the childhood lessons make this a classic

Rating: Null/10 (14 May 2002)

The Wizard of Oz offers a variety of messages, both beneficial and detrimental. The film still captures the imagination after over fifty years because of its fantastic images, and dazzling Technicolor, but much of its worth lies within the actual story. The film begins in the bleak and dreary Kansas that is Dorothy's home. She wants to go over the rainbow, a dream world where she follows a bright sunshiny road, at the end of which all of her problems will be solved. She sings and makes friends, and it is so wonderful that she even walks on jewels. But in the end, no one can help her, as the Wizard of Oz is a fraud. Her dream is crushed and she has to say goodbye to friends. She returns to Kansas realizing there is no place better than home. The film presents a classic disappointment of childhood, realizing that dreams cannot compete with reality, and imparts a moral to appreciate what one has already. Literally, the grass is greener in Oz, but Dorothy has her family and friends and love at home, and that should be enough.
The film effectively discourages dreams and stifles creativity. After seeing all the horror and disappointment that Dorothy faces, children no longer want to travel down their own yellow brick road. Instead, the film encourages loyalty to home and family despite the neglect that Dorothy encounters. However, many children are told to stay out of the way and out of trouble, and the film teaches that no matter how busy one's parents are, they still love and care about their child. Perhaps this is why the Wizard of Oz has become a childhood classic. Children have fond memories of the film, especially if it is a family viewing experience. This persistent love is a reassuring message; the singing and dancing is not all that makes this a feel-good movie.
The lesson that the Wizard imparts to the road weary travelers is also twofold. When he gives the tin man his heart, he says that how much he loves is unimportant, but `how much he is loved by others' that matters. He repeats similar platitudes to the scarecrow and lion. Everything they lack is simply a matter of perception, and he emphasizes the opinion of others over their own. This detrimental lesson in self-doubt and the superficial nature of human merit can also be perceived quite differently. It is very reassuring to know that all four of the wanderers have within them all of the qualities they sought. Everyone feels that he lacks something on his way to self-actualization, and the film presents a highly individualistic message that anything one wants can be found within.
The Wizard of Oz is preoccupied with the transition between childhood and adulthood. Dorothy keeps forgetting that they are not in Kansas anymore. As she grows up, nothing is what she as she is accustomed to. She also takes responsibility for her actions, regretting she ran away and eager to return and care for her Auntie Em. During the passage, Dorothy has a negative realization that adults can't or don't need to make things right in the world. Aunt Em follows the law and lets Toto be taken, and the Wizard is a fraud. Dorothy can no longer rely on adults for help. She begins her journey in munchkin land, where she is physically and emotionally looked up to by the patrons for killing a wicked witch. She becomes a position of authority for each successive addition to her journey, helping the scarecrow stand, oiling the tin man, and soothing the lion's feelings. On the other hand, she makes true friends, assuring viewers that there are people one can rely on. They stand by Dorothy even when the witch threatens them, and risk themselves to help her. The message comes across most clearly when Dorothy defeats the witch in the battle between good and evil by simply being true to her friendship, trying to save the scarecrow from burning. In adulthood, she makes friends that are her equals, instead of looking up to a higher authority.
The Wizard of Oz lays out important lessons on the road to adulthood. It teaches children to live in reality instead of a fantasy dream world, and take responsibility for home and family and the issues that are right in one's backyard. There is an even balance between the importance of other people's opinions as and faith in oneself. Most importantly, Dorothy is taught to act like an adult. She relies on equals for help from the witch, and herself to return to Kansas. Perhaps this is because in the time it was made, the government could not help farmers out of their troubles. They needed to tend to their own yards and form cooperatives with their neighbors, not look to a higher authority. It is these timeless lessons that make the Wizard of Oz a classic film.