Monday, September 7, 2009

Analysis of The Wizard of Oz, by Salman Rushdie

When I found out that we were going to view this movie in a film analysis class, I was somewhat surprised. I always thought that The Wizard of Oz, as a film, was simply a children’s film at best and offered nothing when it comes analysis. However, after reading Salman Rushdie’s take on the film, I was proven wrong. For example, Rushdie has the ability, within his book of course, to see what others may have missed or disregarded because of its simplicity. One specific point in his book is the discussion of the cyclone. While viewing the film, I thought of the cyclone as nothing more than a way to advance the plot; an instrument to set Dorothy off into her “dream” world. However, when Rushdie analyzes the cyclone within the film, he claims that it is symbolic of Dorothy’s character because she wishes to change her meager life, and this cyclone is a physical manifestation of all her feelings towards her current position. Rushdie also goes as far as to say that the cyclone is the combined feeling of quarreling amongst Miss Gulch and Dorothy. Rushdie, with his use thought provoking ideas and witty dialogue (specifically his ode to Who Framed Roger Rabbit when he talks about the story related to the munchkins) actually made this an enjoyable piece of critical analysis. To be honest, I thought it was just going to be a long and painful read about a movie that seems to lack depth, however, I was mistaken.

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