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wizard of oz film analysis
analysis wizard of oz
wizard of oz film analysis
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The first original filming of, “The Wizard of Oz,” was filmed in black and white, however, it became one of the first films to show the world the horizons that could be reached with new color technology. The sepia tones that are used in the opening, and the closing of the film help us to capture the dustiness, and grittiness, of the country. The use of sepia tones in these particular scenes is a very creative way to introduce Dorothy’s country home located in Kansas. The use of tones is especially dull, compared to what we immediately see the moment Dorothy opens the door to the bright, beautiful Land of Oz. The use of Technicolor all the way through the movie would not be nearly as powerful as the audience. The colors, and tones used in the …show more content…
This element provided a magical feeling. The set was developed to provide us with every opportunity to travel from the dry land that the old weathered gray farmhouse set on, all the way to the magical forests, and castles of Emerald City. Then who could ever forget the famous Yellow Brick Road. It is even noted that it took quite some time during the creativity, and production of this film, to make a final decision on the tone of yellow to use on the Yellow Brick Road. Every character in this movie is dressed in creative, and appropriate attire. The costumes add to the creativity that lends to the theme of the fantasy land story. Certain examples are those like the Tin Man is covered in aluminum tin, and he squeaks when he walks. We also see that the Lion is completely robed in his attire, and the stupid Scarecrow is an actual live rendition of a Scarecrow who actively, and constantly falls apart. Let us not forget the famous magician, “Red Shoes,” that were part of the costume of the character Dorothy. When Dorothy tapped them together, she could make wonderful things happen in the fantasy world. Dorothy also wore her hair in a cute pony tail design that brought that little girl feeling to the scene, and each song that she sang brought life to the screen. One particular song that is entitled, “Somewhere Over The Rainbow,” went on to become one of the most famous songs of all …show more content…
Without a doubt, each of us have suffered the same types of power struggles while being a part of society, at some point or time throughout life. I believe that this idea had a direct connection for many in society. We also see that the movie’s production is well-noted, and it contained quite a creative team of directors, producers, actors, and writers, to help bring it to a level of huge significant success. It is my opinion that other elements, and techniques, would not have worked quite as effectively for this film. Every detail in this movie with relation to the mise en scene, right on down to every other extra element, or technique, has shown to be performed, prepared, and demonstrated effectively. The “Wizard of Oz,” continues to entertain generations, after generations of people, and even the later revisions, and additions of Technicolor, helped to bring more life to its restoration. This film contains all of the elements that were needed to produce a successful, and consistently entertaining fantasy story. This brings me to one final thought that while there are some people who may not like fantasy movies, I highly recommend that you should view this movie. It is certainly a one of a kind Hollywood fantasy movie masterpiece that contains every technique, and element
Throughout the course of the Wonderful Wizard of Oz L. Frank Baum implements the use of colors in order to give the readers a sense of urgency whether it symbolizes the danger of the situation which Dorothy and her group are facing or it simply represents the different people in the land of Oz, as they are all very different. Color also plays an important part in both the setting and tone of the story. From the very beginning L. Frank Baum uses colors to highlight the sharp contrast between the land of Oz and Kansas he does so by describing Kansas as a dull, and life less gray place as opposed to the vibrant and colorful Oz, not only did he highlight physical changes but by describing these two very different places the author also manages
The Wizard of Oz is one of the most controversial movies in American history because there is no clear and cut meaning of the film. Everyone has a different interpretation of what the film Wizard of Oz really means. Some people believe that the movie has Christian religious symbolism or atheist symbolism, others believe that the illuminati was behind the making of the Wizard of Oz to brainwash people, others believe that there is a more political based meaning of the Wizard of Oz with a connection to what was going on in the history of the United States. During the 1800’s society faced many issues and although the Wizard of Oz can be interpreted in many different ways it is believed that the most significant meanings of the
The use of color inside the house is symbolic to the mood. The almost yellow fluorescent lighting is ironic when compared to the first image of the painting since the painting had set the expectations of an enthusiastic film. The yellow tint throughout the house is also conflicting since yellow is known to be a luminous color. Yellow usually represents happiness and warmth which are emotions that lacks in the Bishop household. The dim lighting also mirrors the gloomy and dark weather outside. An extreme long shot of the outside house captures the darkness of the sky which prompts unhappy emotions. When Susy proceeds outside to check the mailbox the change in weather is instantly noticeable since the sky transitioned from gray to blue and the
...are similar in both her ordinary and special worlds, and she must work throughout the rest of the film to resolve them. The Wizard of Oz can be analyzed in many different ways, but the depth of the plot is what gives this movie its timeless qualities making it a favorite still today, and one can’t also help to note how cinematically advanced this movie was for its time making it truly a masterpiece.
Dorothy, the hero in this film learned an appreciation of the life she already had in her ordinary life. Dorothy had complaints about her ordinary world and dreamed of being somewhere else, because she did not have a complete appreciation of her life. She experienced companionship from the Tin Man, the Scarecrow, and the Cowardly Lion who became her mentors and allies in her adventure world. However, these same individuals were her mentors and allies in her ordinary world. Dorothy also experiences real fear and challenges in her adventure world that caused her to grow and mature. She learned to stand on behalf, support and defend others and not only consider her desires. Being away from her Aunt Em, her Uncle and the farm hands made Dorothy realize she already had love on the dusty farm in Kansas and all she needed to do was embrace it. Dorothy’s use of the magic ruby slipper, coupled with her desire to return home to Kansas from the magical Land of Oz, is a classic example of a magic flight. .Although she had been anxious to leave home and sung “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” her call to adventure, she later expressed her love for her family, executing her magic flight and upon returning to her sweet ordinary world, she exclaimed with a heart filled with love and appreciation: “There is no place like home.” This statement was evidence of her maturity and transformation Dorothy’s joy and appreciation of being back on the farm in Kansas is also evidence that she had mastered both her ordinary world and her adventure
Frank L. Baum begins The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in Kansas, a land devoid of color and life, to show Dorothy’s dismal world. Her Aunt Em, who had once been a beautiful woman, has become as colorless as the gray and dried vegetation on her farm. When Dorothy is caught in a cyclone, she is transported to a colorful and lively world, but she desperately tries to return to the colorless farm. Inherently Dorothy knows that home is where one’s loved ones live not some beautiful illusion. However, on her journey home Dorothy becomes enticed by the illusion of the prosperous Emerald City and the Wizard of Oz. Dorothy, along with the friends who join her, willingly follow the Great and Terrible Wizard rather than looking within themselves to find their
The use of colors and camera shots are not only used to support the dominant discourse, but also to make a clear view of Edward’s difference to the society. The director uses camera shots and angles from the castle window where Edward lives to show how all of houses look the same and insignificant. Uses of color such as the repetition of all houses being in all a pastel color encourage the viewers of the conformity of the town. Also, the bright pastel colors of suburbia and dark and gloomy image of the gothic castle show how awkward an individual like Edward can be seen in such town.
Shot 1: Wide shot. View behind Dorothy in black and white. Dorothy opens the door to the color world of Oz. She steps out into Oz and stops. Straight on shot, camera moves into Oz first through the door, followed by Dorothy appearing again in the foreground. Light symphonies playing magical music, birds are singing in the background.
“Were off to see the wizard, the wonderful wizard of oz” One of the infamous phrases from one of the most well know classics of all time. The original movie titled The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was made in 1939 by Frank Baum. This film featured stars such as Judy Garland, Jack Hayley and many others. This was not only a movie, it was a fantasy, and a musical storytelling adventure with unusual characters that shook the audience. This was one of the first films to make it to the big screen with color. Because of its success, this film has been remade many times with multiple different spins making it rhetorical. Over the years this film has become one of the best films of all time and is still watched today among all ages
Red ruby slippers. Green emerald city. Yellow brick road. These are just of the few iconic colors that bring to life The Wizard of Oz film. But before color even gets introduced, we see Dorothy in a monotone world of black and white with a sepia toned film. Set in the middle of Kansas, the viewer gets a sense of boredom and bareness. It seems as if the only people in that whole state are Dorothy, her immediate family and the farmhands! However, after her house gets lifted up and redeposited, she opens the door to a world of Technicolor. Your eyes are shocked as the screen is filled with various bright colors. The colors of Munchkin Land symbolize a vibrant, surreal, dreamlike adventure. It creates moods of happiness and security for the viewer as we are transported back to a world we know; color. In his article Color and Storytelling in Films, Robert Mills says, “Kansas is described as grey and lifeless whilst
of magic as a theme, and why it has made the play so successful and timeless.
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.
The Wizard of Oz is a 1939 film directed by Victor Fleming, which follows Dorothy Gale on her journey through the magical land of Oz. Dorothy is swept away from a farm in Kansas to the land of Oz in a tornado and embarks on a quest to see the Wizard who can help her return to her home in Kansas. The director, uses a number cinematic techniques such as camera angles, lighting, colour and dialogue to portray a central theme of There’s no place like home.
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
The Wizard of Oz is a fiction story written by L. Frank Baum. The story has two main settings. The first setting is, Dorothy’s home, the Kansas prairies. The prairies are described as dry and gray. The second setting is the land of Oz. Oz is opposed from Kansas, it is colorful, bright, and full of joy. The Wizard of Oz has a grate theme or message behind the story. The message is that we all have good qualities in us, but it is up to us to use them.