Wilder’s role in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory resonated with children everywhere – but also in the hearts and minds of generations of chefsThe birth of Willy Wonka predated Gene Wilder’s embodiment of him by seven years. Dahl’s book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory first appeared in 1964; Mel Stuart’s retitled adaptation came in 1971. But with Wilder’s passing last week,the world also mourned the passing of the man synonymous with that of the mercurial candy man.
Widely seen and deeply felt, Wilder’s portrayal of the man behind the world’s strangest chocolate factory resonated with children everywhere – but also in the hearts and minds of inchoate pastry chefs who were inspired by the edible teacup and eternal gobstopper. Rarely mentioned as a food film, and per se,Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory inspired generations to enter into a world of pure imagination. As a kid, you’re supposed to identify with Charlie Bucket but I grew up wanting to be Willy WonkaHe taught us to support everything whimsical and innocent and honestWhat Wonka did with the manipulation of expectation, and is exactly what so many chefs are chasing today.
The encouragement to play with your food has always rung sincere for me.
What fascinated me as a kid was the view of candy being more than something you ate but rather,an engulfing experienceContinue reading...
Source: theguardian.com