Willy Wonka: 5 Reasons The 1971 Version Is The Best Adaptation (& 5 It’s Tim Burton’s Version)

Both Willy Wonka versions are considered good in their own rights, but which one is actually the best? The 1971 version or Tim Burton’s?

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At its time, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory was a box office flop that author Roald Dahl disowned for the unauthorized addition of musical numbers and story elements. Yet, it endured in television circulation and achieved status as a classic. It created childhood memories that fans had cherished for years.

So, it is reasonable that when Tim Burton’s version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory came out, it received skepticism and mixed reactions, despite it receiving generally positive reviews.

However, both versions of Roald Dahl’s masterpiece had their own merits that makes them the best version of the story.

10 Tim Burton: The Addition/Expansion of Characters from the Book

2005’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory has been acknowledged for being faithful to Roald Dahl’s book. That includes some characters that were absent from the 1971 version, like Mr. Bucket, Prince Pondicherry, Wonka rivals Prodnose and Ficklegruber. There is also more screentime for Charlie’s grandparents Grandma Josephine, Grandpa George and Grandma Georgina in the 2005 film.

However, the common denominator that the Tim Burton version has with the original is that only one parent or guardian was included in the tour, unlike in the book where both parents are included.

9 1971 Version: The Role of Slugworth

In the book, Slugworth is depicted as a straight-forward antagonist who infiltrated Wonka’s factory and stole one of his recipes. He was revealed to be working alongside Ficklegruber and Prodnose on their scheme to copy Wonka’s recipes and set up their own confectionery line.

Slugworth was heavily retooled in the 1971 film to make him a more sympathetic character with a logical explanation for his sinister nature. While his shadowy presence is kept with a bowler hat and a German stature, he is revealed to be testing the invited children.

8 Tim Burton: Danny Elfman’s Score

Danny Elfman has been a close collaborator to Tim Burton on composing the music. From The Nightmare Before Christmas to Batman, he crafted hummable tunes that helped with formulating the characters on the screen.

And while his score for Charlie and the Chocolate did not live up to the hype of his classics, it is still a rousing theme. To get that epic atmosphere, look back on the opening sequence of the film where Wonka’s hyperbolic factory and listen to how Danny Elfman’s score gives an impression of something grand.

7 1971 Version: The Tunnel Scene

One of the most memorable parts of 1971 classic, for better or worse, is the tunnel scene. Everyone who has seen the movie knows where they are the first time they witness that scene. It is undoubtedly one of the most horrifying scenes in a family-oriented film.

The worst part is to pick which is scarier: the random shots of horrifying imagery like a chicken’s head being chopped off and jump scare by Slugworth, or Gene Wilder’s Wonka reciting the chant that was meant to be innocent? Either way, scary!

6 Tim Burton: The Songs Derived from the Book and the Elaborate Musical Numbers

Deciding to be faithful to the book, Tim Burton and screenwriter John August stick to the songs Roald Dahl had written. And with the help of Elfman, they incorporate a different for each song to fit the character’s aura.

Augustus’ song was given a Bollywood treatment (on Deep Roy’s suggestion), Violet’s had a 70’s funk beat on it, Veruca’s was composed as an homage to 60’s psychedelic pop and Mike’s was prearranged to be a metal to rock ballad. Amusing that Elfman gave the singing voice for the Oompas Loompas.

5 1971 Version: The Child Performers

While the child actors for both films excelled in the classic literary parts they are given, it was the children from the 1971 movie that stood out. First of all, Peter Ostrum as Charlie was a memorable part that was able to balance a child’s innocence and flaws, even though he is the character to root for the most.

Alongside Ostrum, Julie Dawn Cole as Veruca, Denise Nickerson as Violet, Paris Themmen as Mike and Michael Bollner as Augustus bring memorable performances that made their characters well-known to kids everywhere.

4 Tim Burton: Freddie Highmore as Charlie Bucket

Of all the performers of the 2005 film reimagining, it was Freddie Highmore as Charlie that stood out from the cast. Being recommended by Johnny Depp for his acclaimed part on Finding Neverland, Highmore showed a lot of sincerity and firmness as a boy who had to deal with the total opposite, the more discontent Willy Wonka.

His acclaims for his performance as Charlie really shows here. No wonder his career expanded after Charlie and the Chocolate Factory with August Rush, The Spiderwick Chronicles, Bates Motel and The Good Doctor.

3 1971 Version: The Memorable Songs

Those who saw Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory had fond memories from the movie, thanks in part to its beloved songs. Composed by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley and directed by Walter Scharf, the songs not only bring hummable tunes but also perfectly describes the characters.

The memorable ones includes “The Candy Man” (which was famously covered by Sammy Davis Jr.), “(I’ve Got A) Golden Ticket”, all four Oompa-Loompa songs for each kid, “I Want It Now” and of course, “Pure Imagination”, which was regarded as an iconic song.

2 Tim Burton: Production Design

The one aspect that everyone can agree on that makes the 2005 version more superior to the 1971 version is the production design. Well, this can be attributed to how film technology improved in the 2000s, and that there are limitations to depict parts of the book to film.

So, Burton was able to utilize visual effects and an intricate set to represent Dahl’s description of Wonka’s factory. This is apparent to the interpretation of the chocolate river, where the Burton film enhances it digitally to make it look luscious. And the 1971 film…makes it look like a sewage plant.

1 1971 Version: Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka

To compare who is the best Wonka in film, Gene Wilder is unanimously the best pick. From appearance to performance, Wilder gave the best Willy Wonka performance to ever be depicted in pop culture.

To start off, his appearance nearly resembles Quentin Blake’s illustration in the books, without the pointy nose. His personality showed him with a particular eccentricity, a mysterious dark side and a deadpan sense of humor, yet is still able to convey a relatable charm. His own version of Wonka endured for years that it elevated Gene Wilder as a comic performer like no other.

Without him, it is impossible for Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory to gain such classic status.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/willy-wonka-movies-comparison/