Wicked Updates The Original Wizard Of Oz For Today's World - Spoilers Ahead
Wicked part one is a beautifully crafted film bringing new life to Oz and showcasing Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo’s amazing talent. Great support comes from castmates Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum, Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater and even SNL’s Bowen Yang. Peter Dinklage voices the sympathetic Dr Dillamond in all it’s CGI glory. Throw in a musical number with original broadway stars Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel and you have a bonafide hit. I left out the amazing choregraphy which defies gravity, literally.
So how does this fit in with the original 1939 classic ? Wicked takes a more cynical approach ignoring the optimism of the original.. We have to understand the time in which the original movie and the musical, now film, are released. The original classic came out at time where Europe was facing the rise of a Nazi tyrant. The US had recovered from a great depression. The original’s themes of there is no place like home, not taking for granted what you have, are still powerful. Wicked the musicial and now film turns into a more cynical view of less trust in our leaders, who have a problem with the truth. Jeff Goldblum’s wizard appears to have some of Frank Morgan’s quirks, but also has his own agenda in ruling Oz. He captures animals that talk, caging them so they lose the ability to speak. In Elphaba, he sees someone he can manipulate to enforce his ideas. Michelle Yeoh’s Madame Morrible is a horrible witch hidden underneath a pleasant demeanor that sucks you in. This makes Oz, a horrible place to live.
Elphaba is chastied an treated like an outsider at first and is slowly allowed to be mainstreamed by the efforts of Ariana Grande’s Glinda. The prejudice about her green skin hits home, as we deal with issues of people of color going back hundreds of years. I felt for her due to Cynthia Erivo’s performance. Heck, I started rooting for her. Glinda is portrayed as self absorbed witch wanna-be that only cares for Elphaba after Glinda is given a training wand based on her green roomate’s support.
This is a multi-racial and gender friendly Oz, in particular, the school with its wonderful rainbow of students. I hope young people who like the movie and musical are not lost on this message.
The original movie speaks to my childhood and nurtured my dreams. I feel it has a timeless quality, Wicked to me speaks of a more current world. The themes of the movie are not lost to me. Acceptance is more important now than ever as many are trying to take away rights of people based on their color and sexual orientation. That hits home with me.
I will enjoy both versions of Oz as there are lessons in each to keep for the rest of my days
Is Mr Spock A Cautionary Tale ?
Spock is a reflection of us, as he deals with his stoic Vulcan side and his emotional human side. On the original series, In the Naked Time, Spock loses all control of his emotions in the famous heartbreaking briefing room scene, exposing his human side for Jim Kirk to see. In Amok Time, Spock has the blood fever where he must take a mate or die.
Here we see the end of his relationship with T’Pring but in Strange New Worlds, we are exposed to their beginings with foreshadowing that Spock’s Starfleet career would come between them. It’s been interesting to see their courtship and how the human side affects it. Season two promises to show us more. Getting back to Amok Time, Spock express his outward delight in seeing James Kirk alive, (Thanks to Dr. McCoy) . What Is usually forgotten , is that in Star Trek The Motion Picture, through V’Ger he comes to find peace in both halves exisiting together as a Vulcan and human. This is a huge lesson for Spock and us, to meld our reason and emotions.
I can help but show admiration the metaphorical significance of Vulcans. As part in our history, humanity struggles with our reasonable side and our emotional side. Each can influence our decisions. The Spock character is too rich not to mine more stories especially in Strange New Worlds, where he is still figuring out who he is, and learning to live among humans. In the Kelvin universe, Zachary Quinto ’s Spock is also not the finished product. losing his temper with James Kirk and also having a romance with Lt Uhura.
I felt the use of Vulcans were diminished in The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, at times Enterprise. The Vulcans seem to spend too much time scolding us then to help guide us to a better place. T’Pol changed that for me. By working with a human crew, she was exposed to humanity every day, and got to see their values and their weaknesses first hand. Tuvok was a worthy edition to get Vulcans back on track in my book, with echoes of the Kirk-Spock relationship with Janeway. We saw their connection especially in the series finale for Voyager, Endgame.
Gene Roddenberry was brilliant in emboding characteristics in his characters. Kirk was Courage, boldness, the explorer. Dr McCoy was the heart, the moral compass. And Spock was the logic, the reason and called us out for past and current mistakes.
In the original Planet Of The Apes film, If I can detour Star Trek for a moment, Dr Zaius remarks that man’s reason goes hand in hand with his lunacy. Written by the brilliant Rod Serling, the original apes film is a cautionary tale. In Spock, there a cautionary tale as well but with a solution, if we control our emotions and use our reason we can and will survive.
Tony Tellado
