Dorothy’s ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz are on display in the Stories of Cinema Exhibit of the
Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles, Calif. (Photo by Jill Connelly/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The Wizard of Oz holds up well after almost a century
By Seidet Segura
Columnist
This is the first installment of Movie Night with Batoul & Seidet, a monthly series in which Batoul Achy and Seidet Segura will collaborate on and taking turns writing classic movie reviews from a modern perspective.
The Wizard of Oz is a timeless classic. This movie has been passed down by generations for a great reason. The film’s lovable characters, catchy songs and surprising developments still hold up to this day. There are a few parts that don’t complement the story, but overall this movie definitely leaves the audience impressed and satisfied.
In the film, a girl named Dorothy vanishes into the Land of Oz hoping to find her way back home. Along the way to find the wizard who can help her, she meets a cast of colorful friends who help her defeat the evil witch who desires to stop her. The characters involved in the film are energetic and fun. The Cowardly Lion, who Dorothy meets on the way to the Wizard of Oz, has silly facial expressions as he sings “If I Were the King of the Forest.” This adds more emotion to the song, which makes it more enjoyable. Additionally, the Scarecrow rolling during the course of singing “If I Only Had a Brain” made the story more entertaining. Moments like these are what made regular scenes more appealing.
There also are parts of the movie that should have been rethought. In the scene where Dorothy and her friends meet the wizard, he appears as a giant head above them. Meeting the wizard was supposed to be a moment of relief, but instead his appearance was distracting. The Wizard of Oz’s forehead was super humongous, which made him appear horrendous. Furthermore, the ending was rushed a bit too much. Dorothy had spent most of the movie trying to get back to her Auntie Em. If she really loved her aunt so much, she should have got up and hugged her, but instead she laid in the bed lazily. These were important scenes that fell flat.
A moment that was played well was the stunning plot twist. Spoiler alert for an 83-year-old movie; the wizard turns out to be a regular man behind the curtain pretending to be a wizard. It was shocking that they spent all this time trying to reach a wizard that wasn’t even real. This reveal causes Dorothy to learn she has the power to go home on her own. Even though she could have gone home the whole time, the movie shows everything happens for a reason. Dorothy learned the importance of perseverance throughout her journey.
Overall, The Wizard of Oz is a fantastic movie. It is considered a classic and still draws the audience’s attention today. This movie is full of entertaining moments, yet also some key scenes that could have been better. Despite this, The Wizard of Oz plays an important role in cinema history.