MOORHEAD— When one thinks of “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz,” they may initially think of Dorothy, Toto and her ragtag group of friends skipping down the yellow brick road. However, in “Wicked,” Dorothy takes a back seat for two unlikely of friends: Elphaba Thropp and Galinda Upland. Two of the witches in Oz.
Originally based on Gregory Maguire’s book of the same name that was adapted for Broadway in 2003, the “Wicked” film serves as a two-part prequel to “The Wizard of Oz.” We learn that the two witches meet at school and are not only classmates but become best of friends.
Jon Chu, the director of the film did a great job of not only capturing the energy of “The Wizard of Oz,” but also stayed true to and expanded upon the Broadway adaptation. Thropp, played by Cynthia Erivo, delivered a phenomenal performance alongside Ariana Grande, playing Upland.
The pair, though originally deemed an unlikely pairing, had not only insane chemistry throughout the film, but delivered breathtaking numbers that will have you ‘holding space’ for. From “Popular” to “I’m Not That Girl,” the pair were able to not only deliver remarkable solo performances, but enchanted audiences with their voices blending together in “Defying Gravity.”
Though originally based on “The Wizard of Oz,” we do not meet any of the characters from the film in this part of the film (minus Thropp, Upland, and The Wizard played by Jeff Goldblum). We meet other characters that may become prominent in the story of “The Wizard of Oz” in this film, but they are not to a point of identity after this film, as it only covers act one of the staged production of “Wicked.”
There are many interesting choices made throughout the film to make it a spectacular film. First, the creative team built the entirety of the sets, including millions of tulips and a fully functioning train to The Emerald City.
Erivo opted for an unlikely choice for her character as well. Thropp, who becomes the Wicked Witch of the West in “The Wizard of Oz” has green skin. Instead of opting for CGI, Erivo opted to shave her head and paint her body green daily during filming, a process that takes quite some time, especially with close up shots that films call for. This choice, though small, was highly remarkable, as she was able to have consistent makeup throughout the entirety of the film.
The special effects of the scene were also highly well done. From the talking animals to the magic of The Grimmerie (The Ozian spell book), the choices made within when special effects were, or weren’t used, were highly tasteful.
With “Wicked” being as large as it is, Chu and the entire team did remarkably well adapting to many texts, as they drew inspiration from “The Wizard of Oz” (book), “The Wizard of Oz” (1939 film), “Wicked” (1995 novel) and “Wicked” (2003 Broadway Production).
With the movie-musical industry being highly hit-or-miss, “Wicked” solidified its place as a remarkably well done film, as they did not try to make the story something that it wasn’t or try to revamp the franchise. They had a strong belief in what the film needed to have and fully committed to it. I can say with 100% certainty that this film and it’s second installment, coming in 2025, will be discussed for generations to come.
Be First to Comment