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 Where the Wild Things Are MeaningsModerated by: ben
Submitted by: mlnski
Added: 2010-02-21 21:28:08 Rating:
  According to director Spike Jonze "Where Wild Things Are" is a movie about childhood and not a children's movie. The story clearly lacks typical child's movie features such as an apparent antagonist who has to be defeated and a recognizable happy ending. Also some scenes and dialogues are not suitable for children audiences.
With that in mind "Where Wild Things Are" should not be interpreted as a children's story where usually moral issues/conflicts are apparent and defined and there is a spoken conclusion at the end.
What should be looked for in this movie is allegory and symbolism of characters and events.
Apparently the story explores a certain moment in a persons growth. In my opinion this is the moment where a person meets his darker (wild) or evil side, for the first time at the verge of growing up.
Story revolves around Max, who is frustrated by everyone's lack of attention towards him which leads to him having a quarrel with his mother and running away. Here we see probably the first important symbol - it is Max's own costume witch is some kind of a devilish looking with horns and a tail.
Max then runs to an imaginary land which is inhabited by strange creatures and they accept him as their king. I assume these creatures represent each one of Max's dark sides or qualities. Creatures are:
Judith - she is a "downer" and seems to be pessimistic about everything, so she probably represents Max's pessimism.
Douglas - who is a bird-like creature and should be Max's fear.
Carol - apparently the one everyone listens to and as wikipedia would put it "the most impulsive and charismatic of the Wild Things" - He might be an overall representation of max's evil side or anger.
Other creatures are:
Ira - who could be Max's lack memory since he puts holes in everything
Alexander - he looks like a goat, not sure what he could represent. wikipedia suggests many interpretations for a goat you can view them here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goat#Religion.2C_mythology.2C_and_folklore
Bernard the Bull - who is very quite and doesn't talk, he might be Max's shame or antisociality.
And there is K.W. who is a woman figure - she might be Max's sexuality, but I don't think that's the case. She seems to be very respected by other creatures and she is in constant conflict with Carol.
After the creatures meet max and accept him as their king, Carol shows Max his plans to create a village where everything would be possible. Max convinces everyone that they should build this village they had given up on long time ago. Everyone gets to work and soon the village is ready and although the buildings don't look exactly the way Carol had imagined them everyone is happy with what they've accomplished.
What I think this village represents is Max's attempt on controlling his darker side. At the end he fails and has to leave.
At the end of the movie Max runs back to his mother and she takes off his devilish costume from his head. She makes him dinner and spends some time with him -thus giving him her attention.
Other important allegories which can though about are:
- The igloo Max creates at the beginning of the movie - and the igloo looking house the creatures make around Max when they all fall asleep.
- The birds which everyone except Max and Carol understand and are very wise according to everyone else.
- Why does Carol lose his temper when Max decides to make a place where he can hide?
That's all please write your thoughts on what events or creatures could mean.
Submit your interpretation!
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