This meteorological event is my terminology the lock, serving as the major plot point that transitions the story from the ordinary world kansas into the extraordinary world oz. The wizard of oz 1939 rotten tomatoes movie trailers. Hailed as perhaps one of the most influential movies of the present time, the film the wizard of oz has continued to mesmerize adults and children alike for many years. An absolute masterpiece whose groundbreaking visuals and deft storytelling are still every bit as resonant, the wizard of oz is a mustsee film for young and old. The story is about a young kansas girl who dreams of being picked up from her uncles farm in a storm.
It was first rereleased in 1949, and then in 1955, and then for many seasons, it was featured regularly on network tv as a prime time event its first two showings were on cbs. Oscar is first introduced in baums first oz book titled the wonderful wizard of oz, published in 1900. The wizard of oz opens with a spirited young girl named dorothy living on a farm with her aunt and uncle, three farmhands, and her loyal dog, toto. Every holiday season the film would be broadcast on television, and with the rest of the. The following is an international student custom writing analysis of the wizard of oz movie analysis of the movie through the formalist procedure is a method through which a movie is analyzed. On a stormy and dark day she is swept away in a tornado and lands in a faraway land of the munchkins. Production was complicated and huge in scale, with a revolving door of directors coming in to work on the film, an ambitious undertaking unprecedented in filmmaking history at that time.
The wonderful wizard of oz is too long to be a parable and not quite didactic enough to be an allegory. Comparing bot the novel and the movie many similarities and differences were observable. Why the wizard of oz is the most popular film of all. What is the deeper meaning of the wonderful wizard of oz. The wonderful wizard of oz character analysis course hero. Widely regarded to be one of the greatest films in cinema history, it is the most commercially successful adaptation of l. Quotes from the story such as toto, i have a feeling were not in kansas anymore, lions, and tigers, and bears. Over the years, both book and movie have fueled a number of elaborate theories as to the storys deeper meanings. The wizard of oz film study guide contains a biography of richard thorpe. D orothy gale played by the young and amazingly talented judy garland is a wellloved kansas farm girl who lives with her auntie em, uncle henry and beloved dog, toto.
The wizard of oz is the cinematic equivalent of highend wine, in that it gets better with age. They can also act as inner demons guarding protected memories or alters. The film is perennially popular because it explores many of the issues and fears that children ages 5 12 must confront as they mature. Over the decades, the wizard of oz has been seen by many christians and used often in sermons see here for one example as an allegory of faith. Early in the film, a day dreaming dorothy sings the academy award.
The movie was one of the most expensive films that mgm studio had produced to date and it is based on the 1900 novel the wonderful wizard of oz by l. The rainbow is a bridge between the real and imaginary worlds. Since the wizard of oz is full of stuff as bad as that, or worse, i say its a stinkeroo. The wizard of oz it is and remains, and weve all heard the title so often that we never really stop to think about what it might mean. The wonderful wizard of oz homework help questions. The wizard of oz is a 1939 american musical fantasy film produced by metrogoldwynmayer. Dorothy and totos connection is tested by a cranky and powerful neighbor, miss elvira gulch, who wants. The symbolism of the wizard of oz came to light again recently after the famous filmmaker, bill still, produced a twohour documentary film, the secret of oz, in which he shakes up the existing economic paradigms and contends that the book contains a solution. The special effects in the wizard of oz do not look like the special effects in armageddon or. Salman rushdie, growing up in bombay, remembers that seeing the film at 10 made a writer of me. The film analysis of the wizard of oz 1016 words bartleby. Dorothy is the girl who is stranded in oz after her farmhouse is picked up and moved. Movie analysis paper on wizard of oz 1939 essay writing service.
The wizard of oz is enjoyable for people of all ages. The difference is that while wine must remain unopened to increase in value, the film positively. Oscar zoroaster phadrig isaac norman henkle emmannuel ambroise diggs also known as the wizard of oz and, during his reign, as oz, the great and terrible or the great and powerful oz is a fictional character in the land of oz created by american author l. The movie wizard of oz was released on 25 th august 1939. Learn all about how the characters in the wonderful wizard of oz such as dorothy and scarecrow contribute to the story and how they fit into the plot. The movies themselves were such an overwhelming mystery that if they. Parents need to know that the 1939 fantasy the wizard of oz contains several scenes that may be scary for very young children, almost all of which involve the greenskinned wicked witch of the west and her band of creepy flying monkeys. Wizard of oz has constant references to rainbows, including its theme song, somewhere over the rainbow. The wizard of oz is a classic musical, beloved by children and their parents for generations. In the movie the wizard of oz there were three types of lighting techniques used.
The wizard of oz 1939 movie summary and film synopsis. A cultural phenomenon worldwide culture rivaled only by such classics as the wizard of oz 1939 and gone with the wind 1939. As a documentary crosssection of the nations greatest city, the film should also. Frank baum s 1900 childrens fantasy novel the wonderful wizard of oz. It takes a rare movie to make a viewer even think of it as black and white or color, but, because the wizard of oz puts meaning into appearance much like the recentlyreleased pleasantville, the nature of the visual composition become crucial.
Metrogoldwynmayer produced the american musical fantasy film, the wizard of oz in 1939. The wizard of oz the yellow brick road the most famous road in movie history has been analyzed to death and is probably one of the most famous metaphors in the english language. Conflict is an essential element of any story, adding drama, developing. Most parents whove seen the movie before know that the plot includes a disastrous tornado, and an enchanted forest full of redeyed creatures and talking. Dorothy and totos connection is tested by a cranky and powerful neighbor, miss elvira gulch, who wants to have the dog destroyed for biting her once.
Still, the main characters dorothy, the scarecrow, the tin woodman, and the lion embody traditional american values. According to the library of congress, the wizard of oz 1939 is the most watched film ever. But i gained an even deeper appreciation for the symbolic, psychological, and emotional life of the movie when i analyzed it using five primary character archetypes. In 1939, the wonderful wizard of oz was adapted into a movie titled the wizard of oz. Victor fleming directed the wizard of oz, and was the first to direct a film with technicolor using a 3strip color process. The cinematic techniques of the movie wizard of oz. Frank baums the wizard of oz 1900 and the 1939 film adaptation see wizard of oz. Analysis generally, means breaking up the whole to discover the nature, function, and interrelationships of the parts boggs, j. This and peter pan are my two favorite childhood stories, and i am honored to have brought them both to life on the lesher stage within the last five years. The wonderful wizard of oz is a 1910 american silent fantasy film and the earliest surviving film version of l. It was produced by metrogoldwynmayer and distributed by loews, inc. The wizard of oz study guide 3 directors notes by daren a. The tornado scene sequence in the wizard of oz is memorable for a number of reasons, not the least of which is without it, theres no oz and therefore no story.
When a tornado rips through kansas, dorothy and her dog, toto, are whisked away in their house to the magical land of oz. The wizard of oz most influential film of all time, study finds the coen brothers are not the only big names to pay homage to the wizard of oz their films are full of sly references. Given its success, this short discourse will now attempt to. Essay on summary of the film the wizard of oz 637 words. Traditional three point camera was used to bring the color of the film in and capture the audience and bring them into the fantasy and the awesome color that will transport them there. The vulgarity of which i was conscious all through the film is difficult to analyze. As a child i simply did not notice whether a movie was in color or not. The winged money created the fear of always being watched. This is due in part to its regular broadcast on network tv beginning in the 1950s. Here are some of my thoughts about this much beloved movie. Political interpretations of the wonderful wizard of oz. The wonderful wizard of oz 1939, like many fairy tales depicting a series of fantastic adventures, is really the story of an individuals inner journeya story of personality integration and coming of age.
It was created to fulfill a contractual obligation associated with baums personal bankruptcy caused by the fairylogue and radioplays, from which it was once thought. Frank baums novel, the wonderful wizard of oz, and the movie, directed by victor fleming there are many powerful messages. The wizard of oz film summary the wizard of oz opens with a spirited young girl named dorothy living on a farm with her aunt and uncle, three farmhands, and her loyal dog, toto. The wizard of oz is a film whom plot is based on a sad and lonely kansas farm girl, whose name is dorothy. They follow the yellow brick road toward the emerald city to meet the wizard, and en route they meet a scarecrow that needs a brain, a tin man missing a heart, and a. Building upon baums classic tale and extending it backward in time, maguire told the wicked witch of the wests side of the story from her own perspective, revealing that she was. A modern fairy tale with a distinctly american setting.
These are the sources and citations used to research wizard of oz film analysis. More than just a childrens story by lauren houlberg the wizard of oz is a classic, a legend, and a childrens story that will never grow old. Terry mcmillan, as an africanamerican child in northern michigan, completely. The switch from black and white to color would have had a special resonance in 1939, when the movie was made. Similarities and differences between the wizard of oz book. However, despite the book being named after his title. Frank baum and first published in 1900 as an allegory or metaphor for the political, economic, and social events of america in the 1890s. Victor fleming and george cukor directed the movie. Indeed, the similarities between these two particular films and the star wars trilogy go beyond simple. Frank baum, the movie adaptation starring judy garland as dorothy captured the imagination of many. The wizard of oz 1939 is everybodys cherished favorite, perennial fantasy film musical from mgm during its golden years. Directed primarily by victor fleming who left the production. Frank baums 1900 novel the wonderful wizard of oz, made by the selig polyscope company without baums direct input. Political interpretations of the wonderful wizard of oz include treatments of the modern fairy tale written by l.
For veteran director victor fleming, who began making. The wizard of oz is one of the most important cultural texts of the twentieth century. The character was further popularized by a stage play and several movies, including the classic 1939 movie and the 20. Dorothy seeks the wizard of oz to return her home, thus making him a key character as well as the object of her quest. They follow the yellow brick road toward the emerald city to meet the wizard, and en route they meet a scarecrow that needs a brain, a tin man missing a heart, and a cowardly lion who wants courage. Is the conflict in the wizard of oz man vs fate or man vs self. The wonderful wizard of oz, childrens book written by l. This bibliography was generated on cite this for me on tuesday, may 24, 2016. Protagonist, nemesis, attractor, mentor, trickster. Scholars have examined four quite different versions of oz. Movies are a wonderful medium for both entertainment and art, and examining them closely only enhances their magic. See what the critics had to say and watch the trailer. Oscar diggs, aka the wizard of oz, wizard, oz is a fictional character invented by l. Wouldnt it be wonderful to just magically be transported to a land of talking trees and little munchkins.
Dorothy is unhappy and dreams of a better place without hatred toward her dog toto from a hateful neighbor spinster, so in that case dorothy plans to run away to escape the unhappy life she lives. The wizard of oz follows the story of dorothy, a young farm girl from kansas. Carollo diablo theatre company is proud to present the family classic, the wizard of oz. By courtesy of the wizards or hollywood, the wizard of oz reached the. A modern fairy tale with a distinctly american setting, a delightfully levelheaded heroine, and engaging fantasy characters, the story was enormously popular and became a classic of childrens literature. This deep universal appeal explains why so many different people from many backgrounds have a compartment of their memory reserved for the wizard of oz. Based on the 1900s novel entitled the wonderful wizard of oz by l. The flying monkeys, a talking lion, the astounding ruby slippers, and everything else adds a special kind of magic. It was the first film adaptation of the wonderful wizard of oz and several of its. Analysis of the wizard of oz 560 words 3 pages the wizard of oz is a beloved, classical movie among children and adults alike. The film centers on dorothy, a young girl from kansas, who is transported, along with her dog toto, to the fantasy utopia of oz by a tornado that sweeps her farmhouse home away. Hidden christian themes in the wizard of oz faith and.
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