WICKED, PART ONE
(***)-VITO CARLI

"...a great film to see in theatres with the whole family"

A Musical Event for the Entire Family

(011625) The last decade has not been a kind one for traditional movie musicals. Perhaps it is because viewers have become too cynical to accept traditional happy endings or with the popularity of dance pop and hip-hop, and viewers have less patience for Broadway style music. But for me, the best and most interesting recent musical films have been the more Avant Garde ones or anti-musicals like Annette, Dancer in the Dark, Neptune Frost, and Jeanette: The Early of Joan of Arc, and Holy Motors. Also, one of the year’s most highly touted films: Emelia Perez, which is about a man who gets a sex change to avoid the mob is getting lots of attention. But I think it is more admirable for what it attempts than what it actually achieves.

This year we have an amusing and popular traditional musical film that people of all ages can enjoy together. Wicked is an energetic and lively musical prequel to MGM'S 1939 Wizard of Oz as well as the original Oz series of books by L. Frank Baum. The film focuses on the origin of the Wicked Witch (called Elphaba here) who as it turns out really is not so wicked. The witch as portrayed by Margaret Hamilton in the classic version is arguably one of the best villains in the history of media, and she is right up there with Dr. Doom, Darth Vader, The Joker, Iago, and the title character in Richard III. She also has many of the best lines in that film like: “I’ll get you and your little dog too.” Some fans may resist Wicked’s attempt to humanize her because she was was already established as the perfect villain in the 1939 film. Some might not want to blemish the memory of the 1939 classic which is one of my personal favorites. I was able to enjoy her character in Wicked by thinking of her Wicked Witch as a whole distinctive character or an alternate timeline version of her.

The whole cast is impressive here. Cynthia (Harriet) Envo makes a fine, sympathetic lead as Elphaba. There’s a bookish, misfit female like her in every high school, Goldblum plays the wizard as a consummate con man and politician. The Chinese martial arts superstar, Michelle (
Everything Everywhere all at Once) Yeoh, plays a teacher who sees the potential in the young witch. But for me the big surprise was the uplifting performance of Ariana Grande-Butera who I am normally not a big fan of. Her energy here seems boundless, and she practically carries this film with her naturalness and superb comic timing. She seems like she was born to play this role.

The film starts out with the birth of Elphaba, the future “Wicked Witch”. She is continually heckled, harassed and bullied by her classmates because she is green. If that is not bad enough, her dad resents her because he blames her for her mom’s death. It turns out that her mom was so horrified that her daughter was green that she ingested “milk flowers” she hoped would make her second daughter whiter (hopefully the royal family in England won’t do this). As a result, the daughter was born disabled and the mom died. Fast forward to many years later, and we see Elphaba about to enter Shiz University. She enrolls in order to help her sister Nesarose. Right away the students feel sorry for or look down upon Elphana and pity Nesarose. Nesarose is of course destined to become the witch who was killed by Dorothy.

Elphana encounters Glinda (Arianda Grande), the future “Good Witch” who is her complete opposite. Elphana is bookish, plainly dressed and is a social pariah, while the ornately dressed Glinda is vain, shallow and egotistical plus she’s used to getting everything she wants. The story clearly prefers Elphana as a role model. Against all odds the two become friends after they get to know each other from sharing a room. Glinda makes it her special mission to elevate her plain looking roommate’s social status with a fancy makeover reminiscent of the ones in Funny Girl, Born Yesterday and Pretty Woman. It might have been better if Elphana had taught Glinda how to utilize her underused brain. Elphina seemingly has some supporters along the way including a sorceress/magic expert (Michelle Yeoh) who helps Elphina empower herself using a powerful book of magic. It is like a slightly less sinister version of the Necronomicon from Lovecraft’s work or The Darkhold from the MCU’s Wandavision. Also, she encounters the wizard, played wonderfully by Jeff Goldblum who initially seems to want to help her get whatever she wants. But neither of these people are quite what they seem.

There are some plot points that are not very believable. At one point a politician decides to use animals as scapegoats for all of Oz’s problems and he starts to cage them. But this is so quickly done, and poorly explained, and we are expected to accept too much on faith. The idea that people would suddenly blame animals (an obvious parallel to some current politicians scapegoating immigrants) that have prominent roles in society is the least convincing aspect of the film. Also, the school which the main characters all attend seems fairly progressive with males wearing skirts and non-humans teaching classes. Why would the students find a green girl so bizarre and horrific when they have classes there taught by talking goats?

Most of the songs in the film were pleasurable, but few of them seemed like they would be permanently edged into my brain. I did not leave singing or humming any of the songs like I did with the numbers from Godspell, Fiddler on The Roof or West Side Story. Also, none of the songs here are as catchy or memorable as the ones on Beyonce’s recent short Netflix streaming country themed special which is excellent by the way.

The film does a fairly good job of walking the line between the modern and the traditional. Although the film is contemporary and politically correct in some respects when it takes on such issues as lookism and racism, but it rarely descends to the level of obvious propaganda. The MCU could learn a lesson or two from this film. Wicked shows you can still be diverse and socially conscious while  telling a good, entertaining story.

Also Wicked does not have little people playing munchkins in it. The recent Wonka (a prequel film as well)  also avoided showing short people as Oompa Loompas and had a full-sized Hugh Grant who was digitally altered for the role. Meanwhile, the updated and yet to be released Snow-White film will have digitally created dwarfs. These attempts to not offend little people may be well intentioned but they are all misguided. The available roles for little people actors are limited as it is. Eliminating all their potential roles because they don’t want to risk offending them isn’t doing them any favors.

Viewers might question whether they want to invest three hours into seeing a musical when it is just the Part One (with Part Two currently scheduled for Thanksgiving 2025). While a few things could have been cut the answer is yes. Even a non-lover of musicals like myself must admit that this film moves along nicely and it does not feel bloated or overlong. Almost three hours of Wicked felt shorter than most hour and half Adam Sandler comedies, and because of the frequent dazzling wide screen shots and the gorgeous colors and shot composition, this is a great film to see in theatres with the whole family.
 

Directed by:  John M. Chu
Written by:  Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox., Based on the
 stage musical Wicked by Stephen Schwartz.
 Adapted from material from the film "The Wizard of
 Oz" and the book "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz"
 by L. Frank Baum
Starring:    Cynthia Erivo, Arianna Grande-Butera, Jonathan
 Bailey
Released:    11/22/2024
Length:    160 minutes
Rating:    PG for some scary action thematic material and
 some thematic/suggestive material
Available On:    At press time the film was playing in local theaters

For more writings by Vittorio Carli go to www.artinterviews.org and www.chicagopoetry.org. His latest book "Tape Worm Salad with Olive Oil for Extra Flavor" is also available.
Email carlivit@gmail.com

See the film trailer of the Lee Groban movie directed by Nancy Bechtol featuring Vittorio Carli.
See https://youtu.be/tWQf-UruQw

 

Upcoming features at the New Poetry Show:
Come to the New Poetry Show on the first Saturday of every month at Tangible Books in
Bridgeport from 7-9 at 3324 South Halsted.

This is now a monthly show featuring Poetry/Spoken Word, some Music, Stand Up and Performance Art and hosted by Mister Carli. Upcoming Shows include...

February 1- Felissia Mae Cappeletti, Chiron Kingfish, Steve Krakow, and Adrienne Sunshine Nadeau

Match 1-Gigi Rice

For more information e-mail: carlivit@gmail.com for details.

WICKED © 2025 Universal Pictures
All Rights Reserved

Review © 2025 Alternate Reality, Inc.

 

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