Original artwork, not a still
The suspense is terrible. I hope it'll last.
— Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory ‧ 1971
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
Wonka's pose of polite fascination while a child is stuck in a pipe is the film's blackest joke, and Gene Wilder's deadpan sells it. Taking a society-comedy line and using it on a candy disaster is pure Wonka, and the delivery is why people still use it when something awful and entertaining is about to resolve itself.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for Willy Wonka & the Chocolate FactoryShow the scene
In the Chocolate Room, Augustus Gloop has ignored Wonka's pleas, leaned over the river and fallen in. The suction sweeps him into a pipe, the parents panic and Wonka frets about his chocolate. Augustus then jams in the pipe, blocking the flow. While everyone waits to see what happens, Wonka lightly remarks that the suspense is terrible and he hopes it will last. The wording is lifted from Oscar Wilde's play The Importance of Being Earnest, Act III, where Gwendolen says it.
Sources (3)
- Springfield! Springfield! film transcriptChocolate Room, Augustus stuck in the pipeReference checked
- Wikiquote: Oscar WildeThe Importance of Being Earnest, Act IIIReference checked
- Roald Dahl Fan Wiki: Willy Wonka & the Chocolate FactoryPlot summary, Augustus sectionReference checked
Context reviewed
