Magic of The Wizard of Oz Created Through Theatrical, Cinematic and Musical Effects

Rating: 10/10 (1 December 2007)

The Wizard of Oz, based on the children's book by Frank Baum, was released in 1939. The screen play was written by Noel Langley and the film was directed by Victor Flemming. Judy Garland stars as the main character Dorothy Gale. Billie Burke plays Glinda the Good Witch of the North, Ray Bolger the Scarecrow, Jack Haley the Tin Woodman, Bert Lahr the Cowardly Lion, Margaret Hamilton the Wicked Witch of the West, and Frank Morgan the Wizard of Oz.
The story begins when Dorothy's house gets swept up in a tornado in Kansas and then lands in the magical world of Oz. When she steps outside of her house after the storm, Dorothy finds that her house has landed on the Wicked Witch of the East, and she acquires the witch's ruby slippers after she encounters the munchkins, Glinda the Good Witch, and the Wicked Witch of the West. To find her way back home to Kansas, Dorothy must travel to the Emerald City to see the Wizard of Oz. Along her way down the yellow brick road, she meets three new friends: Scarecrow, Tin Woodman, and Cowardly Lion. Together, the group reaches the Wizard and, after killing the Wicked Witch of the West, the Wizard grants the Scarecrow a brain, the Tin Woodman a heart, the Cowardly Lion courage and Dorothy a ride home to Kansas in his hot air balloon. Unfortunately, the Wizard accidentally takes off before Dorothy can get on board. Then the Good Witch of the North enters and informs Dorothy she can go home by clicking the ruby slippers together and saying "there's no place like home." When Dorothy returns home, she realizes she was dreaming and many of the people from her life in Kansas were the characters she met in Oz.
I think because the story was first adapted to the stage as a musical, the directors of the film used a combination of theatrical and cinematic effects to create the movie. I think the combination of these effects helped create the child-like whimsy of the story.
Many theatrical effects can be seen throughout the movie. The characters' costumes and make up, especially that of the Munchkins, the Scarecrow, the Tin man, the Lion, the trees in the forest, the witches and the flying monkeys, would also be suitable for the stage. Much of the depth in the scenes and shots that take place in Oz, such as the field of flowers leading toward the Emerald City, is created by painted backdrops and panels similar to what you would see in on-stage productions. For many scenes, the camera was also positioned to give an audience member's point of view and much of the blocking is set up similar to an on-stage production. Many of the special effects are also theatrical in nature. The melting of the wicked witch was accomplished with dry ice and a hydraulic lift that lowered the actress into the set floor, much like a trap door on a stage. The Wizard's lair was accomplished with dry ice, lighting and fire. They also created the Wizard's hot air balloon with a painted backdrop and the basket was lifted with a pulley system to give the effect that he had taken off.
However, many effects in the movie could only be accomplished by using cinematic techniques. Special effects such as the horse of a different color, the wicked witch's crystal ball, the good witch's pink bubble, and certain scenes with the flying monkeys could only have been created in the cinema. The director used the camera in a variation of shot angles, durations, sizes and movements to emphasize different actions and ideas that could not be highlighted as well in a stage production. The directors also used the camera to add to the mise en scÃ¨ne of certain sequences such as the shots when Dorothy is clicking the ruby slippers together and saying, "there's no place like home." The shot is long in duration and is a close up on Dorothy. The lens slightly blurs the focus and then eventually overlays three images together: Dorothy's face, her ruby slippers, and a starburst-like pattern. This helps add to the idea that Dorothy is crossing back into the real world from the dream world. Another major effect that was only possible in film was the switch from sepia tone to color when Dorothy leaves Kansas and enters Oz and when she returns to Kansas from Oz. This effect helps creates a distinct separation between Dorothy's real world and fantasy world.
Another effect that added to the whimsy of the story was the audio. The movie combines diegetic sound and non-diegetic sound to help tell the story. Diegetic sound such as the singing of the actors, ambient sound such as farm animal noises, the wind from the tornado and the Wizard's voice, and the character's dialogue were sources of sound found on the screen. Non-diegetic sound such as the musical score and some sound effects was sound that came from an off screen source.
A combination of theatrical, cinematic and audio effects helped make The Wizard of Oz a movie masterpiece. The costumes, blocking, special effects, camera effects and sound all play important roles in tying the story together.