Starring: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Marissa Bode, Michelle Yeoh and Jeff Goldblum
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Runtime: 160 mins. Reviewed in Nov 2024
Reviewer: Peter W Sheehan
This fantasy musical tells the story of the relationship between The Wicked Witch of the West, and her unlikely friendship with her classmate in school, who becomes Glinda the Good.
The first of a two-part American epic musical film, Wicked: Part I was written by Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox. It is a film adaptation of the stage musical of the same name by Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman, which was loosely based on the 1995 novel by Gregory Maguire with characters drawn from L Frank Baum’s 1900 novel, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
Wicked became the fourth longest-running Broadway show. Part II will be released late in 2025.
The film was split into two to satisfy the demands of the story’s scope, and Part II will be reviewed when it is released. The two-part production also aims to allow the staging of scenes that are especially created for cinema viewing.
Set in the Land of Oz, the movie appeals to nostalgic memories of The Wizard of Oz. In the film, Erivo plays Elphaba, a woman who is born with green skin, and who becomes the Wicked Witch of the West. Misunderstood because of her appearance, Elphaba forms an unlikely friendship with Galinda Upland (Grande), a popular girl.
The Wicked Witch of the West has a paraplegic sister (Bode), who becomes The Wicked Witch of the East, and the sisters share similar struggles with each other. When The Wicked Witch of the West was born, she was spirited and good, but suffered prejudice for the way she looked. Her friendship with lonely Galinda helped her to stay focused, and through the friendship, Elphaba rediscovers goodness, and Galinda becomes ‘Glinda the Good’. Special effects in the film are amazing, and they are coherently integrated within the film’s fantasy plotline.
This is a film that targets teenage girls, and it explores friendship, security, and appearance which are major themes that often characterise teenage books and films. Weightier themes such as racism hide beneath the film’s fantasy surface, and the film features popular songs such as “Defying gravity” with eye-catching effect. Acting, musical interpretation, and singing in the film are solidly impressive. Part I features well known songs and a very talented acting cast, and its physical creation of fantasy sets is realistic.
Part I lays the groundwork for a darker Part II and themes such as social injustice, and racism await further development one year from now. It remains to be seen, whether Part II can match the power and rhythm of what Part I creates so effortlessly.
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