Movie analysis paper on Wizard of Oz (1939)

Published under category: Essay Writing Tips | 2015-05-06 22:50:00 UTC

Context: Film analysis

The following is an international student custom writing analysis of the Wizard of Oz movie Analysis of the movie through the formalist procedure is a method through which a movie is analyzed. The procedure would involve an analysis of the characters in the movie and the effects that are related to the movie. It is interesting to note that the movie and its characters would tell all that there is to know about the movie. The paper looks to establish the actualization of the theory through an examination of the movie ‘The wizard of Oz’ (Christopher). The wizard of Oz is a movie of an American production. Director Victor Fleming has been acclaimed for the production of this movie. The one hundred and two minute movie has been classified to fall within the genre of adventure, family, and fantasy. It was released in the United States on twenty fifth of august 1939. The film features Judy Garland, who started as Dorothy Gale, the girl who was swooped into a magical land in a tornado. She starts off in a quest to see the wizard who allegedly can help her back to Kansas. Frank Morgan as a professor Marvel also referred to as a wizard, Ray Bolger as Hunk or the scarecrow, Bert Lahr as a cowardly lion, Billie Burke as Glinda the good witch of the north. Cinematography of the movie has been done by Harold Rosson. The story introduces the young orphaned teenager living with her auntie En and uncle Henryon in a small farm in Kansas in 1990s. Dorothy Gale is day dreaming about her going over the rainbow after Miss Gulch with her dog Toto with a rake making it bite her. Miss Gulch goes and gets a warrant to take Toto to the sheriff. Toto on the other hand escapes from the basket on her bicycle where she had placed it and runs back home. Out of fear that Miss Gulch might come back to take Toto again, Dorothy runs away from home. She meets a wandering fraud fortuneteller, The Wizard, who soon realizes that Dorothy is a run away. With the intent of reuniting her with her family, he pretends to tell her future. He tells her that her auntie has fallen ill from worrying over her and her safety after she ran away. Upon returning home, she finds that their home is faced with a tornado. She is unable to reach her family in the storm cellar, so she enters the house and she is hit by a loose window. She is knocked unconscious and apparently starts dreaming. She is swiped with her dog and her house from her sepia-toned world to the magical, beautiful, dangerous, and Technicolor Land of Oz. Her house is dropped directly on the Wicked Witch killing her on the spot. She used to rule the land of the Munchkins, and for sometimes the little people think that Dorothy is a witch. The wicked witch threatens her for killing her sister. She is, however, protected by Glinda who gives her the dead witches enchanted Ruby Slippers. She is advised to seek the help of the Wizard of Oz in Emerald City if she ever wants to get home. She takes the yellow brick road to get to the city but along the way she meets a talking scarecrow who wants to have a brain. With the hope that the wizard will help him he joins Dorothy on her quest for the wizard. They face Tin Woodman, who is rusty since he was caught on the rain. He wants to have a heart, so he decided to join the two on their quests too. The next to join this expedition is the coward lion who wants to have the courage. It is interesting to see the resemblance of the three workers who work for her aunt and uncle in Kansas. On the way, they are faced with so many challenges. The Wicked Witch of the West is out to seek vengeance of the death of her sister. She sets traps that at times prove very difficult for the group and at times even tries to break their will so as to make sure they don’t get to the wizard. However, they finally get to achieve their goal and meet their target. They all get what they came for. The scarecrow is given a diploma, a medal of bravery for the lion, the Tin man gets a testimonial heart-shaped watch and the most important was Dorothy’s gift. He reveals that he comes from Kansas and offers to take Dorothy on a hot air balloon as his means of his travel. The trio are appointed in charge in the absence of the wizard. A twist is again presented in the end is when the balloon is taking off Toto runs after a cat, Dorothy runs after, and she is left by the balloon. The good witch appears and explains that all along Dorothy has had the power to go home. Tapping her heels together, she repeats ‘there’s no place like home’ and the Rudy Slippers takes her and Toto back home. There are so many differences that are noticed in the film as compared to the plot of the same story. Many of the difficulties that were encountered by Dorothy in the novel are not touched on in the film. In the book Dorothy’s time there is real unlike the movie where it is presented as a fantasy, a dream. The characters are also given different feels. Dorothy comes out as a damsel in distress yet in the book she rescues her friends. In the film, it could be counted to a number of more than forty differences. However, a close relation would link the movie to the book unlike other versions that had earlier been produced. The movie employees so many different special effects. In the 1939, the use of color in shooting a film was something that was considered special. The movie employs the three-strip Technicolor. The employment of the opening and the closing credit and finally the Kansas sequences which were filmed in black and white and colored in a sepia tone process. These are clearly seen on the scene where Aunty En appears in the crystal ball. It is interesting to note that the production has chosen a set of color that is employed in the movie. The use of anesthetic black and white color is noticeable in the film. The wizard of Oz has always been a classic that is appreciated and cherished by so many people. It was first released in 1949 and then was released again in 1955 and for many seasons it regularly featured in so many networks TV. Throughout generations, the movie has been incorporated as part of the classical institution of annual showings. It got aired during Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter time. The generation of this time considered it as part of the rite of passage for everyone. For decades, it has been seen by so many people and is the most memorable childhood influence of so many people. Looking at the records of library of congress it has been ranked as one of the most watched film in history. The different parts and scenes have become part of the memories of so many people over the years and have been honored by so many books and publications, TV Shows, and even pop groups. It has influenced so many people’s childhoods and shaped their characters in so many ways. It is a classic that is appreciated by so many people both young and old. The analysis of the movie has always been eye opening in so many features that one tends to ignore. It would have been easy to forget and even assume an aspect in the movie but through the study one easy notices the different outstanding aspects of filming as a skill. It gives one the feel of a hand on experience of film making. It would give students a keen eye in analyzing different issues not only film related but a general feel of everything around them. Initially, movies were all about entertainment and one could not take the life lessons from the film making. It was all about the beautiful girls the cool guys and the stunts in the movie. However, with analytical skills the movies would be given more than the pictures on the screen. They have a feel of relating to society and the factors that people relate with. Movies have themes that are related to society issues. While using the formalist approach one would look at the structure and form of the film. That is to say that the review does not only look at the external data to examine the film but also considers the internal data. The approach analyzes how the plot presents the story material. It looks at the way in which the plot is presented and how different it would have been offered should there be another approach offered. To have the viewer get the meaning then the approach taken would examine the character, setting, repetition to get the meaning. An analysis of the films use of a particular type of technique in filming would also be a factor to consider. It is a way in which the film is analyzed to give meaning to the theme of the movie. As much as the movies are for entertaining, they touch on issues that would be considered of paramount importance to the society. The society is presented with issues that through art they are given a considerable amount of time to be managed, and the viewers are given a chance to examine and scrutinize the issue. Through such skills that would require skilled analytical eye on issues an individual develops an analytical skill in issues handling of critical matter would develop an individual to analyze all scenarios before a situation is handled and solved. ORDER PLAGIARISM FREE PAPER