The Wizard of Oz

Directed by Victor Fleming
Starring Judy Garland, Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr, Jack Haley, Frank Morgan, Billie Burke
USA, 1939
Rated G

A

Recognized in my "The Century's Masterpieces" page.

CHILDHOOD FANTASIES AND REALIZATIONS
How to begin a review of one of the most famous films of all time? The Wizard of Oz has become so beloved it is embraced by a legendary, mythical aura that few films have (Casablanca and Gone With the Wind have such an aura with the public; Citizen Kane has the same aura with critics.) Every one of its 101 minutes in duration has become synonymous to great Hollywood. Several scenes are unforgettable: the famous scene in which Dorothy croons "Over the Rainbow" in a sepia-toned Kansas; the moment when at last the film’s fivesome (don’t forget, there’s Toto too!) reach the Emerald City, one of the most famous locations in the world of movies; and the sight of the almost villainous Wizard and his facade hidden behind erupting flames. Who will ever forget the moment when Dorothy opens the door of her uprooted house, exits, and steps into a world of color, over the rainbow? Not only is that scene celebrated, it’s magical. The Wizard of Oz is about the journey of our beloved heroine, Dorothy Gale (Judy Garland), and her dear friends as they follow the Yellow Brick Road in hopes of fulfilling their dreams.

In The Wizard of Oz, a screen adaptation of the equally enthralling L. Frank Baum book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Dorothy represents our weariness, our boredom with routines and life in general. She dreams of some glorious place away from her farm house with her Uncle Henry, Auntie Em, and hired helpers Hunk (Ray Bolger), Zeke (Bert Lahr), and Hickory (Jack Haley). She is sick of the town hag Miss Gulch (Margaret Hamilton), who tries to take her dog, Toto, away from her. Everything is dull and she longs for liveliness, as any young person would.

During the memorable cyclone sequence, Dorothy’s Kansas is hit by a twister and, stranded alone in her house, she is hit by a window and falls into a deep sleep. In her dream, she is in a place called Oz where she has miraculously killed the Wicked Witch of the East, is loved by thousands of munchkins, is sought after by the murdered witch’s sister of the West, and is given two ruby slippers by Glinda, the Good Witch of the North (Billie Burke). Despite her beautiful surroundings (Oz is one of movie history’s most fascinating, beautiful, and sacred places), Dorothy longs for Kansas. Glinda tells her that the only way she can get back is to visit the mysterious Wizard of Oz. She must follow the Yellow Brick Road.

On her way to the Wizard’s Emerald City, she meets three friends: the Scarecrow who longs for a brain, the Tin Man who longs for a heart, and the Cowardly Lion who longs for bravery. Together, these three men, Toto, and Dorothy make a great team and together they suffer obstacles and the hateful intent of the Wicked Witch of the West, a frightening woman with hideous seaweed-green skin and an unflattering black outfit. When they get to Oz, our five friends realize that the Wizard is only a "man behind a curtain," a strange Kansas-native who became lost in Oz and was named its enigmatic ruler by the people. He teaches the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Lion that the things they desire from him have always been within them and are quiet qualities waiting to be unleashed and realized. The Scarecrow is intelligent, the Tin Man is affectionate, and the Lion is courageous. We, the audience, have realized this all along but it enlightens us to see these characters’, our companions, dreams come true. However, Dorothy’s future remains uncertain until Glinda arrives and informs her that home, too, is within her. Then, she taps her heels three times and chants "There’s no place like home…"

The actors in the sepia-toned Kansas portion of The Wizard of Oz are featured in the colored Oz section in more exciting, outrageous ways. Ray Bolger, who plays Hunk in the Kansas part, is seen as the Scarecrow in Oz. Jack Haley plays Hickory and the sweet Tin Man. Bert Lahr plays Zeke in Kansas and then is transformed into the hilarious Cowardly Lion in Oz. Margaret Hamilton is the amazing villain of the movie and plays the heartless Miss Gulch and the Wicked Witch of the West. In Oz, the characters are how Dorothy pictures her Kansas friends would be over the rainbow.

Like many movie classics, The Wizard of Oz underwent its share of pain. During the shooting of the film, many directors added their own touch of brilliance: Richard Thorpe, George Cukor, King Vidor, and Victor Fleming, the credited director of Oz who, that same year, became the credited director of the many directors of Gone With the Wind. There was also trouble with the cast: first, Shirley Temple was coveted for the role of Dorothy Gale and Gale Sondergaard was considered for the role of Miss Gulch and the Wicked Witch, a character that was being shaped into a glamorous villain due to the huge success of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’ Wicked Queen. Perhaps the greatest calamities for the actors were those of Margaret Hamilton and Buddy Ebsen. The near-fatal illness and replacement of Ebsen, who was the original Tin Man, was spawned by the use of toxic metal make-up. Hamilton’s skin was charred while doing the scene in which the Wicked Witch threatens Dorothy and disappears in an explosion of fire and colored smoke.

Over the years, The Wizard of Oz has become the ultimate family film and a favorite of the young at heart. It is a movie of splendor and grandness. The newly-released DVD of the restored version of the film is one of the best DVDs I’ve encountered yet. Not only is The Wizard of Oz restored to its original, colorful glory, but there are hours upon hours worth of features and goodies that are necessary for any Oz fan. There are several theatrical trailers, behind-the-scenes snippets and outtakes, publicity shots, a documentary hosted by Angela Lansbury, a "jukebox" with nearly twenty tracks of The Wizard of Oz music recordings, and several other treats.

The Wizard of Oz has become a classic not only because of the mythic hardship the cast and crew faced during shooting, not only because of Judy Garland’s amazing delivery of each line and song, not only because of Bert Lahr’s priceless humor, Ray Bolger’s gymnastics, or Jack Haley’s tenderness, but also because of the lessons it teaches while still being enormously entertaining and enlightening. The Wizard of Oz reminds us that, though we may not live somewhere over the rainbow, there is, after all, no place like home.

By Andrew Chan

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