The Wiz (1978)
Director: Sidney Lumet
Starring: Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Nipsey Russell
Synopsis:
A schoolteacher unwilling to take chances with her life finds herself transported to a magical land and undergoa series of trials to find her way home.
Impressions:
My father brought up this film in the course of a conversation one day and at most I only had a vague awareness of it, but as I started digging into it, I knew I needed to check it out. A soul version of The Wizard of Oz told with Motown style is an interesting prospect. Diana Ross feels too old to be Dorothy, even with the character being aged up to 24, but being in a bit of a state of arrested development works into her character motivation and her being an adult plays into the sort of maternal role she adopts with her companions. Oz as a sort of fantastical counterpart to New York fits the reinterpretation of the story through the lens of contemporary urban black culture. Ted Ross as the Cowardly Lion and Mabel King as Evillene are the only members of the original Broadway run to appear in the film, and they're both quite good. Of course Diana Ross' vocal chops are more than up to the task as the lead and I like how her singing performance reflects her growing confidence over the course of the adventure. The songs are all rather catchy and leave a strong impression. The set pieces are also fairly memorable, even if it can feel like a bit of a fever dream at time, which you may feel enhances the experience. Costuming and special effects aren't amazing, but I don't imagine that's where most of the budget went. Still, they do what they need to do and honestly I think there's more charm to it this way than if the production values were overly slick. If you've only seen the '39 version, it goes without saying that this is a very different take on The Wizard of Oz that makes for a memorable experience well worth watching.
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