*Spoilers Ahead*
Wonderstruck is Todd Haynes’ sensitive and spell-binding new film, adapted from Brian Selznick’s children’s book of the same name. The two are a bit of an odd couple considering that Haynes’ work tends to be dark in tone and until now has exclusively dealt with adult issues, but Haynes is also a director who has always had a knack for spatial composition and characterization, so it’s not much of a surprise the two ended up marvelously matched together, each bringing out the strengths in each other’s craft.
Selznick’s work is beautiful and complete on its own (you may also know him as the author of The Invention of Hugo Cabret, adapted by the equally adept Scorsese into the 2011 film, Hugo) but especially ripe for translation into cinema. His books are unusually hefty for children’s literature, but this is because they are mostly pictures. Selznick synthesizes for his readers the power of the moving image by dedicating large segments of his work to illustrations of a single scene with distinct but subtle differences between one image and the next. Though this is the most immediately striking thing about his work, more traditional elements of storytelling are not lost. His characters are interesting and likable, and his storylines intricate and finely layered in ways that are beautiful to watch unfold. Selznick himself wrote the screenplay for this film, and paired with Haynes’ incomparable composition, Wonderstruck is an all but seamless transition from text to screen.
The film focuses on the narratives of two characters living 50 years apart: One, 12 year old Rose living in 1927, and the other, 12 year old Ben living in 1977. Many striking similarities bind the two together: They both run away to New York in the hopes of reconnecting with an absent parent, they both have a profound connection with visual art, and they are both deaf.
Form is experimented with as much in the film as in the novel. The scenes set in 1927 are in black and white and devoid of dialogue, beautifully mirroring the silent films of the era. Those set in 1977 feel as much a part of their time, dingy oranges, browns and yellows used to color the landscape of downtown New York.
Sign language and both audible and inaudible dialogue feature prominently in the film, meaning that we as an audience are always overcoming communication barriers alongside the characters in strange and beautiful ways. The story gets wrapped up neatly in the end, but Haynes’ use of montage and animation are sure to impress fans of avant garde cinema as much as the charisma and charm of the movie and its characters will please anyone looking for a couple hours of escapism.
Though the plot folds in on itself concisely, it is in no way obvious, making it a pleasure to watch develop. Selznick and Haynes both skirt the fine line of employing experimental techniques in a way that is accessible to a general audience, and both pull it off as masterful storytellers fluent in visual language. Wonderstruck is moving and inventive and not a single person exists who should skip out on this film.