Charlie and the Chocolate Factoryto my mindcan so easily be mapped-out into some basic Judeo/Christian myths. For instance: I (personally) see Willie Wonka as being very God-like, his factory as being Heaven/Paradise, the Oompa Loompas as angels, and Charlie as being a sort of Prodigal Son/Adam figure, returning to Gods side.
You aint buyin it, are you?!?
O.K., let me try to be more specific:
Granted, there is nothing that obviously identifies him as God-like figure...but run with some of his characteristics for a minute: 1.) He is powerful/influential in the world. 2.) But he is very removed from the world. 3.) Yet, he seeks to bring good things to the world (in the form of his candy inventions). 4.) He is a creator...heck, just look at his factory. 5.) He is aided by beings who are very obviously other worldly. (they literally dwelled above the Earth, before he found them and convinced them to come work for him)
When Augustus Gloop falls in the chocolate riverand the Oompa Loompas sing their songI think several of the guests comment that they seemed to have already had the song ready to go for the event...there is a hint at (divine) foreknowledge there (although notice that Willie Wonka brushes-aside that possibility).
When they are taking the boat tour through the factory, they pass the whipped cream room. I believe it was Veruca who commented on how silly or stupid that was, and the response eludes her; it is that way, because it IS non-sensical...just as the journey towards spiritual enlightenment is one that (at some point) must lay reason/logic aside. This is reiterated later in the film by Charlie, when he comments about candy-making not needing to make sense. Many of the inventions in the factory are outlandishbut whats interesting is that there need be no real why for their creation; they were created simply because Willie Wonka (God) chose to create them (or, said another way: God doesn't need a reason!).
Im deeply intrigued by the father/son relationship in this version of the story (between Willie Wonka and his father). I cant help but map-out Willie Wonka as the Creator God, and his father as the Infinite God (responsible for making lesser gods, like Willie). Examined in this light, the dynamics between those two is profound (or at least I found them to be so).
What I find semi-profound about the ending is that Willie Wonka finds a certain sense of peace, by re-uniting with humanity. Imagine for a moment: Might God ever feel cut-off from us...?
Following that, I love the wackiness of the way Depp plays the characterhes out there...no question. But, what might God be like? What would happen if Goddormant for many moonssuddenly announced to the world, that he was going to let 5 children tour heaven with him? Notice that the character of Willie Wonka never crosses the line into buffoonery...hes odd...but never foolish (in fact, note the way Depp gives the character a look of wisdom just about every time one of the children falls away from the groupthe look he gives Mr. Salt as he goes to free Veruca from the squirrels is an excellent example of this).
Although likewise not clear-cut, use your imagination a bit, and place the boy Mike Teavee into the devil figure role. Is he evil? Well, not really...but he sure is arrogant, isnt he? He thinks he can do more with what Willie Wonka has than Willie Wonka himself can!! And what does it get him, in the end...?
I noticed other things while I was watching the film...I need to watch it again to draw out some further details...but, how am I doing so far? Again, Im not saying that any of the characters in the film are clearly-defined theological figures...but (to my mind) the hints are there, in ever so subtle amounts...
Thoughts? (my wife thinks Ive read waaaayyyyyy too much into it!
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