The highly anticipated movie rendition of the musical “Wicked” was released Nov. 22, revealing astounding musical production, emotionally captivating vocals and an engaging, fantastical setting.
Having not been previously exposed to the original musical, we had a fresh lens coming into the movie, which had surprising plot twists and character arcs. The storyline follows two students at Shiz University as they work through the ups and downs of their friendship. It is essentially the origin story of the Wicked Witch of the West and the Good Witch in “The Wizard of Oz.” The film wonderfully balanced its magical and lighthearted musical numbers and comedic elements with its serious plot events and meaningful storyline, making for an entertaining film that exceeded our expectations. It was made to be easy to follow even if the audience has no knowledge regarding anything “Wicked” or “Oz” related.
We were extremely impressed with the two leads, Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, who played Elphaba and Galinda, respectively. Erivo did a wonderful job depicting Elphaba’s hidden desire to fit in under her dismissive facade, and encapsulated the struggles of being the “odd one out” as a student with dreams to go far. Grande proved she can be known by more than just her pop music by demonstrating her range of musical talent as she sang Galinda’s opera-style solos. This was also somewhat a return to her youth as an actress and theatre enthusiast, which sparked her career in the arts. These singers had such raw emotion in their voices that carried through the screen and led to a highly emotional reaction of the audience. Songs such as “No One Mourns the Wicked” and “Defying Gravity” were performed with excellence and brought us both to tears.
The settings had many different sounds including music and dance, however what truly brought the audience into the musical was the extraneous noise such as windows shutting, feet tapping on the ground and other small details that made it feel like a stage and not just a recorded track. A lot of visuals in the colors, choreography and camera angles enhanced this feature as well. The cinematography was super engaging, especially in the opening scene where it followed the flying monkeys over a rainbow — a foreshadowing of Dorothy’s journey. We also experienced this movie in 3D, which truly brought the scenes to life and made us feel like we were in Oz ourselves.
The set design and overall production was extremely determined to go above and beyond. Taking advantage of “Wicked” being a movie rather than performed live on stage, they were able to incorporate dynamic sets, backgrounds and scenes. Erivo actually performed her own stunts while singing her solo live, something that has not been executed before. A lot of training and behind-the-scenes execution went into the making of these challenging stunts come to life, a highlight being the extravagant flying scene during “Defying Gravity.” The costumes and makeup brought the fantastical element of Oz to the film, and although certain looks such as Grande’s makeup were not received positively by many viewers, we felt it enhanced her character’s whimsical and peculiar traits.
Through the story that “Wicked” tells of Elphaba and Galinda’s experiences at Shiz University, themes around friendship, faith and confidence are explored. Born with unusually green skin, Elphaba must discover her identity and gain confidence in her differences. The movie does a wonderful job of sending the message that what makes one different often becomes one’s strengths. “Wicked” teaches many different lessons throughout its three-hour showing, including the importance of standing up for what you believe. Galinda demonstrates this as she sacrifices her prized reputation for a friend, through her actions, being some of the most heartwarming scenes. Similarly, Elphaba goes against society’s passiveness to stand up for an injustice occurring throughout Oz, a dismantling of animals and humans coexisting in society. These themes are valuable to “Wicked’s” fable-like storytelling for children, but served as relevant lessons for adults as well. We think any age could enjoy this movie.
“I love the original musical,” Sofia Wood, a sophomore at MIHS, said. “I have seen it twice on Broadway and it’s so fun. I really liked how the movie adaptation elaborated on certain backstory elements that were only hinted at in the musical, like, for instance, Elphaba’s childhood and her relationship with her family being expanded on. Some of the more detailed parts of the movie made the story more interesting to me.”
Although neither of us have seen the original, Wood’s reaction to the movie in relation to the original was positive. The differences between the two seem to enhance the story rather than take away from it.
“Personally, I think people should see the original Broadway show before [the movie], just because it’s such a brilliant musical and it’s very fun to see live,” Wood said. “But I don’t think it’s necessary to see before viewing the new movie as the movie does a great job of covering everything and has all the great elements that the original musical has as well.”
Overall, we have no disagreement with the public’s feedback that this was a well-done, extraordinary adaptation of “Wicked.” Separating itself slightly from the original with more details and visual elements, the movie embraced its independence and creative differences while staying true to the Broadway show. The entertaining plot line, riveting acting and singing, strongly directed and visually stunning production aligned profoundly, leaving us with no hesitation to see the film again.
