‘Wicked’: A cinematic masterpiece- opinion piece
By Matthew Landsman
December 19, 2024
Courtesy of http://www.impawards.com/2024/wicked_ver3.html
After years of anticipation, “Wicked” finally hit theaters on Nov. 22. I had the pleasure of going to an early screening the night before its Friday release and had full-body chills the whole time. The movie starts with the Wicked Witch of the West being pronounced dead while singing “No One Mourns The Wicked.” Ariana Grande’s entrance as Galinda starts by popping the iconic pink bubble and showcases some of her best singing ever.
As a fan of Grande since the beginning of her career, she is truly at her peak vocally as her operatic tone sent shivers down my whole body. The fact that the cast chose to sing live on the set is next-level. Galinda then tells the backstory of Elphaba and of her growing up in the Land of Oz.
The musical renditions of the songs were perfect. It can be challenging to create a movie that keeps the audience engaged with a lot of singing. “Wicked” is a perfect example of how to adapt a Broadway show into a film. All of the cast knew how to keep the story going while being able to bust out in performance without any awkwardness or weird cuts. Going into the movie, I was scared it would be too long at two hours and 40 minutes but it didn’t feel long. John Chu, the director, made sure to hit the plot lines that are important in the first act of the play without dragging the story along.
Cynthia Erivo’s portrayal of Elphaba is life-changing and gives a deeper meaning to the Broadway adaptation. Her character is made fun of for having green skin and is treated differently from others. Erivo playing this character added a new depth of coming together in your own skin and letting yourself shine to the fullest. Since Erivo has an impressive career on broadway, it is no surprise her vocals were out of this world. She gave so much emotion in her scenes especially when Galinda takes her in as a friend at a party. The tears running down her face because she felt like an outsider her whole life and Galinda wiping them away was one of the best scenes in film history (in my opinion).
After a long night of dancing, we hear Grande’s rendition of “Popular.” This song and scene proved to the world that Grande is due for an Oscar nomination. The comedic timing of her actions while singing with a new found clearness in her words were perfect. She was hanging from the chandelier and running around paying a perfect homage to Kristen Chenoweth’s original adaptation.
The movie’s underlying message is that there is good and evil in everybody. Elphaba is wildly misunderstood and Galinda also is not always “good” either. When you see the movie, you have a completely different perspective.
The entire supporting cast of “Wicked” also played a big role in it’s success. Jonathan Bailey playing Fiyero, the charming man in Galinda and Elphaba’s lives was so entertaining. Comedian Bowen Yang as Pfanne, Galinda’s right hand man was incredible casting. Yang was hysterical throughout the whole movie alongside Grande. Actor Jeff Goldblum played the Wizard of Oz and totally crushed it.
Grande and Erivo's voices blended together seamlessly, matching each other's vocal tones impeccably. The budget for this movie is mind-boggling with little to no CGI besides the flying monkeys.
The original Dorothy, Judy Garland, has a daughter, Lorna Luft, who gave her stamp of approval for the movie. According to Variety, “This movie is astounding! It’s epic, brilliant, touching and honest,” Luft wrote on Instagram. “It is breathtaking to look at … the sets, costumes, makeup, performances, choreography, and the entire scope of the movie, is everything I wanted it to be. I told the genius director Jon M. Chu that he had picked up the torch, the broom, and the wand, and carried it forward; and thanked him, for adding to the family.” She also went on to praise Grande and Erivo, which is major.
My favorite scene had to be “Defying Gravity,” the final scene of the first “Wicked” movie. Erivo was perfect and sang like her whole life depended on it. She even did all of her own stunts for the movies and to be able to belt without being out of breath while doing loop-de-loops on a broomstick is crazy. The pressure was on for this movie and everyone brought it. Erivo and Grande sounded incredible together when they harmonized and truly brought one of the best movies in late years. They became the characters and did not disappoint.
As a fan of Grande since the beginning of her career, she is truly at her peak vocally as her operatic tone sent shivers down my whole body. The fact that the cast chose to sing live on the set is next-level. Galinda then tells the backstory of Elphaba and of her growing up in the Land of Oz.
The musical renditions of the songs were perfect. It can be challenging to create a movie that keeps the audience engaged with a lot of singing. “Wicked” is a perfect example of how to adapt a Broadway show into a film. All of the cast knew how to keep the story going while being able to bust out in performance without any awkwardness or weird cuts. Going into the movie, I was scared it would be too long at two hours and 40 minutes but it didn’t feel long. John Chu, the director, made sure to hit the plot lines that are important in the first act of the play without dragging the story along.
Cynthia Erivo’s portrayal of Elphaba is life-changing and gives a deeper meaning to the Broadway adaptation. Her character is made fun of for having green skin and is treated differently from others. Erivo playing this character added a new depth of coming together in your own skin and letting yourself shine to the fullest. Since Erivo has an impressive career on broadway, it is no surprise her vocals were out of this world. She gave so much emotion in her scenes especially when Galinda takes her in as a friend at a party. The tears running down her face because she felt like an outsider her whole life and Galinda wiping them away was one of the best scenes in film history (in my opinion).
After a long night of dancing, we hear Grande’s rendition of “Popular.” This song and scene proved to the world that Grande is due for an Oscar nomination. The comedic timing of her actions while singing with a new found clearness in her words were perfect. She was hanging from the chandelier and running around paying a perfect homage to Kristen Chenoweth’s original adaptation.
The movie’s underlying message is that there is good and evil in everybody. Elphaba is wildly misunderstood and Galinda also is not always “good” either. When you see the movie, you have a completely different perspective.
The entire supporting cast of “Wicked” also played a big role in it’s success. Jonathan Bailey playing Fiyero, the charming man in Galinda and Elphaba’s lives was so entertaining. Comedian Bowen Yang as Pfanne, Galinda’s right hand man was incredible casting. Yang was hysterical throughout the whole movie alongside Grande. Actor Jeff Goldblum played the Wizard of Oz and totally crushed it.
Grande and Erivo's voices blended together seamlessly, matching each other's vocal tones impeccably. The budget for this movie is mind-boggling with little to no CGI besides the flying monkeys.
The original Dorothy, Judy Garland, has a daughter, Lorna Luft, who gave her stamp of approval for the movie. According to Variety, “This movie is astounding! It’s epic, brilliant, touching and honest,” Luft wrote on Instagram. “It is breathtaking to look at … the sets, costumes, makeup, performances, choreography, and the entire scope of the movie, is everything I wanted it to be. I told the genius director Jon M. Chu that he had picked up the torch, the broom, and the wand, and carried it forward; and thanked him, for adding to the family.” She also went on to praise Grande and Erivo, which is major.
My favorite scene had to be “Defying Gravity,” the final scene of the first “Wicked” movie. Erivo was perfect and sang like her whole life depended on it. She even did all of her own stunts for the movies and to be able to belt without being out of breath while doing loop-de-loops on a broomstick is crazy. The pressure was on for this movie and everyone brought it. Erivo and Grande sounded incredible together when they harmonized and truly brought one of the best movies in late years. They became the characters and did not disappoint.