|
 |
“The Wizard of Oz”
Starring Judy Garland, Ray Bolger, Jack Haley, Burt Lahr, Frank Morgan, Billie Burke, Margaret Hamilton | Released 1939
“The Wizard of Oz (Three-Disc Collector's Edition)” DVD boxed set
DVD Released: 2005 |
Film review by Scott Mowry | May 2008
If ever there was a film in all of cinematic history that contains more thematic structures and multi-dimensional layers undulating within, you need look no further than "The Wizard of Oz."
Hailing from an era renowned as "the golden age of cinema," "The Wizard of Oz" has been lauded by critics as one of the all time classic films along with "The Maltese Falcon," "Gone With The Wind" and "Citizen Kane." Remarkably, all of these films were made during this same period from 1929-1941.
"The Wizard of Oz," has been a staple on American television for decades and I can remember watching it as far back as age six. To this day, the film resonates with both children and adults and never seems to grow old or stale, despite closing in on nearly 70 years of age.
There is no point on dwelling on the plot or the story line here, as I would reckon most Americans over the age of five have seen this film at least once in their lifetimes.
I am still amazed that I actually used to watch this movie on our family's black and white TV set in the ’60s. Because one of the primary charms of "The Wizard of Oz" was the choice by directors, Victor Fleming and King Vidor, to employ color to dramatize the fantasy world of the Land of Oz during the main character, Dorothy Gale's, "dream" state.
This marked one of the first forays into color cinema for a Hollywood production at the time, and that feat couldn't have been accomplished more spectacularly than in "The Wizard of Oz."
Simply as a piece of art, "The Wizard of Oz" is absolutely stunning. It has grandeur cinema and photography, sumptuous music and dance, brilliant casting and acting and a spellbinding story line that remains fresh and vibrant despite many viewing's.
I have probably watched "The Wizard of Oz" more than any other movie I have ever seen as a child and as an adult combined. Yet still, it has a sense of wonder and delight.
However, there are many that speculate that "The Wizard of Oz" is much more than a mere movie.
Based on the novel by L. Frank Baum from 1900 entitled, "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz," it has been labeled everything from a splendid children's fairy tale to a dark and twisted propaganda piece. It has even been mysteriously linked as the inspiration behind the classic Pink Floyd album, "Dark Side of the Moon."
What other film can you think of that can boast that kind of a legacy?!
It certainly appears to contain many diverging elements within it and depending on your outlook, it is open to your own interpretations. Granted it raises a great deal of intrigue around its blatant use of symbolism and mythology, the occult and wizardry, and magic and illumination.
However, I am going to focus on some of its more inspirational elements for now.
Taken from a positive perspective, there is a case to be made that "The Wizard of Oz" is very inspiring piece of work. My favorite scenes are the ones where a series of epiphanies unfolds for each of the four main characters; The Scarecrow played by Ray Bolger, The Tin Man played by Jack Haley, The Cowardly Lion played by Burt Lahr and, most especially Dorothy, played by Judy Garland. These epiphanies center around their perception of self and who and what they really are, at the very core of their inner beings.
Most notable is the scene where Dorothy realizes that all she has been looking for, can be found at home, or, one could say, within her. There is a sense that this realization is her "awakening" as she becomes conscious to the fact that everything she would ever need, or ever desire, can be found within.
Brilliant!
During this scene, The Scarecrow scolds Glinda, The Good Witch of the North, played by Billie Burke, for not informing Dorothy that she possessed this power all along and that she didn't need The Wizard, or anyone else, to return her back to her beloved Kansas.
Glinda laughs and says to The Scarecrow, "she wouldn't have believed me, she had to learn it for herself." And thus, "The Wizard of Oz" embodies the odyssey in the self-discovery of the tremendous power that lies within all of us, that we have mostly forgotten.
"If I ever go looking for my heart's desire again, I won't look any further than my own back yard," Dorothy says to further illustrate her awakened state of mind she has acquired through her adventures in the Land of Oz.
Then, in another inspiring sequence, the Good Witch leads Dorothy through a type of meditation, by having her repeat the words, "there's no place like home, there's no place like home," over and over again.
Ultimately, isn't that what we all truly long for? To go home. To return to our Divine source. Heaven, Nirvana, or wherever your perception of home may be for you. Inspiring stuff, I tell ya!
My other favorite scene is where The Wizard, played by Frank Morgan, is exposed and defrocked for what he truly is: nothing but an inept man who uses fear, magic and technology to enforce his power over the citizens of the mythical Land of Oz, and the four main characters who venture into his kingdom.
It is Dorothy's little dog, Toto, that uncovers The Wizard, cowardly concealing himself behind a bravado of fire and smoke and a booming voice.
This scene plays out like a perfect illustration of "the matrix" that surrounds our daily existence and that has shrouded us in an illusion of the truth in a false world of make believe. "Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain" are the immortal words uttered by The Wizard as he attempts to perpetuate his fraudulent power and deceit he has held over Dorothy and her friends throughout their ordeal.
But, as in all struggles of the soul, all of these experiences only make these four characters grow stronger in their own personal evolution. And each one, ultimately, finds their true place and their pure essence, so to speak.
Once again, inspiring and empowering for the viewer.
Perhaps you have watched "The Wizard of Oz" with only a passing fancy and may have dismissed it merely as a fantasy film for children. Perhaps you have not really pondered its multitude of deeper meanings and revelations.
Then you may want to consider taking another look at this movie. You might be surprised to discover what it has to reveal.
And you may actually be ...inspired!
[ top of page ]
Avatar | Zero Limits III - The Final Chapter | Zero Limits Seminar II – Live in Maui |
Subliminal Manifestations: Zero Limits |
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull | Peaceful Warrior |
The Day the Earth Stood Still | Jumper | The Matrix | Awakening Into Oneness |
You Can Heal Your Life | The Secret | V for Vendetta | Time Quest | DVD Store
Tools for Transformations
Ho'oponopono | The Oneness Blessing | EFT | Attracting Wealth |
Molding Clay: The Power of Focus | Enhanced Relationships | Matrix Energetics |
The Law of Attraction | Health and Wellness | Heroes of Enlightenment | 2012 |
The Pineal Gland | The Solfeggio Frequencies | The Love Intention |
Rating Human Consciousness | Extra-Terrestrial Disclosue David Wilcock |
José Argüelles | Edgar Cayce | Gregg Braden | David Hawkins Scale
|
