FILM REVIEW – Wicked: Part 1

The Wickedly-Talented Musical Soars From Stage to Screen

Movie musicals have a tumultuous history. From the Classics (Singin’ In The Rain, Funny Girl, The Sound of Music) to the Wait, These Are Musicals? (the new Mean Girls, Dear Evan Hansen, Wonka – which I liked FYI). Where does Wicked stand? Instant Classic. It soars because it blends its understanding of the story, score, and audience into an almost-perfect concoction that everyone can repeatedly savor. It is not perfect, but no movie is. Why waste energy trying to nit-pick a film to death when what is being shown is this good?

As for the runtime/”should it be in two parts” question, may I offer a quote from a 2022 Variety interview with James Cameron: “‘I don’t want anybody whining about length when they sit and binge-watch [television] for eight hours,’ Cameron told the magazine. ‘I can almost write this part of the review. ‘The agonizingly long three-hour movie…’ It’s like, give me a f***ing break. I’ve watched my kids sit and do five one-hour episodes in a row.’”

For those unfamiliar with the story, we begin at the end of The Wizard of Oz. The Wicked Witch of the West is killed by that Girl From Kansas and the Munchkins are cheering her death (“No One Mourns The Wicked”)! In comes Glinda the Good (Ariana Grande, exceptional and funny) with her bubble, ready to officially proclaim the news. When one of the Munchkins inquires about her past relationship with the Wicked Witch, the title cards start rolling and we are sent back to Shiz University.

We are then introduced to Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba Thropp. I could send you 4 videos that showcase the amount of talent Erivo has (here, here, here, and here). I was still surprised with what she brought to the table. I found her Elphaba to be motivated by kindness. Not passive kindness that others equate with weakness. Kindness as an act of defiance against bullying and tyranny. Kindness that she does not even know how to harness yet but just knows it is there. She knows the world is cruel, but if only she can reach the right person (Jeff Goldblum’s Wizard of Oz), then she can show everyone how to be better by accepting others’ differences. This is especially highlighted in the “Dancing Through Life” sequence at the Oz Dust Ballroom. In the stage production, it is a cute moment when Elphaba and Galinda start dancing with each other. In this film, though, the moment is fleshed out and we even see a shot of Elphaba with a tear coming down her face as Galinda accepts her in that moment. It really, really works.

As politics in Oz takes a more intense turn, Elphaba is invited to the Emerald City to meet the Wizard. Galinda changes her name to Glinda and rides along with Elphaba. We remain in the Emerald City until Elphaba’s iconic battle cry in “Defying Gravity”. Keeping this part succinct because, well, not spoiling fun moments is a good thing.

What I will discuss, though, is “Defying Gravity”. The iconic moment on stage is one that must be seen. A perfect Broadway moment, if you will. They stretch it out here in the film, and it works even when it feels like it does not. Trust me, I had a hard time not screaming “just SING THE SONG” when it kept getting interrupted with dialogue (which does happen in the show, but moreso here). After thinking about it and going over each beat in my head, it contextually works. She has to fall first, in order to get back up, in order to get the monkeys crashing against the guards, in order to fly away. It makes sense, even if it does not reach the orgasmic heights that the stage show does. Again, how could it?

Wicked: Part 2 is set to be released this time next year. The stage has been set, the lights are lit, the characters introduced effectively, and a strong first Part delivered. If the second part delivers, we are in For (a) Good (treat).