WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE (2009, Blu-ray released March 2, 2010 – MSRP $35.99)
How do you take a beloved childrens book, less than 50-pages long, and turn it into a feature film that speaks to the whole family? I don’t know. And I’m not sure Where the Wild Things Are director, Spike Jonze knows either but, along with writer Dave Eggers, he sure gives it a good old college try. What results is a film that’s at the same time disturbing and wonderful.
Maurice Sendak‘s Where the Wild Things Are has always been a favourite in my family. I recall my sister and I checking it out of the school library time and again, never tiring of the simple tale of young Max escaping from the doldrums of the real world into a fantastical realm of massive, wild beasts, with whom he can can freely frolic and play. This film takes chances and builds on that tale, adding layers of human complexity, giving Max a realistic trauma to escape from (his parents divorce) and a bittersweet encounter with the melancholy monsters. In fact, though the film has moments that exhibit the unadulterated joys of childhood, those scenes ultimately feel weighed down, heavy with the underlying sadness that drives the films story. It’s wonderful in just about every way – the casting, performances, production design, photography, music – but fails to deliver the fun and wonder that the book offered me as a child. That’s not to say that the film itself is a failure. Quite the opposite. I think it’s a complete success. But it’s a much different Wild Thing than Sendak’s book.
The Where the Wild Things Are Blu-ray is not going to be the showpiece of your collection. But it’s just about exactly perfect. The film is dark and grainy, shot in a verité style with a lot of handheld camerawork. The transfer doesn’t sparkle like a modern, all-digital production but it’s completely accurate to the source material, exhibiting plenty of detail, faithful colour representation and deep, dark blacks. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 is also pitch-perfect, adding a dynamic, immersive sound field that accurately reproduces the wonderful score by Carter Burwell and songs by Karen O.
I loved the special features on this disc. In fact, they might even be more enjoyable than the film itself! There are a handful of incredible little documentary featurettes which cover topics from the adaptation of the book, the casting of the brilliant, young Max Records in the lead role, the filming process and the creation of the music of the film. They are both informative and highly entertaining to a one. It’s so great to see the cast and crew having so much fun making the film. There seems to have been a lot more joy and wonder going on behind the scenes than in front of the cameras! It’s almost too bad they couldn’t capture more of that spirit on celluloid.
The most substantive bonus feature on the disc is the Blu-ray exclusive short film, Higglety Pigglety Pop! Or: There Must Be More to Life – a short film based on another of Maurice Sendak’s tales, produced and animated by the National Filmboard of Canada. I was really looking forward to this. I have a lot of good friends who work at the NFB. The film was produced here in Montreal. I’m kind of connected to it in a lot of ways. But, to be brutally honest, I don’t think it works. I think creators Chris Lavis and Maciek Szczerbowski are brilliant and I totally love their previous film, Madame Tutli Putli. I just think they lost the plot with this one. Got a little too meandering and arty with it instead of just allowing the story and the visuals do their work. Nevertheless, it’s a nice addition to the Blu-ray.
The Where the Wild Things Are Blu-ray Disc set is rounded out with a DVD and a digital copy of the film.
Previously on The Blu-ray Blog: Where The Wild Things Are on Blu-ray in March
