The Wizard of Oz, when analyzed, reveals itself as an exceptionally well thought out film. The fact that literature critics consider it a better version than the original text should help illustrate that point. The use of screen elements (color, light, sound, mise en scene, etc.) coincide with the various twists and turns of the plot as Dorothy moves from Kansas, to Oz, and back again.
When we are first introduced to Kansas, it appears entirely in black and white. From a modern perspective grown accustomed to seeing color on screen, this world seems "less real than that of the Technicolor Oz, however, at its time of production, color was still relatively new and uncommon in such a plot driven movie. Audiences expect the black and white, accepting it as the "more real of the two. This gives the colorful Land of Oz the appearance of a dream and grounds audiences in the world of Kansas. …show more content…
The entire movie is filmed in daylight, except for the short time when Dorothy and her entourage travel to the castle of the Wicked Witch of the West. There, all the filmed events occur at night, in darkness. It is obvious to the audience watching the movie that the mood has drastically changed. In fact, The Wizard of Oz's mise-en-scene corresponds with the different lighting.
While in the company of the Wicked Witch, Dorothy encounters a strong contrast between the costumes, props, and scenery. The characters surrounding her are clothed from head to toe in garb reminiscent of a now gone Soviet Army, moving about within a deliberately gothic castle. The architecture of such a place is clearly not American in style, with tall dark spires and long winding corridors. It is as foreign as it is menacing, while the rest of Oz is warm, bright, and inviting with an array of funny, happy, gaily dressed personas always willing to lend a hand in
When we are first introduced to Kansas, it appears entirely in black and white. From a modern perspective grown accustomed to seeing color on screen, this world seems "less real than that of the Technicolor Oz, however, at its time of production, color was still relatively new and uncommon in such a plot driven movie. Audiences expect the black and white, accepting it as the "more real of the two. This gives the colorful Land of Oz the appearance of a dream and grounds audiences in the world of Kansas. …show more content…
The entire movie is filmed in daylight, except for the short time when Dorothy and her entourage travel to the castle of the Wicked Witch of the West. There, all the filmed events occur at night, in darkness. It is obvious to the audience watching the movie that the mood has drastically changed. In fact, The Wizard of Oz's mise-en-scene corresponds with the different lighting.
While in the company of the Wicked Witch, Dorothy encounters a strong contrast between the costumes, props, and scenery. The characters surrounding her are clothed from head to toe in garb reminiscent of a now gone Soviet Army, moving about within a deliberately gothic castle. The architecture of such a place is clearly not American in style, with tall dark spires and long winding corridors. It is as foreign as it is menacing, while the rest of Oz is warm, bright, and inviting with an array of funny, happy, gaily dressed personas always willing to lend a hand in