Where The Wild Things Are Analysis

Directors often envision works of literature into their own cinematic adaptation. Spike Jones’ 2009 film Where the Wild Things Are is an adaptation of the 1963 children’s picture book Where the Wild Things Are written and illustrated by Maurice Sendak. Although they are visually similar, the film’s narrative strategy departs from the plot and theme of Sendak’s picture book. The picture book begins with an illustration of a boy wearing a white wolf suit causing trouble at his home. He climbs on a stack of books while trying to build a fort and then chasing their dog down the stairs. His name is Max and he is the protagonist of this story. His mother shouts at him and he replies with “I’ll eat you up!” (5). His mother sends Max to bed without …show more content…
The title appears on the screen and then cuts to Max playing outside in the snow. The film quickly departs from the book in order to create a modern adjustment. The film introduces Max’s older sister Claire, by panning into the windows of their home. We see and over hear her talking on the phone with her friend. The film suggests their parents are divorced when Clair tells her friend “Can’t I’m supposed to go to my Dad’s that weekend.” Max is inside his igloo outside spying on Claire as she leaves the house to go hang out with her friends. He throws a snowball at them and they indulge in a playful snowball fight that is interrupted when one of Claire’s friends stomps his igloo into the ground. This upsets Max and he decides to make Claire’s room a mess. Max feels guilty and tells his mother what he did when she returns from work. She does not get angry at him and helps him clean up the mess in Claire’s room. The film establishes an endearing relationship between Max and his mother. There’s a scene when his mother is on the phone while working on the computer. Max walk into the room wearing his wolf suit. He’s very quiet and stands in front of his mother. He begins to dance and she smiles at him. Once she hangs up the phone she asks Max if he could tell her a story. He does and she starts typing each word he says onto a word document. It …show more content…
He finds a body of water and then it cuts to him sailing across the body of water throughout the day, night, and stormy weather. Once Max finds lands he begins to explore the woods and then the shadows of the wild things appear on screen. Through computer generated imagery and performers they follow the descriptions of the wild things illustrated in the book. Jones also personifies the wild things by giving them names and different personalities. The wild things show conflict in their own environment and they display dysfunction in a family unit. Carol, who resembles Max is one of the more sensitive of the wild things. Carol is childish and Max is able to identify with that. Carol likes to jump through the forest, throw dirt around, and has a model of a town he imagines the wild things will live in. However Carol is also easily upset by anything or anyone that disturbs their unit. KW is the voice of reasoning, but is usually ignored or mistreated by the other wild things. KW left them for other friends and they felt very hurt by her actions. KW’s character is the most mature of the group and understands when the wild things are acting up and are damaging their homes for no reason. She knows Max is not a king and is just a kid. KW also helps Max hide when Carol is angry at him and is threatening to eat him. She is very nurturing and is the one to encourage Max to go back