If you are on the theatre kid side of the world, then there is no doubt that your social media feeds are flooded with Wicked content. With these posts come the connections to Victor Fleming’s 1939 film, The Wizard of Oz. Whether you are a theatre kid or not, you have, without a doubt, watched this beloved film, whether it was voluntarily or not. The Wizard of Oz has become part of a universal culture. It is timeless. With the success of the Wicked adaptation, this film is once again back on the radar.
For those who obviously come from a different planet and have no knowledge of this cinematic masterpiece, here is some context. The Wizard of Oz is based on the novel by L. Frank Baum, and the story is considerably well-known. Young Dorothy gets sucked into a tornado, lands up in Munchkinland, and she meets a few male companions. Together, they trek to the Emerald City on a quest to return home to Kansas while fleeing from the infamous Wicked Witch of the West. The roles were played by American film icons Judy Garland and Margaret Hamilton, and the opening number, “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”, quickly became a household classic. On the flip side of this warm nostalgia comes some disturbing allegations. Garland was extensively exploited, Hamilton was accidently set alight, and asbestos was used to create snow. Despite the film not being “Ga-lindified” and good, it continues to be watched over and over again all around the world.
So what magic makes this film so timeless? For starters, just look at its release date. Anyone who has sat in a history lesson knows that 1939 means World War II. Before that, we have the roaring twenties, the Great Depression, and the idea of the “American Dream”. With Americans being Americans, everything revolves around them. This idea was ultimately pumped into anything and everything marketable, including The Wizard of Oz. Long story short, the film is an allegory for the average American striving to achieve the American Dream. Each character is on their own journey to the Emerald City, and this represents great fortune. Anyone with a brain knows that this journey can be met with disappointment, which happens in the film when Dorothy no longer believes in the powers that the Wizard claims to have. This is a lesson that Americans needed to hear at the time, especially when moving into a world war where things were not all rainbows and poppies. The book represents different ideas that are related to populism and the move away from an agricultural to industrial economy, but that is a story for another article.
What has been said so far is that the film is another exceptionally long cult classic about American ideologies. Nothing new there. Let us journey a little bit further down this yellow brick road, and you will be pleasantly surprised.
Fast forward to the scene where the Wizard finally grants each character their request. If you had been paying attention throughout the film, this should be your first “Eureka” moment. Scarecrow requested a brain, Tinman a heart, and Cowardly Lion some courage. So the Wizard whipped out a diploma, a silly little pocket watch in the shape of a heart, and a medal of bravery. These were meaningless material things that became important because of the significance given to them by the Wizard. So who actually gave these characters their desires? Well, who came up with all of the bright ideas while travelling down the yellow brick road? Who cried like a baby when he could not help Dorothy in the field of poppies? And who bravely went on a journey with three strangers and constantly stood up for himself? The Wizard had nothing to do with the granting of these desires. Those qualities that were being searched for had always been there, they just needed a little nudge.
The next “Eureka” moment is when poor Dorothy gets nothing from the Wizard. She stands watching helplessly as he floats away back to Kansas in his hot air balloon. Glinda arrives on cue and reminds Dorothy of something important that we all need to hear sometimes. She tells Dorothy that she has always had the power to go home, but she just needed to figure it out on her own. Dorothy then realises that everything she ever needed was right at home. Again, Glinda did nothing. Dorothy did it all on her own. Glinda merely planted the seed. Cue the cryfest. Most of the time, what one needs is on your doorstep. The grass is not always greener on the other side.
The Wizard of Oz reminds you of the importance of believing in yourself. Scarecrow used his brain in many sticky situations, and the look on Tinman’s face showed how he was feeling so many different emotions. Even though Lion chickened out, he always started off confidently, so there was no doubt that he had bravery. And those ruby slippers were no match for the power Dorothy had within herself to click her way home, learning that everything she needed was right there within her.
These ideas are what make The Wizard of Oz timeless. Their desires for knowledge, love, bravery, and belonging are universal. You could say that this film answers some important questions on how to attain these, and the most important one is “There’s no place like home”.
