The Man in the Chocolate Factory: A Remembrance of Gene Wilder

Untitled Part 1

On August 29, 2016, the world lost one of the most hilarious and talented comedic actors it has ever known, Gene Wilder. I realize this may not be the most sudden death of this year (cough, Bowie, cough), but anyone that had a childhood like mine knows that it's still heartbreaking. The man was a legend, and I'm here to tell you why. For me personally, at least.

The first reason to love Gene Wilder that I can think of is the level of charisma he oozed every second he was onscreen. When I think of actors that embody charisma and charm, the names that always pop into my head are Will Smith, Michael J. Fox, Robert Redford, and Gene Wilder. Wilder is probably the most unique of them, because there was always either a strange madness or a sheepish insecurity hiding behind all the charm and wit. Look no further than his portrayal of Willy Wonka for the former, and Leo Bloom in The Producers for the latter.

Then there's his wit and humor. By god, was he funny. Watch any of the films he made with Richard Pryor, and you'll get to see Gene Wilder at some of his comedic best. See No Evil, Hear No Evil is my favorite of these, but they're all hilarious. The dry sarcasm he brandished was so funny, so clever, and so goddamn sharp, that it could've cut any inexperienced actor in two with side-splitting hilarity. But those aren't even his funniest moments. He was at his most hilarious when, occasionally, he would bring out a batshit insane and manic energy that nearly had him bouncing off the fucking walls. Honestly, he could reach Robin Williams levels of insanity, and it never failed to make me laugh.

There was also something very honest in every role he played, like he had a personal connection to every character he stepped into. This honesty always managed to bring an enormous amount of heartfelt pathos to his characters. It's almost as if a well-written character could suddenly become something even more when Gene Wilder stepped up to play them. As funny and charismatic as Gene Wilder was, it's this heartfelt honesty and emotion he always brought to a role that still brings me back to his films even today.

There you have it. Gene Wilder was a legend, those are some reasons why, now let's get to the reason you're still reading this: the films he made. I've been a fan of Gene Wilder since before I could talk, and there's a few movies that really represent why.

First, there's his first collaboration with Mel Brooks, The Producers. I'll be honest, I first saw this movie only a few years ago. I had seen the musical live already, and I still think that it's just a bit better than the original film, but I still think the movie is amazing. I've also seen the movie adaptation of the musical, and fuck that shit, but it's not important.

Gene Wilder's performance in The Producers is as the neurotic accountant Leo Bloom. It's a kind of subtle and kind of goofy performance, and a good portion of the comedy involving Wilder's character comes from just how miserable he can be. He played a similar type of character in Hanky Panky alongside Gilda Radner, who is not only one of the funniest women in history, but would soon become his wife until her tragic death in 1989. Hanky Panky is another film I love, but I think Gene Wilder played a similar character in The Producers not only first, but just a little bit better and a lot funnier.

Another film I have to mention (mostly from fear of being shot if I don't) is Blazing Saddles, another Gene Wilder/Mel Brooks collaboration. This is one of the funniest movies I've ever seen. Well, except for the ending. I first saw this movie when I was about fourteen, and I still have no clue how I feel about it's batshit insane ending. Gene Wilder is fucking hilarious, and I'm convinced that part of Richard Pryor's writing contributions to this movie involved some of the Waco Kid's dialogue. Yeah, it's THAT funny. However, while all of Wilder's lines are funny, he doesn't have quite as many  memorable lines as all of the other characters. That being said, holy FUCK is Gene Wilder cool in this movie. Arthur Goddamn Fonzarelli cool. Even when he's not saying a word, Gene Wilder is charismatic as fuck in this movie. He has this look and swagger to him that people like Kevin Costner have wet dreams about. When I think of a performance with the most charisma dripping from an actor every second he's onscreen, I think Michael J. Fox in Back to the Future, John Cryer in Pretty in Pink, and Gene Wilder in Blazing Saddles. That's right, to me the Waco Kid is just as good as Marty McFly and Duckie. Judge me all you fucking want.

Then there's yet ANOTHER Wilder/Brooks collaboration, Young Frankenstein. This is the funniest movie I've ever seen. Ever. In my life. I thought that the first time I saw it when I was thirteen, and I think it now. As charming as Gene Wilder is in Blazing Saddles, he's just as funny in Young Frankenstein. I could go on for hours about how great this movie is. Gene Wilder is not only the best actor in the movie, but he also co-wrote it. I always think Wilder is funniest when he goes full crazy, and this movie brings that in spades and cranks it up Spinal Tap style. Most of the movie has Wilder going completely fucking nuts, and it's a joy to watch. If ever there was a time when a human physically became a cartoon character, it was Gene Wilder in Young Frankenstein. Also, his performance of "Puttin' on the Ritz" with Peter Boyle is incredible. It could last for twelve hours and it wouldn't be enough.

Now, I want you to think about some of the first movies you remember falling in love with. I can think of a few. The Wizard of Oz, Mary Poppins, Bedknobs & Broomsticks, Alice in Wonderland, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. I said in a post on Facebook that if my childhood had a president, Gene Wilder would have been pretty high in the polls. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate factory is the reason why. On a completely unrelated note, Bugs Bunny would have been president, Robin Williams his VP, Scrooge McDuck from Duck Tales the secretary of the treasury, and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles the secret service. I was a... strange child. Some things never change.

I love Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. It's a beautifully surreal gem of pure 70s what-the-fuckishness, and it's full of heart and humor. Everything is great in this movie. All of the actors are great, the story is great, the visuals and cinematography are some of the best I've ever seen, and the songs are all catchy and amazing, but I don't give a shit about any of that. The best part of this movie isn't even a contest. Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka is one of the performances I look for to see an actor be absolutely perfect. Maybe I'm exaggerating a bit, but I'm a sucker for surreal fantasy, and Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory definitely delivers on that front.

As Willy Wonka, Gene Wilder is beautifully sarcastic and condescending. The deadpan delivery he gives as Mike Teevee tries to shrink himself still gets a big laugh out of me. I'm not sure how much improvisation he did in this movie, or how much of it made I into the final film, but every joke rolls off his tongue so naturally that it seems like he's coming up with most of them on the spot.

And then there's the crucial tiny bits of madness that Gene Wilder exudes in this role. The tunnel scene from hell. Do I really need to say anything more? That scene has been traumatizing children for a few generations now, me included. The bizarre imagery, the hellish shots and lighting, the disturbing as fuck poem, the terrified reactions from all of the passengers, and the way Gene Wilder's voice slowly devolves from a psychotic Crypt Keeper poetry slam into manic screaming all combine to form one of the scariest scenes not only in a kid's film, but in ANY film. This is some Judge Doom/Pennywise the Dancing Clown levels of child-traumatizing fuckery here, people. It's Willy Wonka at his craziest, and he never really tops it, but the rant he gives near the end after he completely loses his shit is a nice bonus dose of psycho.

In Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Gene WIlder is crazy, and he's funny, and he's SO amazingly sarcastic, but none of those are the reason why I love his performance as Willy Wonka so much.

I said earlier that Blazing Saddles was Gene Wilder at his most charismatic. Technically, it is. In Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, however, he's got twice as much charisma flowing through him, but in a completely different way. He might not be as cool as he was in Blazing Saddles, but he makes up for it by being genuine and passionate. The amount of real, heartfelt emotion that Gene WIlder put into this performance is on the same level as Johnny Depp in Ed Wood or Molly Ringwald in Pretty in Pink. I don't know if Gene Wilder ever really went method in any of his films, but as Willy Wonka, every single emotion he shows is completely goddamn real. It was his passion and genuineness that brought out a lot of the whimsical feel of the movie. Not to mention that hearing Gene Wilder crooning out "Pure Imagination" is one of the best things you'll ever listen to in your entire fucking life.

What I've been trying to say all this time, I guess, is that I'm really gonna fucking miss Gene Wilder. He's had a hand in some of my favorite movies since before I could talk and the world is just a little less magical now that a star as bright as his has faded from our galaxy.

Thank you, Gene Wilder. Thank you for creating a big chunk of my childhood.