4.5/5 ****
Jon M. Chu’s long-anticipated film “Wicked” finally hit theaters last November and was met with universal praise. The film adapts the first act of the 2003 Broadway musical of the same name. Loosely based on the novel by Gregory Maguire, “Wicked” tells the story of Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) and Glinda (Ariana Grande), the two witches who would go on to become the Wicked Witch of the West and the Good Witch of the North in the 1939 film “The Wizard of Oz.” As a lover of both musicals and film, I went into this film rather nervous. I had always been skeptical of musical movie adaptations, finding that Hollywood tends to focus more on name than singing talent (e.g. Tom Hooper’s “Les Misérables” in 2012) and does not work with the difference between the two media (e.g. Joel Schumacher’s “The Phantom of the Opera” in 2004). “Wicked” thankfully does not fall into this trap.
As previously mentioned, I am generally skeptical about movie adaptations of musicals, which I will explain as concisely as possible. Growing up I have seen some (in my opinion) bad adaptations of amazing musicals. For “Les Mis,” many of the actors focused more on acting than singing, which sucked the power out of the songs. As for “Phantom of the Opera,” while most of the actors are fine at singing (except for Gerard Butler, who played the titular Phantom), the film itself tries to adapt the stage production one-for-one, not realizing that certain elements don’t adapt well to screen. In musicals, there is always the question of “why is everyone singing?” On stage, the sets give the audience a suspension of disbelief that makes it easier to accept all the singing and dancing. Film, on the other hand, is more grounded and reflective of the real world. It is harder to suspend that disbelief, meaning filmmakers need to work around that. Tim Burton’s 2007 adaptation of “Sweeney Todd” is a good example of a movie musical that works. The world, while still grounded, has fantastical and campy elements which makes all the singing feel more integrated and less jarring. The film also shortens or completely cuts out a few songs that would not have adapted well to film. All of this is to say that “Wicked” does everything perfectly. The main cast are, for the most part, extremely talented singers. The film also leans into the absurdity of Oz, which makes all the singing and dancing make sense.
I love how queer this story is. Not only does the world of Oz have an extremely interesting queer history, but there is also Elphaba and Glinda’s relationship. Throughout the story, there is an undertone that could be read as more than just friends. In the song “What is this Feeling,” where the two witches are expressing how much they dislike each other, the lyrics sound like the subversion of a love song. The first lines, “What is this feeling so sudden and new / I felt the moment I laid eyes on you,” sound like they would be sung between two love interests. The song could easily be seen as the two misinterpreting their feelings for one another, common in the queer experience. Ariana Grande said in an interview promoting the film that she believes that Glinda is “a little in the closet.” Now, some would argue that the character of Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey) puts a damper on this reading, considering that he is the main love interest of the story. I would argue the opposite. It is clear that Glinda is attracted to the idea of Fiyero rather than Fiyero himself (something that a lot of queer people experience). She starts off wanting what society has told her she wants; in this case, a handsome husband. The only character Glinda shows genuine love and care for is Elphaba. Elphaba’s attraction is more subtle, but it is very clear that she is in love with Glinda, from bringing her along to the Emerald City to trying to convince Glinda to run away with her. (Remember, this is still the first half of the story!) Also, Maguire confirmed that he purposely wrote sapphic undertones between the two witches in his novel.
The story of “Wicked” is extremely relevant today. The deeper story is about political corruption and the way those in power subtly and slowly strip minority groups of their rights until they lose their voices and no longer feel safe. In this case, the Animals of Oz literally lose the ability to speak after being systematically stripped of their rights. Elphaba, being naturally green-skinned, is familiar with being looked down upon and othered. She is the only human aware of and empathetic to the struggles of the Animals. She is horrified that certain Ozians are losing their voices and why it is happening. The story deals with these topics in a surprisingly nuanced and mature way. As a queer woman, this really resonated with me when looking at today’s political climate. This film, similar to Maguire’s 1995 novel, is a call to action: to not be asleep to the oppression of others, and to do something before minority groups lose their voices through the hatred and fearmongering of the elite; to say “no” when those in power try to bring people together by creating enemies out of the most vulnerable.
Overall, “Wicked” is an incredible film. It is impossible for me to talk about all that I loved about it in this review in depth. It is one of the best musical adaptations, and I truly believe that every part of it should be studied to understand how to make this type of film work. I cannot wait for part two to come out this November.