It's no wonder I love "The Wizard of Oz" so much. It never fails to captivate me. More than 10 years after having first watched the movie, I am still finding new and delightful details. For example:
1. Whippersnapper. Dorothy and her posse go to see The Wizard and come first to his throne, all flames and green silk curtains ("Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain!"). Whenever The Wizard's booming voice responds to their timid questions, the fires go ablaze and the quartet cower back in fear. One such tirade puts the Cowardly Lion on his back, frightened and fainted. Dorothy snaps back at The Wizard, "Now look what you've done!" and the Wizard retaliates back, "QUIET, WHIPPERSNAPPER!" Dictionary.com says that "whippersnapper" means, "someone who is unimportant but cheeky and presumptuous." Brilliant! Man, how many times could I have used the word "whippersnapper" long ere this... and in this scene, it was used absolutely perfectly.
2. Oz = Ireland.Do you notice how Oz is pretty much just, well, Ireland? Aside from the name Emerald City harkening thoughts of the Emerald Isle, some of Oz's residents have a bit of brogue in their speech. Such as the coachman with the multi-colored horse that brings the gang first to the Wizard's palace. Then, you've got the fields and fields of marvelous green and blooming flowers. Plus, the Wizard's played by Frank Morgan. He's gotta be Irish.
3. A heart, a brain, the nerve -- or maybe just Maxim magazine? Dorothy's three best friends are all pretty effeminate. It was charming and comedic back then, and it's charming and comedic now. But I realize that a modern audience would think the three of them were gay, with the Scarecrow being the manliest of the lot. For a flimsy, spineless guy who can barely stand to be the macho-man of the group tells you just how much testosterone they collectively share. Even the Cowardly Lion calls himself, "just a dandy lion." And the Tin Man -- my fave -- cries at so many things. He's just so emotional. Today we call that gay, or at best, metrosexual. In 1939, we called that vaudevillian. Oh, why did times have to change?
4. Toto. Maybe the best dog ever. His little paw reaches out and shakes Dorothy's hand while she's singing about the lovely things just over the rainbow.
5. Dorothy's courage. We could all learn something from that. Her beautiful voice, too.
posted by Lucy Sloan @ 6:20 PM
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