Spoilers observe.
As a fan of Thor: Ragnarok and each model of Charlie and the Chocolate Manufacturing facility, I’m excited that Taika Waititi will write and direct two new sequence based mostly on Roald Dahl’s work. Annika Barranti Klein’s E-book Riot article rightly factors out that Dahl was racist and anti-Semitic, and this permeates his work. Many little individuals, or individuals with dwarfism, like Rebecca Cokley, contemplate Oompa Loompas ableist. Like Annika, I hope that Waititi’s creativity and dedication to range will replace the story and resolve these points.
Nonetheless, a cynical worldview is integral to the story. Even Charlie, ceaselessly thought-about the one “good” child of the group, has a darkish facet that’s hardly ever acknowledged. Fan theories speculate that Bong Joon-ho’s dystopian SFF film Snowpiercer, tailored from the comedian e-book Le Transperceneige, is secretly a darkish sequel to Charlie and the Chocolate Manufacturing facility. Kevin Maher first posted this concept on Vimeo in March 2018.
Snowpiercer takes place in a post-apocalyptic world the place makes an attempt to halt international warming have backfired, inflicting an ice age. The one surviving people inhabit a socially segregated practice that circumnavigates the Earth. Youngsters are taught to worship the practice’s creator, Wilford, in a cult of persona. Within the concept (not the film), Wilford is definitely Charlie Bucket, who inherited Willy Wonka’s manufacturing facility, then assumed his identify and have become an inventor in his personal proper.
Deliberately or not, there are clear parallels in characters, themes, and plot between Snowpiercer and Dahl’s story. The most important plot similarities embody Wilford having a supposed adversary who’s truly his spy, after which asking the protagonist to be his successor. On this concept, Wonka and Wilford are each inherited roles, very similar to The Dread Pirate Roberts in The Princess Bride. By this logic, it truly is smart that Charlie takes the identify Willy (Wilford) Wonka, then simply Wilford. The continuity makes them appear extra formidable and bigger than life.
Fan theories like this are farfetched however enjoyable. They’re not canonical in any respect however mainly fan fictions that allow us reinterpret outdated favorites. Some elements are rather more believable than others. The most important attain is deciphering Snowpiercer as a direct sequel to Dahl’s story. Nonetheless, I get pleasure from this concept as a result of it exposes Charlie’s potential to turn out to be a sadistic or hypocritical grownup, which is subtly current in Dahl’s e-book.
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Charlie Bucket turning evil is definitely one of many least shocking elements of the fan concept. This interpretation exaggerates a facet of Charlie’s persona that’s refined however current within the authentic e-book and its two film variations. Initially, Charlie appears candy, mature, and selfless. He sacrifices what little he has for his household and appreciates every thing. He behaves significantly better than all the opposite youngsters. A standard interpretation is that Charlie deserves the manufacturing facility as a result of he’s the one “good” youngster.
Nonetheless, it all the time disturbed me that Charlie accepts the manufacturing facility in any respect. He noticed the opposite youngsters tortured in entrance of him. He doesn’t need to be visibly traumatized, however accepting the manufacturing facility from Wonka makes him unbothered and even complicit. On the finish of Tim Burton’s 2005 film—as within the e-book—we see that the opposite youngsters are nonetheless alive. I can’t say they’re unhurt, as a result of Violet is violet and Mike’s physique is stretched out. They’ll all in all probability be traumatized for all times. The 1971 film, whereas thought-about extra family-friendly, doesn’t even present us whether or not the opposite children survived.
Though Charlie initially looks like a “good child,” he’s content material to maintain his head down and behave appropriately whereas different children get punished. Folks have written total articles explaining how Charlie’s Grandpa Joe is an terrible function mannequin. He and Charlie really feel entitled to Wonka’s prize as the one individuals who by no means broke the foundations. However they did! They drank Wonka’s soda that made them levitate, then needed to drink the antidote to come back down. Grandpa Joe is already educating Charlie to be hypocritical and self-righteous.
If you happen to just like the fan concept, it’s potential to think about Charlie altering from a candy child to a ruthless cult chief as an grownup. This might occur if he has horrible function fashions, like Grandpa Joe and Wonka. His experiences might result in voyeurism, egoism, sadism, and a way of ethical superiority as an grownup. He might develop as much as be a cult chief in a post-apocalyptic world, particularly after he was given energy over the manufacturing facility so younger. In my view, Charlie isn’t the one child who isn’t “rotten.” In a means, he’s truly the worst.
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