Gene Wilder’s iconic performance as the elusive, yet whimsical chocolatier Willy Wonka is upheld by one of the most important buildups and entrances to a character in movie history. Let’s take a look at Wilder’s first scene in the film and how the buildup to his entrance influences the rest of the film.
Wilder’s First Scene
When all of the families arrive at the factory, the buildup for Wonka’s reveal is brought to a grinding halt when Wilder solemnly exits the front door of the factory, looking incredibly somber and sporting his walking stick as a full-blown cane. It appears one of his legs is fully fused and can’t bend, and his body language gives the impression that he’d rather be anywhere than with the people that scored a golden ticket. And the people gathered by the gate more than take notice
All that changes though, when he makes it to the gate, drops his cane, and does a happy somersault into the crowd and greets everyone with flattery and compliments. Public perception is not only restored, but enhanced! Obviously, behind closed doors his antics prove to toe the line into something more deceitful, but that’s for later.
Why This Scene Has Such an Impact
‘Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory’Credit: Paramount Pictures
Even though we can examine this scene as something special on its own thanks to Wilder’s performance, so much of its payoff comes from the allure of Wonka’s character that has been built up throughout the first act of the film.
There’s a worldwide frenzy in the first act regarding the factory’s golden ticket raffle, and who all might potentially win. People in every corner of the globe are getting into borderline violent physical altercations just to buy a chocolate bar that has a fraction of a percentage of a chance to contain the golden ticket. People tell stories and share theories about what Wonka is like in person, and people from all over the world show up outside of the factory waving their country’s flags, praying that they just get a glimpse of the famed chocolatier. And throughout all of this, the audience is just as in the dark as the characters in the film.
50 years later, now that Wonka as a character has become such a cultural icon, it might feel like a bit of a challenge to surrender fully to the suspense even as a first-time viewer, but whenever Charlie starts debriefing with his family at home, the suspense washes over you once more.
Wilder’s Hand in the Intro
If Wilder wasn’t the one playing Willy Wonka, it’s possible that his introduction would look so much different. Wilder would have turned down the role if he wasn’t granted express permission to be able to do the injured walk into a somersault exactly as he wanted.
Wisely, Wilder understood that this action would set the tone not just for the character, but for the rest of the film. Wonka’s nature is completely unpredictable. Being able to steadily build the sense of unease surrounding him throughout the rest of the movie is imperative to how he is introduced. Showing him as someone capable of deceit, albeit a tongue-in-cheek form of it in his immediate introduction, shows that there is likely more to this famous chocolate mogul than meets the eye.
Don’t Introduce Every Character This Way
‘Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory’Credit: Paramount Pictures
This might go without saying, but for all of the talk we just did about how iconic and influential Wonka’s buildup and intro is, it is hyper aware of one major detail: it’s a special and unique circumstance. There is no tried and true method to introducing a character of any type. It needs to be tackled individually at any time.
There are certain types of characters that need to be depicted exactly as they are from the start. Can you imagine if Darth Vader did a little dance when he first walked onto the spaceship in Star Wars? That’s ridiculous. There is no subtlety to his intro, nor should there be. The moral of the story here is obviously to study the influential texts, but at the end of the day, you need to know in your heart what is right for your characters.
