First off I'd like to say that I haven't seen The Wizard of Oz in years, and watching it now I have a completely different view of it. This is not the nice little kid movie I remember at all. In fact the some parts in the movie seem to be more for an adult than for a kid at all. I always realized that Dorothy's dream had transported her to a new world, but never understood what that world meant to her. After watching it this time around I can see the bigger picture rather than a children's movie.
Since it was produced around the time of the Great Depression, I feel that the Emerald City was a sign of hope for America's cities in the future. I felt that the yellow brick road could have been symbolism of actual gold, which during this time could have been rather disheartening. On the other hand, it could have also shown that the road to success and bettering of the economy is a long one, but in the end (once you reach the Emerald city) it is all worth it. These two symbols both had to so with economic strain on America, but what we focused on in class was more of the social aspects of America during the time and what this movie meant for those people. First off, I did not remember the three friends Dorothy encounters as being so feminine. This, as said in class, does make it much less creepy for a young girl to be walking about with three older men. I'm very curious to read the book though. I'm wondering if the message that is sent so strongly to gay culture is rooted in the book at all. I thought the book was made to be more of a political standpoint rather than social. Another point that was brought up in class was that the movie ends by going back to black and white, Dorothy happy to be home, and all the same as it was when she left. This ending definitely shows no growth within Dorothy, but I'm left questioning that the movie meant for there to be no growth, since in reality how many people really do become enlightened by their dreams and change their life because of it? Since Oz was a real place in the book, I'm sure it ended much differently than the movie had, and there probably was some growth in Dorothy that we were not able to see in the film.
I found some very interesting points in the article that also touch upon our discussions in class. It said that many people are often troubled by the fact that Dorothy can go back to the same life she was trying to escape from, accepting the limitations put on her by her patronizing family and the place in which she lives. If Dorothy was so eager to leave that place, why was she so comfortable with going back and living in the same way she had been all along? One part that bothered me was, "her companions learned what they already have must and will suffice, Dorothy learns to embrace the comfortable enclosure of the picket fence." I feel that the "comfortable enclosure" is not one that is comfortable at all, rather is tightening its grip on Dorothy so she might not ever escape, so much so that she explains at the end that she never wishes to leave that place again. If Dorothy is an icon for the gay community, then why would she want to go back to the place that held restraints on her and didn't allow room for her to be herself? One thing I do agree with the article about is Dorothy's need for guidance. She is stuck within the internal adolescent conflict of wanting to gain independence, but still requires guidance from every adult figure she meets. This point makes me want to read the book too; since Dorothy is a child in the book I feel that she would not seek out independence, so what would be her internal conflict?
I have come to many realizations from watching this film and attempting to analyze certain aspects of it rather than idly sitting by as the images on the screen pass by and I am fascinated to read the book and learn even more, hopefully answering the questions I have posed.
I think your view on the movie was really interesting. Like you said, in class the core of our discussions focused on the social aspect of the movie, not the political undertones. But I totally agree with you - it would make so much sense for the Emerald City to symbolize hope and for the yellow brick road to represent the long road to success and rejuvenation. Really awesome connection there.
ReplyDeleteAlso, your questions concerning Dorothy posing as a role model for gay culture was spot-on. I was super confused about the ending as well. Obviously if a gay individual is patronized at home or at any place where homosexuality isn't widely accepted, they're going to want to leave that place and, I would imagine, not be likely to return. Just as you mentioned, the movie reverts back to black and white and nothing has changed. Are just supposed to accept that Dorothy's journey meant nothing? I don't imagine that a gay person finding themselves in a 100% supportive environment would desire to return to the place where they felt oppressed and unhappy. The parallel drawn there is really interesting, and I think you're right about having to read the book in order to get a different perspective on it, since Oz was indeed a real place.
Nice post!
ReplyDeleteI like that you comment on Dorothy's growth as a character, you're right, she doesn't seem to have very much of it throughout the film at all. I suppose if we ask the question who needed more growth, she might not be the first person to come to mind, (she is after all strong willed, determined, etc...) but still she is the central character and it might have been nice to see a little bit more from her.
We might look at the Emerald City as hope but in reality, Dorothy does nothing with it. She goes home and quickly falls into the same place she started in. Is that supposed to say something about the Emerald City, I don't think so, but maybe. I do like the idea of the city standing as a sign of hope outside the depression but I don't know how much I could really believe it all the way. Before Dorothy killed the witches, there was a lot of fear among the residents of Oz. Perhaps it is a separate coincidence but just noting that things that look perfect on the outside don't always turn out that way.
The movie ends happily, but if we think a little deeper about how Dorothy comes out at the end we do see that she really didn't gain much of anything. She received a temporary solution to an ongoing problem.
Sorry to be a downer in this comment. Just some things that stood out.
Good questions, and good discussion. And yes, it's definitely the movie and not the book that became a gay subculture thing--all the colors of Oz, the fabulousness of the ruby slippers, and all the greyness of Kansas. I think that's the point of the t shirt though, as one of your classmates suggested. Gay people imagine themselves (as Dorothy maybe) ditching Kansas for good, and staying in Oz where they really belong. The internal conflict for Dorothy isn't as pronounced in the book (though it's there, because Kansas kind of sucks there too), because Oz is a real place she can always return to, not a dream place where she's free to imagine everything her real life doesn't allow her to do and be. Make sense?
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