Jon M. Chu is now known for creating one of the best musicals in history, and that is quite a spectacle given the specifics of the description. In other words, this guy perfectly managed to cover a big eyes wonder, perform electric moves, and turn the magic bubble up into a synthesis of colors. That movie was called Step Up 3D and it came out in 2010. It is almost cringe to remember the year before when a few critics barely praised that dance-off sequel, for every new year only takes one step towards taking the magic forward, and Chus’s genius to build universes with a variety of emotions was the one to lead the way. These are also the strengths of Chu’s 2021 concern about In the Heights, which was a pandemic-stopped performance. It is there that the rough edges of musical realism mixed with the dreamlike quality gave an added poignancy to the salute of the immigrant community in Washington Heights.
Chu’s latter work, Wicked, is quite good as well but one wonders what happened to the all out attack level of his earlier work. It is a grandiose (some may say bloated) extravaganza that divides the record-breaking Broadway show into two parts with relevance to the film as it ends right when the play starts its single intermission. On the stage, Act Two is shorter in duration than One so it feels that apart from new characters and themes Wicked Part Two will add new figures which may even out the two segments. It would be an extreme accomplishment: This Wicked is enormous in every conceivable aspect. Probably, they like it as a part of the show, but the show, while entertaining, does not consistently maintain the frenetic speed which characterizes Chu’s finest work, or which gives the superb film musicals of today their recognizable sound.
Though it goes on for a lot longer, the movie sticks to the play rather unscrupulously. The first scene starts off with all of Oz celebrating the eradication of Elphaba who is the wicked witch of the West and will be voiced by Cynthia Erivo. This is pretty much where the original picture of Wizard of Oz unfinished, however, before long, Glinda the Good Well, Arian Grande presumably Elphaba’s greatest rival surface in a pink bubble to narrate how they used to know each other as school mates at Shiz University. At first, Glinda is hesitant to speak. The borders of the villages of Oz are decorated with anti-Witch banners. (“She is watching you.” says one poster with the sinister depiction of Elphaba.) While Glinda’s story is intended to address the question of ‘Why does wickedness happen?’, what it reconstructs is the idea of Elphaba as a wicked woman in reality, she was green-skinned, no one wanted her, and her vengeance against those in power was far too superior than anyone could comprehend.
These times I will focus on explaining what goes on through the mind of author Gregory Maguire and how he portrays the world in his books. His views on the world around him remain the same thanks to the way he created and designed the character of Elphaba in the 1995 novel “Wicked”’. The main reason Elphaba is known as the Wicked Witch of the West is a great example of how Maguire and his audience perceive the character. During the world views presented in the novel and the magic world of Oz, she constantly fought against oppression for her beliefs and fought against the corrupt. Similar parallels can be made with the author himself, as he went on to inspire several people, this would eventually lead him to be viewed regarding the subjective world views that the core character of his novel contains. The description and negative connotation that is lent to characters of villains in fictional works allow for a sense of normalcy when browsing through books as let’s face it each character there also includes a unique story.
L. Frank Baum’s original book and the Wizard of Oz 1939 film have received a lot of attention since their earlier existence. One of the theories reasonably puts forth that Baum was an advocate against the American policy on currency in the early 20th century, Yes, you heard me right, currency policy!
Clearly, both dark fantasy and some of Oz’s themes compliment each other. Based on the description, that’s easy to understand. This makes me want to insert straight out of a fantasy scene from a fairy tale Oz’s world. So, perhaps this is why Chu has deliberately tried to make his rendition of Oz as unrealistic as possible. Even his usage of different angles of the camera from moving shoots through rivers or so, all stays as an entertaining. The reason I believe this is because who does not want to imagine Oz through the lens of unrealism like Chu instead of Jackson did to Middle Earth in LOTR fantasies?
While Wicked has its grand vision, it’s trilogy of sequels is theatrical enough. Maybe this could be credited to the fact that the source text is already large. Most parts of the show are largely salutes, speeches, and large expositions… Gregory Maguire’s Oz, “creates and reinforces mass characters that enable and facilitate the thoughts of individuals, creating a singular fuzzy-headed herd of mutts,”. Putting such in style makes sense in theaters, but to film it is a real challenge. It’s hardly surprising that the Land of Oz is packed with people that tend to be morons and too gullible to change. They resound a rather monotonous character in the piece, entirely. What these people seem to miss out on is when the leading roles are to step into the frame, meaning the viewers and audience matters to these characters in a way, they’re not meant to be seen as blank icons or emblems.
When things do get a little less energetic it is the actors who manage to outshine everyone else. With those pagoda-roof eyelashes and quicksilver moving bodies, Grande makes the Glinda character’s comic popular-girl choices real. Then she ridicules her tremendous voice, adding a high note to a plain sentence: “I already have a private su-site.” In a way it could be said that Erivo’s task is a lot harder. Elphaba is the one who is metamorphosed from heartache and despair into confidence, and then wrath. This is not a performance that is particularly about nuances, but this was not a nuance-driven character either, for that matter; the chestnut throated Elphaba’s somber essence is Wicked’s phenomena in itself, just like the flying monkeys or the aerial spins of Emerald City. And one of the most significant parts of the film isn’t too embellished either. As she is soon to be unreceipted at an open school party for being with a blatant black hat Glinda, Elphaba invents her very own dance moves without music. This is a short piece on stage and flows quite smoothly as two protagonists pitch right next to each other.
This is the most emotional part of the movie where Chu and Erivo finish getting Elphaba’s glower from a point of giving up to a point of utmost defiance thus developing her eventual arc.
I accept that if I had liked the songs a bit more, I would have liked Wicked more than I did. But, barring a few instances, like listening to the ‘Defying Gravity’ which is an iconic anthem, I somewhat despise that tacky, overplayed Broadway-inspired pop music. Thankfully, the songs do not require my approval as they have survived long enough that the studio intends to hold screening parties where people will be able to sing along across the country near the end of December. And when Chu takes a stab at the songs, something really lovely can be formed. The number ‘What Is This Feeling?’ from the film where our two leads express their utter hatred for each other at the start, smoothly transitions from a petty argument between two people late at night to an epic interschool musical where everything hits to the beat; silverware clinking, fingers twiddling, feet stomping, chairs rolling, and tables screeching. It is quite apparent that this is the handiwork of the madman who was responsible for two step-up movies.
Grande and Erivo are awesome singers and they give it their all in the songs which were recorded live on set as it is reported. It’s quite impossible for them not to: there’s plenty more of Wicked here for there are several songs that were extended on their transition from stage to screen.
Even though the very fabric of film may be apparent, it’s still easy for the movie to be overextended. The enjoyment and satisfaction theater and film provide are two fundamentally different feelings because of the emphasis that the two mediums place on visual inputs. Standing shoulder to shoulder with smoke, pickers, and performers singing can be considered an experience akin to a sacred rite whereas sat on a couch while watching a movie constitutes an entirely different feeling. There is no argument that Wicked the movie has a few memorable images in it, but there are also a lot more that are rendered irrelevant, they do not take one outside of the image nor do they ignite any curiosity of any sort. So while the movie indeed was able to entertain the audience in terms of its scale, it has failed somewhere in depth. Elphaba addresses her anguish and the feeling of being undesirable through She unknowingly rushes through character development arcs but it is hard to blame her, I mean after the first glance it is apparent where everything is heading towards, where in her case, genuinely pushes the narrative forward or downward pun entirely intended. At least that is primarily the biggest complaint regarding wicked, everything always felt scripted, as though it was pre-written and it was played out by the actors for the audience’s amusement. In the entirety of the film not once does the continuous reinforcement of ideas get boring and tiresome. With all of its negative aspects, saying the movie is entertaining or enjoyable watch is an understatement.
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