Film Critique
SummerLove McClish
ENG 225
Charlie Johnson
01/11/2014
The Wizard of Oz, released in 1939, written by Lyman Frank Baum, director Victor Fleming, producer Mervyn LeRoy. Top stars of the movie, Judy Garland as Dorothy, Frank Morgan as Professor Marvel (The Wizard of Oz, the gate keeper, the carriage driver, the guard), Roy Bolger as the Scarecrow, Bert Lahr as the Cowardly Lion, Jack Haley as the Tin Man. Dorothy lives on a farm in Kansas until a tornado picks up her, her dog, and her house and drops them in the land of Oz. Her goal is to find a way back home, she meets up with other travelers that tell her she must get to Emerald City and ask the Great Oz ...view middle of the document...
The type of acting in this film is stylized acting, which is used when the actors and directors want the audience to that the actors are indeed acting. This is because the Wizard of Oz is obviously a fiction film. The talking lion is one way we know that this is a fictional film. The Cowardly lion costume weighed 100 pounds and was made from real lion pelt, a wonderful costume but still a fictional character. Buddy Ebsen was the first choice for the Tin man but he had a horrible allergic reaction to the make up so Jack Haley stepped in, he got an eye infection from the aluminum paste but was able to continue, again a great costume a lot of time and effort put into it, but we all know there is no such thing as a tin man who needs a heart.
The cinematography for this film was amazing for its time, the director and producer wanted this film done right the first time so it was done in color it was not added in later. In 1939 making a movie with color was extremely expensive because they had to use 3 Strip Technicolor films, which is red, green and blue; all three films running through the camera at the same time. Some things were changed in the movie for example the ruby red slippers were silver in the book. The change was made so that people would notice the vibrant Technicolor of the movie. These slippers became a part of American history and there is a pair displayed in the Smithsonian Museum of American History. One more thing they did to make the audience focus on the vibrant colors of the costumes was dim the lights.
The editing style used in this film a lot is Kuleshov effect this editing style gets the audience to make a connection between two things without both items being in the same shot. In the film clip called “I am melting!” In this case the camera was going back and forth between the witch and Dorothy’s group. The shots used in this clip are long shots, close ups, and point of view. Long shots were used to show the audience how many creatures were working with the witch. Close ups were used to show how scared Dorothy and her group were. The point of niew shot was so the audience felt like they were in the film grabbing at someone. The Visual transitions used were direct cut and dissolve. Continuity editing is and varying shot lengths are used to make it exciting. This gets the audience on the edge of their seat in anticipation for what will happen next. All of these things helps build excitement and also helps the audience connect with the characters.
Sound and music is very important in a film, it sets the tone for each scene. A person’s voice, music or a sound effect can help the audience since something coming up in a film that could be exciting and makes them sit on the edge of their seat in anticipation. It helps keep the audience engaged and helps the audience understand the mood of the characters. The films music score is what plays in the background, in the case of this film the more serious the...
