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Wicked: Part One, A Cinematic Triumph

Writer's picture: Brooks LeebernBrooks Leebern

By: Brooks Leebern



Ever since its Broadway debut in 2003, Wicked has been a smash hit, becoming one of the longest running Broadway shows of all time. It holds a very special place in many people’s hearts, including my own. Around the age of eight or nine, my mom surprised me one day by giving me tickets to go see the touring production of Wicked at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia. I can remember being extremely excited, and I’m happy to say that the show didn’t disappoint! Ever since then, I have been a big Wicked fan, so when I heard that they were finally making a movie adaptation of my favorite musical, I was ecstatic. Wicked was my most anticipated film of the year, and I am thrilled to announce that, in my opinion, the movie was absolutely worth the hype!


Wicked takes place before the events of The Wizard of Oz, and centers around the relationship between Elphaba–who is later known as the Wicked Witch of the West–played by Cynthia Erivo, and Glinda, played by Ariana Grande. The story focuses on the two women’s friendship as they attend Shiz University, and reveals how Elphaba becomes known as the “Wicked Witch of the West”. The film also delves into the politics of Oz, revealing a darker, more sinister side to the land many have come to know and love. When I first heard that Ariana Grande had been casted as Glinda for the film, I must admit that I was a little nervous. After all, Grande is typically known for her pop songs and her roles in a few Nickelodeon television shows, so I wasn’t completely convinced that she had the acting or singing chops to pull off such an iconic character. Then, the first trailers for the film dropped, and I was blown away! Grande is unrecognizable in this role, and she absolutely does justice to the original Glinda. On the other hand, I wasn’t very concerned about Cynthia Erivo, since I knew she was a great singer and actress who had actually been on Broadway before; as expected, she was amazing as Elphaba, and her singing ability is unreal!


As for the land of Oz itself, it hasn’t been this well realized since the original 1939 film. Everything about the production of this movie was fantastic, and it was obvious that a lot of time, effort, and love was poured out by everyone on set. What’s more is the fact that, unlike most modern movies, the production team actually built nearly everything you see on screen. They built a real Emerald City, with shops that the actors could walk in, and they even remodeled a train to make it more Oz-like. That’s not all, however, because they also built Munchkinland and Shiz University, as well as a giant robotic head that is used by the Wizard in the film. The most impressive thing in my opinion, however, is that–according to director John M. Chu–they planted nine million tulips outside of Munchkinland; if you pay attention, you will notice that they are arranged in a variety of different colors, reminiscent of a rainbow, which serves as a nice homage to the original Wizard of Oz film. Speaking of homages to the original film, there are tons of awesome easter eggs to be on the lookout for, as well as some masterfully integrated foreshadowing as to what is to come, since the film only covers the first act of the musical.


If you haven’t already seen this movie, then let this blog be your sign to go see it; even if you are only slightly interested in seeing what all the hype is about, I would strongly urge you to go see it on the big screen, as it is truly something special. If I were to rate this move on a scale of one to ten (with one being horrible and ten being incredible), I would genuinely give it a ten out of ten. I honestly don’t think they could have made a better adaptation if they tried, and I cannot wait to see part two next November!

 

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