"The Wizard of Oz" - Lovely classic but difficult watch
- Jimmy Nichols
- Oct 30
- 3 min read
There is no place like home, especially when you get to watch a classic movie on your couch. This is my feeling when I get to watch the cinematic classic, “The Wizard of Oz.”
“The Wizard of Oz” holds a special place in my heart, as my family and I watch it every year in October to start the fall season. It is one of the few classic movies that still holds up in the modern age.
This film, made in 1939, is one of the first movies to use technicolor. It starts in blac and white before transitioning to color for Dorothy’s entire stay in Oz.
The colors in this movie are more expressive than most movies that are released today. The audience feels like they are transported to Oz with Dorothy and Toto.
The transition to color is also symbolic of Dorothy’s view of her life. Her rural farm life is dull and colorless, while the land she has dreamed of going to is full of bright colors.
While the colors express Dorothy’s view of her life, the lesson from the film is quite the opposite. Made during the Great Depression, the film wants to convince the younger generation to stay at home in their rural communities rather than go to the big city.
Dorothy’s plight in Oz shows that the bright city lights are not always the best. While it is a fun movie, it does have a deeper meaning.
One of the reasons this is a fun movie is the characters in it. Dorothy, Toto, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion all bring their own comedic bits to the screen.
Dorothy’s facial expressions, Scarecrow’s body movements and Cowardly Lion’s one-liners come together to make a hilarious movie. Toto even adds to the comedy by running around and creating chaos, like when he revealed the Wizard to the crew.
My favorite character has always been the Cowardly Lion. His reactions to every situation are funny.
Whether it is his iconic line, “Put them up, put them up,” while holding up his fists, or when he pouts anytime he is asked to be brave, the Cowardly Lion is one of the best-written comedy characters in film history.
While the actors certainly bring a lot to the film, the best part is the sets of the movie. Each set looks gorgeous and brings its own unique aspect to the film.
Munchkinland is whimsical and bright. It is the first place the audience sees and the first shot of color in the film. The colorful display shows Dorothy is correct; they are not in Kansas anymore.
Another set is the city of Oz with its grandeur and grandiose appearance. The towering, green metropolis is visible across the land and reminds the protagonists and the audience of the group’s goal.
The plot of the movie shows Dorothy and her dog Toto ending up in the land of Oz after a tornado flung their house out of Kansas. Dorothy is told the only person who can help is the Wizard, and while on the way to see the Wizard, she runs into others who need his help as well.
They must defeat the Wicked Witch of the West to have their wishes granted by the Wizard. The witch wants to capture Dorothy because when her house fell in Munchkinland, it landed on her sister, with her sister’s ruby slippers being given to Dorothy by Glinda the Good Witch.
It is not a hard movie to follow, but it is fine because it is meant to be for families. The comedy in it is amazing, but the singing is also fantastic.
Judy Garland, who plays Dorothy, sings her rendition of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” which is breathtaking and gorgeous. There are also the more fun songs, like each character's own song asking for what they need from the Wizard, before the group sings “We’re off to see the Wizard.”
While this movie is beautiful and a classic, it does have its dark secrets off camera. The famous scene where Dorothy and the crew fall asleep in the poppy field, and it sees snow sprinkled on them; however, this snow is asbestos.
Another disturbing fact is that the dog who portrayed Toto was paid more per day than the Munchkin actors. The dog was offered $125 a week, while the munchkins were offered $50 a week, according to screenrant.com
According to biography.com, other abuse took place on set, like the forced diet of Garland. She could only have black coffee, chicken soup and cigarettes, which were to help her lose weight.
The producers also gave her different drugs, which would lead to her addiction throughout her life.
Forbes.com says abuse and a lack of concern for safety take place for almost every actor on set. Whether it is the original Tin Man getting sick from the makeup and needing to be replaced, or the Wicked Witch’s actress being burned on set and having to continue, the entire crew faced adversity.
The behind-the-scenes lore makes it harder to watch every year as another story of abuse comes out, as more time passes. "The Wizard of Oz” is a fantastic film and is a fall staple in my household, but the treatment of those on set makes it a difficult watch.