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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.
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