The Wizard of Oz | Teen Ink

The Wizard of Oz

December 19, 2019
By Anonymous

 The Wizard of Oz proves to be a true classic that is riveting, enjoyable, and combines plenty of emotion and drama to create a surprisingly entertaining film. The movie revolves around Dorothy Gale and her dog, Toto, who are just simple farm folk living in the heart of rural Kansas. Dorothy soon has her entire life thrown upside down, and it all starts when a tornado hits her hometown. Thrown away from all that she has every known, Dorothy quickly finds herself in a new and exciting world in the magical land of Oz. While there, Dorothy begins to experience the journey of a lifetime. She suddenly and abruptly makes a lasting impression on the people of the land, but in the process, she makes a fierce enemy in a haunting witch. As Dorothy begins to follow the Yellow Brick Road and slowly make her ways towards the Emerald City, which is rumored to have the legendary Wizard, she meets plenty of colorful characters that she soon calls her friends. Hoping to reach the Wizard so that he can be able to send her back to Kansas, as well as Toto along with her, Dorothy discovers that she is going to need to capture the broom of the Wicked Witch of the West, the very same witch she has made an enemy in, to be able to request a wish from the wizard. As she attempts to accomplish such, Dorothy interacts with and first meets a Scarecrow, a Tin Man, and a Cowardly Lion. All of these friends have a severe flaw, with the Scarecrow wanting brain, the Tin Man wanting to finally be able to have a heart, and the Cowardly Lion feeling like he is in need of some courage. The unlikely group quickly finds similarities and comfort within one another, and they both manage to have the times of their lives as they learn all of the wonders of the land of Oz.

 The Wizard of Oz is a brilliant film in its entirety and is widely considered by many to be a hallmark of the cinematic industry. There's an effective story and plot at the heart of the film, and this allows the movie to create compelling and captivating characters that are packed to the brim with plenty of charisma and charm. The beginning of the movie does a fantastic job of jump-starting the entire adventure, and not only does it manage to first introduce the wondrous land of Oz, but it also includes a spectacular utilization of vibrant visuals. Transferring between classic black and white film to color, the movie is able to make the land of Oz that much more notable and magical. It's awesome to watch, has plenty of gorgeous cinematography, and also allows the movie to become so much more complex on all levels, especially through the symbolism that it uses through such techniques. This gives the movie a noteworthy style that shines throughout, and this creativity is made even more apparent throughout the rest of the film. The middle of the move marvelously progresses the plot along, and it provides plenty of new and challenging obstacles for all of the main characters, which allows the film to create a significant amount of character development that transcends how viewers think about the concepts on-screen. The excellent ending of the movie is enticing, and it manages to successfully conjure drama and intensity to create an emotional conclusion that manages to do a phenomenal job of tying up all loose knots in the classic tale. In fact, this conclusion is nothing short of genius, and for those who have not yet seen the film, there are definitely a few thrilling twists and turns that will shock audiences to their very core. Some of these surprises are a key reason why the movie is so good and why it has been able to age so effectively throughout time. 


 The Wizard of Oz is an earnestly classic film that deserves all of the praise it has received. While there's no doubting that the movie has certainly aged, the inspiration one can feel from the arrival into the land of Oz is just so astounding and largely goes unappreciated. The manner in which the creators are able to make Oz a place of real magic with the addition of color in film creates a fine balance between visuals and story that highlight the best of both worlds. Simultaneously transitioning between artwork and fairytale, the movie combines together expected motifs and symbols and executes them in such a well-composed manner that they still end up feeling triumphant. Capable of revolutionizing the entire film industry as a whole, the movie has created some of the most memorable moments in all of cinema, including some of the movie's most famous songs. The movie is certainly deserving of its impressive 98% from Rotten Tomatoes, and the film is truly nothing short of a great fit for a wide variety of audiences. This remains to this day a must-see, even for those that might not initially expect such. 


The author's comments:

"Oh, you're the best friends anybody ever had." - Dorothy Gale


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