For newcomers (like myself), the revision that writer Gregory Maguire made at the time of the Oz myth (later turned into a musical) fits perfectly into the famous poem or lullaby by José Agustín Goytisolo El Lobito bueno. Not necessarily were the ones who told us they were good truly good. And no, by pure common sense, the ones sold to us as evil were the real culprits of our misfortunes. And so, and not necessarily in a world upside down, the prince could be bad, as well as very sexist; the witch, beautiful, as well as tender and very clever; the wolf, an excellent person and a friend to his friends, and the pirate... well, that one, no matter what the poem says, ended up becoming a vulture fund manager. The virtue of the saga Wicked, therefore, is to go against the grain and the film signed by Jon M. Chu takes charge of it with a fluency, energy, and good taste that, if left unchecked, is destined to be the perfect contender against 'Gladiator 2' in the end-of-year releases arena. Furthermore, if we consider Ridley Scott's sequel for what it is, an infection, it could be said that the box office has found the vaccine.
Wicked, to set the stage, travels to a very distant past. That is to say, it drops by the Land of Oz before Dorothy arrived from Kansas due to the most surreal sepia-colored tornado in cinema history. What follows is simply the first act of the musical signed by Stephen Schwartz where we will discover how the Wicked Witch of the West and her flying monkeys became who they are, which (and here comes the poem) may not necessarily align with what it seems to be. And so, the good fairy may be a witch and the witch, if necessary, besides being green, is, as Goytisolo said, beautiful, scandalously beautiful.
The director's strategy is to take on the myth, but without overwhelming. Very aware that the fascinating and very disruptive film that we all remember actually scared us a lot and —this is its charm— does not meet today's minimum standards not only of political correctness but of the most basic taste. Let's say that Chu's intention is precisely the opposite of Sam Raimi's, dedicated to replicating a feeling that is simply irreproducible, in Oz the Great and Powerful (2013). Now, the reading is both ironic and respectful; mischievous, but very consciously cheesy; dazzling and flashy while being harmoniously balanced.
Let's not forget that, if we abstract from the vast mythology surrounding Victor Fleming's production filmed in a garish Technicolor in 1939 and look at it with the same eyes with which we now contemplate any children's movie, everything is strange. The film disturbs more than it excites. The city of Munchkinland seen up close is a bizarre approach to horror worthy of being featured in Freaks; the witches, including the kind Good Witch of the North, are terrifying, and there is no child who does not get scared just by the presence of the flying monkeys. Everything that sets The Wizard of Oz apart from what we now understand as children's cinema brings it closer to its status as a popular myth, a masterpiece. But, let's admit it, there is no child who does not spend a couple of sleepless nights after a proud display of militant cinephilia. I have evidence.
Wicked takes on all of the above without giving up anything. And each of its characters is displayed in a kind of competition to see who can laugh at themselves better. Cynthia Erivo captivates in her constant state of anger with the same ease and grace with which Ariana Grande proves capable of dethroning last year's Margot Robbie in Barbie. And truly, if this Wicked resembles anyone, it is Greta Gerwig's film in manners, sophisms, and even proclamations. If Gladiator 2 is the film that the era of a triumphant Trump deserves in its lustful display of testosterone full of historical falsehoods, Wicked can and should pass as the perfect response. One of the characters says that the way to keep people united (read: deceive them) is by inventing an enemy to hate. And so, it takes no time to see reflected in the fate of the animals banished from the Oz of that time every single one of the immigrants, unaccompanied minors, squatters, or whatever they may be today. Indeed, all those portrayed as patriotic heroes could very well be very, very bad princes. But that's another story.
Director: Jon M. Chu. Cast: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey, Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum. Duration: 160 minutes. Nationality: United States.