about why Max leaves his mother and sister for the wild things. Max’s spunk and anger is captured in this song, spelling out “miss me / all you want.” The song is obviously directed towards his mom.
With all the children’s books being made into films in the last couple of years, being successful is tricky. Spike Jonze stays spot on with the feel of the story, and never leaving the actual plot Sendak wrote originally. If you haven’t figured out where the wild things are by this time, they’re here to stay.