In this paper I will look at the movie “The Wizard of Oz” through the Musical/ Fantasy/ adventure genre lens. The film is about a young girl who is whisked off into a magical place. A place that is full of witches, munchkins, flying monkeys and actual magic. It is a place of perilous adventure and colorful and interesting personalities. The movie can also be seen as a member of the Family film genre in that the ultimate message of the move is “there is no place like home” (The Wizard of Oz). The Wizard of Oz was a 1939 musical/ fantasy/ family/ adventure film based on L. Frank Baum’s book of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. The film was directed by Victor Fleming and produced by Mervyn LeRoy. The film’s cinematography was done by Harold Rosson, and the editing was completed by Blanche Sewell. The film starred Judy Garland as Dorothy, Ray Bolger as Hunk/ The Scarecrow, Jack Haley as Hickory/ Tin Man, Bret Lahr as Zeke/ The Cowardly Lion and Frank Morgan as Professor Marvel/ the Wizard of Oz. The movie would not be very popular in its original black and white release, but once the movie was put into technicolor it would go on to become a to become a cultural icon.
Summary and Plot – In this section I will look at Summary and Plot which are very separate things. The Summary tells what happened. The Plot refers to how something happened.
The Wizard of Oz is about Dorothy Gale, a twelve-year-old who lives a very dull life with her dreary Aunt and Uncle in Kansas on a farm. One day a tornado hits sending Dorothy and her dog Toto to the far away land of Oz. When Dorothy’s house lands on the Wicked Witch of the East. Glinda the Good Witch gives Dorothy the witch’s ruby slippers. Glinda also tells Dorothy to follow the yellow brick road to the Emerald City, so that she can have the Wizard of Oz send her home. On the way Dorothy meets the Tin Man, Scarecrow and the cowardly lion who all join her on her journey to Oz. The three of them hope that Oz can provide them with the heart, brain and courage they were looking for, respectively. Through their adventure with Dorothy the viewers realize that they already possessed the things that they seek. Dorothy defeat the wicked witch of the West freeing the Land of Oz from her terror. After discovering that Oz was a phony, Glinda returned her home to Kansas because she missed her family.
The plot starts with Dorothy and Toto encountering their mean neighbor Miss Gulch on the way home. Toto bites Miss Gulch. Dorothy, who is afraid that Miss Gulch will do something terrible is racing home to tell her Aunt Em and Uncle Henry what happened. Her Aunt and Uncle are busy with the farm and do not have time to listen to Dorothy’s story. Later when Miss Gulch arrives to take Toto to have him killed. There is nothing that Aunt Em or Uncle Henry can do. After Toto escapes and returns to Dorothy, Dorothy knowing Miss Gulch will return decides to take Toto and run away.
As she is running away, she and Toto run into Professor Marvel, who tricks her into returning home by telling her that her Aunt is very ill. Dorothy is heading home when the tornado hits. Dorothy is not able to get into the cellar and is knocked unconscious by a piece of debris as she tries to find shelter in the house. When Dorothy awakes, she realizes that the house has been taken by the tornado. She then sees Miss Gulch flying by on a bicycle before transforming into a witch. Then the house drops down, making a strange noise. Dorothy discovers that the house had fallen on the Wicked Witch of the West. She then Meets Glinda the Good Witch, who tells her that she is in Munkinland. The munchkins, who no longer feel threatened by Dorothy come out and they sing and dance. The Wicked Witch of the East shows up and wants her sister’s ruby slippers. Glinda refuses to let her have them, and places them on Dorothy’s feet. The Wicked Witch vows vengeance against Dorothy and Toto. Dorothy wants to go home, so Glinda tells her to follow the yellow brick road to the Emerald City and that the Wizard of Oz will send her home. Glinda also tells Dorothy to never remove the slippers.
As she travels the yellow brick road Dorothy meets the Tin Man who has no heart, the Scarecrow who has no brains and a Cowardly Lion. The three of them join Dorothy on her journey in hopes of getting a heart, a brain and courage. They have a number of small adventures before they arrive at Emerald City. When they arrive, they learn that a number of the residents are afraid of the Wicked Witch. After meeting Oz, he promises to give them their wishes if they bring him the Wicked Witch’s broom. They retrieve the broom and bring it back to the Wizard. The Wizard then takes off to Kansas in a hot air balloon. Glinda appears and tells Dorothy to click her heels together three times saying “There is no place like home” (The Wizard of Oz). Dorothy then awakes in her bed surrounded by Uncle Henry and Aunt Em. She tells them what happened and they say that it was all a dream.
Aesthetic Choices
In the Wizard of Oz Fleming portrayed a mise en scene, when Dorothy lands in the land of Oz. This is because Fleming transported her from a place where everything is lifeless and grey to a place that is vibrant and full of colors. In the first 20 minutes or so of the movie, when it is done in black and white. The viewer is able to connect and get to know the characters, because they are the most interesting things on the screen. Later, when the movie switches to color one is more attracted to the action. I have always seen the colors in Oz and Munchkinland as a kind of blurred, especially when it comes to nature, almost like a Manet painting. This has always indicated to me a sense of the unreal or dreamlike. Another mise en scene that is used is the costumes. Dorothy is in a blue and white gingham dress. She wears pigtails with red ribbons in them. The quintessentially wholesome and innocent. The Wicked Witch on the other hand is green, which is not only a color of envy, and greed, it is also the color of illness. Any sympathy one may have towards her as someone that can be perceived to be sick quickly vanishes because she is dressed in black and the viewer recognizes her as evil.
In regards to the editing of the film. The movie used many techniques that were interesting. The most obvious was the lack of color in the first and last parts of the movie. This helps to set the tone for Kansas and what Dorothy’s life was and is. In the scene after the house has landed the viewer goes from seeing a monochromic colored house to seeing a land of color when the door is opened. This allows the viewer to be in the same mindset as Dorothy, wondering what just happened and where are we. The editor used a technique called inside/out editing in the scene of her first steps in the land of Oz. There is a close up that slowly moves into the distance to allow the viewer to see the entirety or the yellow brick road. The camera then moves around the area before landing back on Dorothy.
Society’s Impact on the Creation of “The Wizard of Oz”
In 1964 Henry Littlefield a teacher, published an article in the journal American Quarterly (Taylor). In the article Littlefield contended that “The Wizard of Oz” was an allegory for Populism, which was a political reform movement that had existed in the latter part of the 19th century. The Populists were primarily concerned with monetary reforms and creating equitable wealth and economic growth. The populists were popular with the disenfranchised, such as farmers, small business owners and other groups of people with limited power who suffered because of the economies failings. Littlefield saw connections between characters from the book and political figures, as well as themes that related to life and politics in Gilded Age America (Taylor).
According to Littlefield Kansas represented the bleakness of existence for most people, especially farmers, while the Emerald City represented growth and opportunity. The Scarecrow was representative of the farmers. Like the Scarecrow the farmers did not see themselves as being intelligent enough to adapt to the changes in society. The farmers were content with their tedious lives of hard work and little intellectual stimulation. The question of “if I only had a brain” (The Wizard of Oz) speaks of Baum’s belief that if the farmers, and small business owner, etc. would look at the situation from an intellectual point of view. They would see the benefits in change. The Tin Man represented industrialization and the Robber Barons and the magnates like Vanderbilt, and Carnegie as well as the factory owners. Baum seemed to be saying that in their quest for money and power the leaders of industry had lost their heart and ability to connect or feel compassion for their fellow man. Finally, the Cowardly Lion is the politicians who are not brave enough to stand up for the little people. The politicians who pass laws giving more power to the industrialists, while forcing everyone else to adhere to the changes.
Cultural Impact of “The Wizard of Oz”
The cultural impact of “The Wizard of Oz” after over 75 years is still strong. “The Wizard of Oz” was for many years shown annually until the rights for the film were bought by Ted Turner the owner of Turner Classic Movies. After the movie was bought by Turner it has aired over 32 times since 2000. The songs and images from the movie are a recognizable part of American culture and have been borrowed from numerous artists, filmmakers, advertisers, and cartoonists. A number of films have been made in honor of “The Wizard of Oz” like “The Wiz” and “Wild at Heart” along with musicals like “Wicked”. The movie also inspired one of Elton John’s album cover for “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road”, lunchboxes, backpacks, and commemorative plates. The movie has also been referenced in many songs, such as “Tin Man” by America, and “Return to Oz” by Scissor Sisters.
“The Wizard of Oz” is a part of growing up in America and in a way it represents what growing up is all about. The ability to go out on one’s own, to have experiences and to meet people who are different from what you know. Then to return home if the person chooses. It also represents America’s growth. Kansas is a grey, bleak and dull wasteland, where everything is hard-work and misery. This was how it was for many Americans, especially since the movie was released during the Great Depression. In the movie Dorothy clearly longing to be elsewhere sings Over the Rainbow this was representative of how many people felt. Dreaming of being able to escape the hardships of their life and go “Somewhere over the rainbow/Skies are blue/ And the dreams that you dare to/Dream really do come true” (The Wizard of Oz) On the flip-side The Emerald City, which was probably representative of New York City was bigger than life, with bright colors, singing/ dancing and happy people. It is idealistic in its happiness and glamour. This is an idealism that cannot last. Eventually, everyone like Dorothy has to return to the dull, dreariness of their reality. The reason for this return is that it is necessary to lean on one’s family and family values during a time of economic crises, like the Great Depression. Rather than running off to follow one’s dreams in the big city. This shows that as I mentioned in the beginning that while the movie is a adventure/ fantasy/ musical it is ultimately about Family.
Reflection
My ability to analyze film has changed and grown in the following way. I now find myself unable to enjoy a movie on its own merits. I have now developed the tendency to be unable to ignore the flaws in a movie and on top of that I have begun throwing theories at them. So now instead of being able to enjoy them as inconsequential entertainment, I now see everything as a potential message and imagine that the author/ writer/ director/ editor, etc. had some purpose in the creating of the film, outside of making money. I now sit watching movies spotting signs of theories, and sometimes I will try to see how many I can find. I do not really know what can be gained through analyzing film. Even after the film is analyzed and even if one is correct in their analysis, the film stays the same. For example, I watched “Pulp Fiction” the other day. The movie is a classic from the 90’s and one of my favorite films and I was seeing it through the lens of Feminist Theory and Formalist Theory, analyzing every word, gesture, camera angle, lighting angle, etc. I have seen the movie a few times, so this did not really take away from my enjoyment of the film. I do not know if this course has changed my understanding of how movies are related to society. This is because I have always seen movies as both a reaction and representation of life and of human nature. For example, “Harry Potter” or “The Hunger Games”, I know that both these are complete fantasy and could not happen in real life. Even so, I find “Harry Potter” interesting because not only is it about magic and battling evil. The movie is also about discovering one’s true potential and creating a family. On the other hand, “The Hunger Games” is about the breakdown of society and humanity reverting back to its primal nature in order to survive. I think the skills that I learn here may be useful in reading the motivations of others.
Works Cited
Braudy, L. (1976). The world in a frame. Garden City, N.Y.: Anchor Press.
Taylor, Q. (2016). Money and Politics in the Land of Oz. The Independent Institute. Retrieved 7 March 2016, from http://www.independent.org/publications/tir/article.asp?a=504
The Wizard of Oz. (1939). Hollywood
