In light of our upcoming presentation, I thought I’d post some of our analysis on the Wizard of Oz Munchkinland and twister sequence. Hope you all get something out of it like I did from completing such a close reading.
The journey to Oz and Munchkin Land sequence uses high key lighting which allows the bright and joyful scene to be devoid of dark shadows which could suggest dark undertones when there is none, and also softens the faces of the characters to make the scene less harsh and more ‘romantic’ in tone. It also incorporates slightly saturated simple colours (during the Oz scenes) and sepia tones (during the Kansas scenes) – which we will further analyse the meaning of later in this presentation. As a film with a hybridised genre comprising of musical, fantasy and childrens’ genre signifiers, codes and conventions. As a musical, much of the music is diegetic and there is very little non diegetic sound, which is reserved for the backing score that changes according to Dorothy’s mood throughout the journey. Much like other children’s films, the audience is aligned with the protagonist’s (Dorothy’s) point of view; both through being prompted to experience the same emotions through musical cues such as the score, editing and the mise en scene, and through the audience seeing things from Dorothy’s perspective visually. As she learns new things, so too does the audience. In reference to the fantasy genre, much of the mise en scene is very stylised and artificial looking, with bright colour schemes and fantastical settings and creatures. The concept of inanimate objects such as scarecrows, tin men and trees being sentient, and the use of the Munchkins to signify that Oz is a strange, different world to that of Kansas signifies to the audience that the land in which the majority of the film takes place is not realistic.
As Dorothy exits her house and enters Oz, the camera cranes around Munchkin Land, moving through the trees before craning upwards and around in a long take that serves as an establishing shot. Within this shot, the setting and nature is the focus; flowers, the lake, distant mountains and the trees dominate the frame with green and blue tones, and as the camera makes its return to Dorothy the audience is introduced to the town itself, in which the colour scheme comprises more of yellows and reds. The colours in this sequence are soft and more saturated despite their vibrancy, both due to the nature of Technicolour filming and to keep the scene from appearing harsh and overpowering. It creates a sense of wonder through the brightness while still appearing safe and almost childlike – the pastel recalls images of nurseries and children’s rooms, and consists mostly of simple, bright primary and secondary colours such as red, blue, yellow and green, rather than more complex colours such as purples, or dark tones such as jet black or night blue . Interestingly, Dorothy’s house remains in sepia tone, the blandness and derelict image of the home juxtaposed against the colourful, neat town. The town’s houses are semi-natural, much like the surroundings, with thatched roofs, and nests for the children.
As Glinda appears, there is ominous sounding music as the audience remain unsure of what is approaching, but as the bubble grows closer this is replaced with whimsical sounding music. It is one of the none diegetic sound effects that is used to herald the arrival of a specific character, and is repeated whenever Glinda appears in a scene, much like the flying monkeys or Wicked Witch of the West.
Glinda’s costume is used to signify a good deal about her character before the audience (and Dorothy) get to know her. Her costume is a feminine light pink, in contrast to the light blue dress Dorothy is wearing. It is similar in appearance to typical fairy or princess type outfits, complete with the wand and crown that audiences would immediately recognise and assign her the role of a fairy. This pink hue is repeated in some of the flowers and munchkin’s clothes, however not in any artificial structures.
Glinda is also much larger than Dorothy in stature and the size of her costume – due to the ruffles adding width – indicating some level of power not only over her but also the others. The pink is used to soften her character and establish her as non-threatening, and her high pitched voice also lends to this interpretation. As Glinda appears, there is a Mid Close Up of Dorothy looking down, indicating that she is confused and somewhat afraid. There is also a good deal of distance between the two, shown when they appear in the same shot, as Dorothy backs away with her hands placed outwards as if to protect her. This signifies to the audience that Dorothy is unsure of her character and feels defensive. As the audience grows to know Glinda however, the distance between the two becomes much smaller and they are almost touching, with Dorothy’s hands lowered to indicate a sense of security. The witch is also shown in Mid Close Ups, portraying her emotion and indicating a closeness that the audience too, should feel towards the woman.
