THE WIZ
US, 1978, 134 minutes, Colour.
Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Nipsey Russell, Ted Ross, Mabel King, Thelma Carpenter, Lena Horne, Richard Pryor.
Directed by Sidney Lumet.
The Wiz is a musical version of The Wizard of Oz. L. Frank Baum’s novel was adapted for the screen by Joel Schumacher (who was about to become a prolific director with such films as The Lost Boys, Cousins, Flatliners, Falling Down as well as adaptations of John Grisham and two Batman films. He also directed The Phantom of the Opera).
Director Sidney Lumet is not an immediate choice for the director of a musical. He was much better at gritty crime dramas. His first film was the acclaimed Twelve Angry Men. He is best known for such films as Serpico, Dog Day Afternoon, Prince of the City as well as for Network.
This is an African American adaptation of The Wizard of Oz and stars Diana Ross as Dorothy. Diana Ross had her success as a singer with The Supremes and had made a number of films in the earlier 70s such as the Oscar-nominated Lady Sings the Blues about Billie Holliday and Mahogany. The film comes from a period when Michael Jackson was very popular – before he made Thriller and other music videos. He is the scarecrow. Other famous African American actors appear: Lena Horne as Glinda the Good and Richard Pryor as The Wiz. The film was nominated for a number of Oscars including art set direction, cinematography, costume design and for Quincy Jones for adaptation of a musical score.
The film is long – and sometimes laboured - and will entertain those who enjoy Broadway musicals – and who have fond memories of The Wizard of Oz and are interested in seeing a variation on the theme.
1. The popularity of the Wizard of Oz story, books film versions? The popularity of the plot, a piece of Americana. the fable tones of the story?
2. Audience familiarity with the plot the characters? Expectations of each? The moralizing? Audience readiness for such an adaptation as this?
3. The origins of the film in the stage musical? Plot, songs, choreography? The adaptation to the cinema? Opening out of locations, choreography with special photography? Sets, the use of New York? Dialogue?
4. The lavish nature of the film and audience response to it? The technical aspects of the sets, choreography, decor and costumes?
5. The prologue and its realism? The song during the credits? New York City in the winter, the family, the party. the various guests and the socialising, Aunt Em, the Uncle? Everybody enjoying the visit the chatter, the dinner?
6. Dorothy within this context? Diana Ross and her age, presence? Twentyfour, nervous, self-conscious, awkward manner? Her hardness with the guests? Her place in the kitchen? Her love for Toto? The discussion with Aunt Em about her plans and her future, marriage, change of work, the need to move from young children to older children?
Her fear of facing challenges? Toto running away and her running after her?
7. The situation for the beginning of the fable? The snow tornado in the city and her being wrapped up in it? The importance of Glinda the Good having the tornado in her hand and controlling it? Glinda sending Dorothy on her journey? Her influence at the beginning, her helping the resolution at the end? The fact that she could have solved the questions at the beginning by making Dorothy realize her qualities in herself, but her telling her this in the song at the end? Glinda’s good influence, her appearance, her attendants, the young children? Why did she want Dorothy to go through the experience of Oz? Lena Horne and her presence and quality of singing as Glinda?
8. The introduction to Oz with its lavish decor, the visual impact? The use of New York and a blend of the fantasy and the real? The school and the graffiti coming to life, the crows, and the scarecrow, the roller coaster and the tin man, the public buildings with the lion in front, the yellow brick road, the use of the cabs, the final decor of Oz itself, the old broken down apartment of the Wiz? The importance of Evillone and her factory? The variety of acts, the costumes, the imaginative response?
9. The contribution of the songs? their melodies, lyrics, the choreography? Dorothy’s autobiographical songs, the songs revealing the scarecrow, tin man and lion? The theme of Base on Down? Songs of joy,. self-confidence? Humour? The holding up of the action for the singing? The contribution of the musical themes and score?
10. Audience identification with Dorothy? Diana Ross and her appearance and age, her simple dress, girlishness, growing to womanly confidence? Her singing. strength, tears? The importance of the magical shoes and their powers? Toto and his continued presence and her relying on him? Dorothy’s encounter with so many people, her encounter with herself, the challenge and the change? The feminine figures influencing her - the wicked witches, Glinda the Good? The masculine characters of her friends and the Wizard in his exalted state, in his reality? Her learning to integrate these aspects of her life, believing in herself? Toto and his timidity as a shadow image of Dorothy? How credible was her growth, integration of her character and readiness to face life?
11. The presentation of the scarecrow and his work, the human crows and their songs and dances? The character of the scarecrow, filled with stuffing but with quotations? The fact that he did decide so many things that had to be done and make plans?
12. The Tin Man and his situation in the amusement park? The humorous variation on the Tin Man? His song expressing himself, his being oiled and becoming human. his compassion and the fact that he had a heart? The bond between the Scarecrow and the Tin Man, the human values that they represented? Their hopes from the Wiz?
13. The discovery of the Lion? The humour of the Lion outside the public building. his breaking out of his statue and revealing his cowardly self after his brave song? What did the Lion represent? how did he reveal himself? The bond between the Scarecrow, Tin Man and Lion? His courage in all the dangerous situations they faced especially in the subway? Their friendship and love for Dorothy?
14. The adventures that they experienced on their way to Oz? 'Ease on Down the Road'? The fable nature of their adventures? Their joy in the search, their hopes? The sequences in New York - New York as Oz, the cabs? yet the ugliness through which they pass, for example the garbage, the ruins? The importance of the subway crisis? Their respect for the Wiz and being overcome by him, their expressing their requests? The necessity of doing battle with Evillene?
15. Comment on the symbolism and the realism of the subway fears and torture? The subway itself, each of the characters menaced by a particularly destructive aspect? The later torture in the sweat shop? The necessity of endurance, courage, overcoming of fears?
16. The contrast with the humorous adventures - especially Dorothy and her initial arrival in Oz, the killing of the bad witch by accident, inheriting her shoes, the joy of the people sending her on her way, the graffiti coming alive? The repeat of this theme in the sweat shop and the ballet there, the liberation and the freedom and joy of the final song and ballet?
17. The humour of the discovery of the reality of the Wiz? His apartment, its drabness, seeing him without his masks? His explanation of himself? His political background, self-seeking? His need for some solution and gift? The solution for all of them - discovery of the truth inside themselves?
18. The timely arrival of Glinda - her song,, the self-belief and the meaning of the fable and the journey in her song?
19. Dorothy's final song, the images, her encouragement and each of them discovering the truth about themselves? The final message that the audience was left with? The characters able to return home and live true to themselves?
20. The appeal of fairy-tales, fables? The age-old wisdom contained in them, the symbols used that all could identify with? How satisfying a transition of The Wizard of Oz story to the contemporary urban setting from the early 20th century, from the country and the depression? The importance of the African American setting for the film - characters, social background, issues, styles?
