By Clare McKinley, Campus New Editor
A near perfect love letter to its source material, “Wicked” part one captures the magic of the stage production and adds to the viewer’s experience by going into more depth about the characters. Creating elaborate sets and visuals that immerse you fully into the story.
Released in theaters Nov. 22, “Wicked” tells the story of the witches of Oz before Dororthy dropped in. Based off of the 2003 musical written and composed by Winne Holzman and Steven Shwartz and the book written by Gregory Maguire, “Wicked” challenges the narrative of the Wizard of Oz and tells the story as though Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West were actually friends.
The newly— released movie covers only the first act of the musical and stays true to the plot and musical numbers in the original. The movie opens with the same dark and eerie tone that the musical has. Then it shifts as the camera flies over Oz and cuts into the bright and gleeful town of Munchkinland viewers will recognize from the Wizard of Oz.
The sets they created were bright, detailed and fully spectacular. The Broadway production of Wicked is one of the most popular megamusicals, and the movie did that nature justice.
During the opening number, Glinda joins the Munchkins as they are celebrating the death of the Wicked Witch, the direct result of a bucket of water thrown from a child. Glinda is about to leave in her bubble when a Munchkin asks if it is true that Glinda Upland (Ariana Grande) and the green witch, Elphaba Thropp (Cynthia Erivo) were indeed friends.
So it begins; the story flashes back in time to when Glinda and Elphaba were roommates at Shiz University. The movie takes viewers through their journey to becoming friends, meeting the Wizard and ultimately revealing how Elphaba became the Wicked Witch.
One of the ways in which the movie expands on the preexisting story in an effective way is by showing a glimpse of Elphaba’s life as a child, which the musical simply doesn’t have time to do. By delving into what makes Elphaba tick and what motivates her, viewers get to connect with the character and understand why her pivotal decision to defy gravity at the end of the film is so impactful.
Cythia Erivo portrays this beautifully through her facial expressions and exquisite vocals. From the riffs she added in “The Wizard and I” to her battle cry at the end of “Defying Gravity,” her performance was captivating from start to finish.
The other leading witch, Ariana Grande, had people doubting if she could sing “Popular” without adding “yuh” to the end of it. She put all those doubts to rest when she took down her ponytail and completely transformed Glinda. Her comedic timing was impeccable and the 16 extra bars she added to the end of “Popular” showcased her musical theater training to a T.
Controversy has arisen after many fans started singing during the movie.
` The original book, written in 1995, does not shy away from social and political commentary, and neither does the movie. The part about an old man with no real power tricking a bunch of people into thinking that he is wonderful still rings true today and was evident in the film. As the line in the movie goes, “the best way to bring people together is to give them a real good enemy.”
The movie stays true to themes present in the original source material. Overcoming discrimination while remaining true to oneself, fighting for the rights of marginalized communities, and the value of authentic friendships are all expressed through song and dance.
While, yes, there were certain lines or little details here and there from the musical that this reviewer wished they kept in, those little qualms do not take away from the fact that with this movie they created magic and told the story in a beautiful, authentic way that makes you crave more.
Part two, which will cover act two of the musical, isn’t expected to be released until late 2025. And thus begins the longest intermission of my life.