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Even before being released worldwide, it can be confidently stated that Wonka has outdone any other film in terms of chocolate. This is due to two main factors. Firstly, as disclosed by director Paul King, all edible items seen in the film are actually edible.
While filming Wonka, a professional chocolate maker was present at all times to ensure that each imaginative treat was accurate. In an interview with the Radio Times, the chocolatier stated, “All the food consumed in the film is completely edible and delicious, including the flowers and leaves.” The chocolatier, Gabriella Cugno, revealed that she had to create five variations of every treat mentioned in the script, as well as chocolate cups, saucers, and hundreds of the film’s central hoverchocs.
The initial reason is that Hollywood has struggled to make chocolate appear appetizing on screen. This is strange considering a) the film industry can now realistically create human replicas and b) chocolate is undeniably tasty.
To prove this, one can simply observe the two previous films of Willy Wonka that were released in theaters. As a child reading Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, you likely imagined the chocolate river to be thick and shiny, resembling a luxurious ganache that could only be dreamed of. However, upon watching the 1971 adaptation of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, what did you see? A delectable chocolate river? No. Any type of chocolate river at all? No. Instead, the river appeared to be brown water. It resembled a flooded sewage plant rather than a river of chocolate. When Augustus Gloop fell into the river in the film, your concern was not for his drowning, but for the possibility of him contracting a serious case of gastroenteritis from splashing around in what appeared to be human feces.
The 2005 version of Tim Burton’s movie performed slightly better – Vickers, a chemical company, was commissioned to produce over a million liters of fake chocolate. However, it still wasn’t completely convincing. The fluid used contained hydroxyethyl cellulose, organic pigments, and food-grade biocide, which do not sound appetizing and it showed in the final product. Although it had a nice shiny appearance compared to the thick sludge used in the 1970s version, it still appeared too wet and unappetizing. In one scene, Willy Wonka gives young Freddie Highmore a ladle of chocolate from the river, which he eagerly consumes without vomiting all over Johnny Depp. Highmore has since become a successful actor, but his greatest feat will always be his ability to keep from projectile-vomiting warm, brown almost-chocolate on Depp after consuming it.
However, this is just the beginning of the unpleasant chocolate experience. Another film based on a Dahl book, 1996’s Matilda, also contains a particularly horrific chocolate moment. In this scene, a boy is coerced into eating unimaginable amounts of chocolate cake. He starts by scooping wet cake into his mouth with his hands, and then resorts to simply pressing his mouth against the plate. By the end, he is covered in icing and you never want to lay eyes on another cake again.
In the film Tommy directed by Ken Russell, there is a scene where Ann-Margret displays a disturbing manic behavior and sensually throws herself into a barrage of food items. The presence of champagne can be deemed acceptable, but the inclusion of baked beans is less tolerable. However, things take a turn for the worse when she is drenched in copious amounts of melted chocolate, causing a natural reaction to dry-heave and potentially even cry.
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The ultimate example of terrible movie chocolate is found in Steven Spielberg’s Empire of the Sun. Throughout the film, the main character, played by Christian Bale, finds solace in the thought of a Hershey’s bar. He dreams of having one and finally gets his hands on it at the end of the movie. However, upon tasting it, he is overwhelmed with joy. This scene led many British people to believe that Hershey’s was the most delicious chocolate in the world. But when they actually tried it, they were disappointed to find that it tasted like spoiled gas. This was a huge letdown for many and we can only hope that Wonka’s chocolate will be an improvement.
Source: theguardian.com
