The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a children’s novel that was published in 1900 and written by L. Frank Baum and because of its great success, it lead to the creation of the Oz series of thirteen additional books. Over the years, thousands of adaptations have been made of Baum’s novel. The most successful adaptation is The Wizard of Oz (1939) directed by Victor Fleming and produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM). The film and the novel are both very similar, however there are many differences pertaining to the characters, plot and the series of events throughout the film.
The characters in both film and novel play a very important role in carrying out the story. In Baum’s novel, Dorothy Gale is an innocent, harmless, orphan girl who lives with her Aunt Em and Uncle Henry in the gray and dull Kansas. In the film, the gray Kansas is represented by the use of sepia tones. Aunt Em (Clara Blandick) and Uncle Henry (Charley Grapewin) are both given characterization in the film that is not present in the novel. The reason for this being is because film as a visual medium may not be very good at introducing characters as great as novels, so it will only make sense to dwell a bit more in the Kansas scene and create a story to really help introduce the characters well for the audience. Dorothy in the
Mohammed 2 novel seems to be quite content living on the farm amid the dreary atmosphere. However, Dorothy (Judy Garland) in the film, dreams of a better place by singing the song, ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’. When she is eventually carried away by the cyclone and ends up in the Land of Oz, she is not able to handle the dangers, the responsibilities and immediately wishes to go home. Dorothy in the film is seen as someone who is much older than t...
... middle of paper ...
...elp Dorothy go home. She does the same thing, clicks her heels and is taken back to Kansas where the story ends. In Baum’s novel, the Land of Oz is a real place, it’s not a dream. It was all about adventure. According to MGM, he thought that society at that time was too advanced to believe in fairytales or even accept it, so he simply turned it into a dream.
MGM’s adaptation The Wizard of Oz may have its many differences when compared to Baum’s novel. The novel is much more in depth, detailed and each character and event is more developed. However, it is still regarded as one of the best adaptations because of its very close resemblance to novel and the use of Technicolor to enhance and bring life to the Land of Oz and the people. The film captured the general theme of the story, that Dorothy’s companions all possessed the qualities they thought they did not have.
Frank Baums, The Wizard of Oz is arguably one of the most popular films made. Even though it was released in 1939, nearly three-quarters of a century ago, the film continues to entertain audiences and speak to them in a personal way. The question that comes to the mind when analyzing this film is: What is it about this film that gives it such timelessness? When reflecting on the film’s timeless qualities, it seems clear the plot is one of the things that enable it to maintain its relevance. Primarily, the plot of The Wizard of Oz is timeless because it is such an excellent example of the heroic journey, both in literally and cinematically. This journey of self-awareness is a metaphor for growth, which is something we all search to discover at some time in our lives.
At the beginning of the film, Dorothy sings “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”, where she quotes “If happy little bluebirds fly, beyond the rainbow why, oh, why can’t I? Portraying to the audience that Dorothy wants more than the life she has. However, as the film progresses, she does indeed understand that this fantasyland is not her home and she has obligations to her aunt and uncle. She is not swayed by the Land of Oz to the extent that she wants to reside there and realises that her roots and identity lie back in Kansas. The director uses the quote ‘There’s no place like home’ as it represents the major theme and reinforces an understanding of the importance of being true to where you come from. Finally, at the end of the film, Dorothy acknowledges the lure of faraway places while affirming that her emotional compass always points homeward in the quote "If I ever go looking for my heart's desire again, I won't look any further than my own back yard," Dorothy says to further illustrate her awakened state of mind she has acquired through her adventures in the Land of Oz.
Films are also treasures of culture, filled with clues and insights into the attitudes and perceptions of the people of the day. While documentary films obviously present a historical record of people and events, dramatic fictional movies can also reveal the same. Comparing the main characters in Hitchcock's 1934
...lf-confidence. The Scarecrow was the one who believed that he had no brain even with him coming up with brilliant and clever solutions to the many problems that they faced on their journey. The tin man believed that he didn’t have a heart, but cries when bad things are brought upon the creatures they come to encounter. The lion believed that he had no courage even though he was the one brave enough to continue the journey, he always stated how brave he was and pushed forward even when the others did not want to. A famous quote from Carl L. Bankston III of Salem Press stated that "These three characters embody the classical human virtues of intelligence, caring, and courage, but their self-doubts keep them from being reduced to mere symbols of these qualities” (). This is an important quote because it highlights the self-confidence that Baum explored in his story.
Scene: This scene in the film comes just after the house has been picked up in the twister. Dorothy's house has been lifted up into the sky and suddenly dropped back down to earth in the middle of the Land of Oz. In the scene itself, Dorothy leaves her home to see that she is "Not in Kansas anymore," and finds the new and amazing world of the munchkin city in front of her. She also meets Gwendela the good witch as her journey in Oz begins.
the film that was produced after the book, “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz”. The main
... narrative that is more common in modernist cinema. But, in development and production the film was modernist in experimenting with cutting-edge techniques such as technicolor and dazzling visual effects for that time. Contrastingly, the depiction of Oz in the 1939 film is one of a pastoral society, and whilst having the bulk of the technological advancements of the era integral to it’s construction (e.g. colour, practical effects) has little in the way of modern technology shown. Kansas on the other hand is also agrarian, but portrayed in a traditional way; sepia-tone, but contains a monopoly on technological progress such as bicycles and farm machinery. This is possibly a device used to exemplify the dreamlike nature of Oz in the 1939 film, clearly a beautiful and idealistic society cannot exist, it must be a dream. Here the film departs from modernism.
If children or adults think of the great classical fairy tales today, be it Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, or Cinderella, they will think Walt Disney. Their first and perhaps lasting impression of these tales and others will have emanated from Disney film, book, or artefacts (Zipes 72)
In the words of Michael O’Shaughnessy, ‘narratives, or stories, are a basic way of making sense of our experience’ (1999: 266). As a society and a culture, we use stories to comprehend and share our experiences, typically by constructing them with a beginning, middle and an end. In fact, the order that a narrative is structured will directly impact the way it is understood, particularly across cultures. This idea originated through Claude Lévi-Strauss’s concept of structuralism in anthropology which ‘is concerned with uncovering the common structural principles underlying specific and historically variable cultures and myth’ in pre-industrial societies (Strinati 2003: 85). In terms of media studies, structuralism’s inherent objective is to dig beneath the surface of a media text to identify how the structure of a narrative contributes to it’s meaning. Structuralism encompasses a large range of analytical tools, however, this essay will examine Joseph Campbell’s monomyth and Claude Lévi-Strauss’s theory of binary oppositions. Through analysis of Victor Fleming’s film, The Wizard of Oz (1939), it will be shown that although the monomyth and binary oppositions are useful tools with which to unveil how meaning is generated in this text, structuralism can undermine the audience’s ability to engage with their own interpretations of the film.
These two films are not only similar on these surface levels, but also in their narrative structure and intent as well. Dorothy and Alice, both find themselves trapped in a world of their own fantasy, but with no context on how to navigate their way home. They are then lead by an array of strange characters who guide them on their journey. Dorothy meets the scarecrow, the tin man, the cowardly lion, and so on. While Alice crosses paths with the white rabbit, the cheshire cat, the mad hatter, and so on. With the assistance of their companions, both heroines maneuver their way through the challenges each fantasy presents. Perhaps the biggest similarity these films share narratively, is the underlying emphasis on empathy and perspective. Both
The biggest and probably most memorable special effect of the movie is the transition from black and white film to color. The film starts in black and white while Dorothy is in Kansas then as soon as she lands in Oz the film magically transitions to color. This was extra unique because during the time it was made, most movies were strictly in black and white. “As a child I simply did not notice whether a movie was in color or not. The movies themselves were such an overwhelming mystery that if they wanted to be in black and white, that was their business. It was not until I saw ‘The Wizard of Oz’ for the first time that I consciously noticed B&W versus color” Here, Ebert expresses just how wowing that effect was to him and how it really added to the movie (Ebert 1). There are so, so many other special effects expressed in The Wizard of Oz like the house getting spun up in the tornado, trees coming to life and throwing apples or a beautiful woman in a beautiful dress traveling by bubble. Frank Nugent from The New York Times makes a comment on these effects “They are entertaining conceits all of them, presented with a naive relish for their absurdity and out of an obvious—and thoroughly natural—desire on the part of their fabricators to show what they could do” even though the gentlemen does almost mock the people in charge of these effects here, he does
Every single film we watch has a major theme. The text describes theme as, “an idea, plot, or topic of some kind that pervades the plot. It is not so much what happens, but rather what the movie is about, part of the meaning you are expected to take away from the work” (Goodykoontz & Jacobs, 2014). The theme of The Wizard of Oz is made very clear within the film because it is announced by Dorothy herself; stating, “there’s no place like home” (Langley, Ryerson & Woolf, 1939). I believe this simple phrase is the major theme, viewers were supposed to take away from this fascinating work. No matter where you go or what they have to offer you, there will be no other place you can truly call home, other than that in which you have grown to know as home. Many different techniques and elements from The Wizard of Oz contribute to this production to reveal on of the most meaningful major movie themes of all times.
In The Wonderful Wizard of Oz the author, L. Frank Baum, utilized colors throughout the novel. Colors are a representation of the regions. Baum was passionate about colors to create a good, solid image of his characters, scenes, and events. Whereas, the Munchkin Country is represented by the color blue. The Emerald City appears as green. Yellow exemplify the yellow brick road, and the Winkie Country. Color sets the mood, or an idea of what these regions embody.
Glinda of Oz is the fourteenth land of oz book written by children's author l. Frank baum published on July 10, 1920. It is the last book of the original Oz series, which was later continued by other authors. Like most of the Oz books, the plot features a journey through some of the remoter regions of Oz; though in this case the pattern is doubled: Dorothy and Ozma travel to stop a war between the Flatheads and Skeezers; then Glinda and a cohort of Dorothy's friends set out to rescue them. The book was dedicated to Baum's second son, Robert Stanton Baum.Princess Ozma and Dorothy travel to an obscure corner of the Land of Oz, in order to prevent a war between two local powers, the Skeezers and
The adaptation starts with the view of a large, leather-bound book entitled, “Great Expectations”. The book opens and a voice over reads the first few lines describing the character Pip. The voiceover is obviously a grown-up Pip reading. Wind sound effects are heard and the book’s pages are blown over and over until the scene fades to Pip running into the graveyard.