britton July 21st, 2010

Wow. This was great. I will be listening to this a couple more times.

I am always excited to find a new podcast from you two. Thanks for keepin' on.

*just making sure you know people are out here listening, learning, and enjoying.

Paul July 23rd, 2010

In the book the slippers are made of silver not ruby red. The movie producers changed this because of the advent of color. Because of this change the movie loses much of the points that the book was attempting to make. The book is about monetary policy inside the United States that is lost in the movie. It is not about the falsehood of religion or the promotion of magic. The yellow brick road is gold and the all powerful wizard is thus seen as the falsehood of the gold standard. The book promotes the silver standard. I wish I has more time but I would recommend a documentary called "The Secret of Oz."

Watching Theology July 23rd, 2010

Thanks all,

Paul, thanks for your notes. Part of the problem with looking at something like Oz is that it can be seen as two different texts. I mentioned that I hesitate to refer to the book; there were a number of changes between the book and the film. Our goal is to look at the film as its own text and Victor Fleming's movie is — like most film adaptations — divorced from the book's original vision and context. It creates its own ideas.
I do think that "The Wiz" keeps the silver slippers and may be closer to a statement on fiscal policies. Plus, it has Michael Jackson dancing.

Davey July 24th, 2010

I haven't gotten around to listening to this one, but I'm super excited. "The Wizard of Oz" is a movie I love dearly. I apparently watched it at least once a day, and usually more, for a year or more of my early life. I don't know why my parents put up with that, but apparently they did.

In the meantime, just want to give a shout-out to Walter Murch's "Return to Oz." That movie is seriously underrated. Pretty much a masterpiece, in my book.

West III July 26th, 2010

I'm reminded of the different impressions I had watching the movie as a child every year on TV in the 1960s compared to that of my mom who saw it in the theater in 1939 as an 8-year-old. The movie left little if any impression on her and she couldn't fathom why when I was 12-years-old I wanted to hurry home from grocery shopping to watch the annual showing of it. Aren't you too old to still be watching that movie? Afterall, you've seen it every year, my mother told me. I didn't think so, and she told me I was the only one that old who had seen it that many times who still wanted to watch it.

A few years later I was vindicated when she went to work in one of the graduate departments of a college. The students ranged in an average age of 23 to 26 and were predominantly male. All day long she heard of talk of parties centered around a movie to air that weekend and finally asked one of the students which one. He gave her a look of astonishment and said "Why, the Wizard of Oz, of course!"

She called me as soon as I got home from high school that day to say she owed me an apology!

But in fairness to my mom I've heard that the movie wasn't considered a success when it debuted and wonder what the overall mindset was like in the late 1930s compared to those of us who grew up seeing it on TV. I know it was during the Depression, but in her case she was largely unaffected. She was among the fortunate whose father had a good job.

Watching Theology July 26th, 2010

Hey "West III,"

I usually love short comments and, for the first time in my posting history, I'm wishing for a longer comment. It sounds like "Oz" has played an interesting role in your relationship with your mom. You probably have more to say about the film that Duke or I do — and it would probably be more insightful.

Mark Dickinson July 27th, 2010

Great Show! I've always thought that this film has a lot more to do with the world climate of 1939 than Baum's book. As America geared-up for what would be WWII (although subconsciously), films like this and "Casablanca" and "Gone with the Wind" all highlight the virtues and power of being American. Later, when families met the harsh realities of defeating 'evil empires', movies like these under-girded the American spirit of the 'greatest generation.'
Thanks for the conversation. I love talking about movies!

Raymond Woods July 27th, 2010

You're show is very depressing. I used to like to listen but now I read the description and am turned off. I'm all for intelligent discussion but it seems like you are going out of you're way to demonify and take every act of imagination on screen and bring it down to a cold academic level. You took the truman show and made it into a question of how television puts people in a cave and how sports are basically a fraud. Can't you ever review a movie that has a happy message behind it. Even when you don't a pleasant movie you go at it like its a fraud that has something to hide.

Raymond Woods July 27th, 2010

I meant even when you do a pleasant movie

Obed July 27th, 2010

Davey,

"Return to Oz" was definitely one of my favorites as a kid. There are some seriously strange and dark moments in that movie, though. I'm thinking I should rent it or NetFlix it some time just to get an adult perspective.

Davey July 28th, 2010

Yeah, "Return to Oz" is, in many regards, a family horror movie. It's very frightening and dark in places. Also beautiful and redemptive. And the visuals are extraordinary. An incredible work. I loved it as a child too. I recommend it to anyone (well, anyone who isn't too young or sensitive to be truly terrified by it).

I think what this piece misses is the fairy tale narrative that lends some sense of meaning to Dorothy's experiences in Oz. True, the tokens the Wizard bestows on the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion don't mean anything, but they are symbolic–it's through their journey, and particularly their rescue of Dorothy (which, notably, is a direct result of the additional quest the Wizard sends them on), that they each acquire their respective brain, heart, and courage; they find these things in themselves, because qualities like these can't be given as gifts, they must be discovered. The Wizard is still a sham, still a deceiver, but he's also an interesting God figure–a God who doesn't answer prayers with gifts or miracles, but with experiences that (intentionally or not) allow us to find the things we're looking for in ourselves. It's the classic philosophical dichotomy–is your identity a part of your "essence," or is it made up of your actions and choices? "The Wizard of Oz" seems to suggest the latter–we can find strength in ourselves, even in our subconscious (since it all takes place in a dream), we never knew existed. External circumstances haven't changed when Dorothy wakes up, but perhaps Dorothy has found a renewed ability to deal with the Real World, and discovered a necessary foundation in her Home.

I love that this podcast almost always makes me consider films in new ways. You guys are the best.

Davey July 28th, 2010

(Sorry for the long comment…)

Obed July 29th, 2010

Riffing off of what you said in the end there, Davey, as I reach into my childhood memories of TWOO, I think the time before the Wizard himself never seemed to be the climax of the movie. The journey to the Wizard and to the Witch's castle were always the more important parts. In fact, the Wizard's shenanigans always seemed to be anti-climatic to my little kid mind.

Forwarding Andrew October 8th, 2010

"Transported to a surreal landscape, a young girl kills the first woman she meets, then teams up with three complete strangers to do it again."
– Log Line for The Wizard of Oz, attributed to Richard Polito
Found at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Log_line