The Wiz (1978)

As a middle-class white guy from the suburbs, I doubt that I can fully appreciate this film. I am certainly not a part of the main audience the filmmakers had in mind when bringing The Wiz from Broadway to the big screen. But the beauty of film is that there is (usually) something in the story or craftsmanship that everyone can enjoy, no matter how targeted the film is.

School teacher Dorothy Gale (Diana Ross) lives with her aunt and uncle in a Harlem apartment. The shy young woman seems to have no interest in leaving the place where she grew up, a quality for which she is teased by her family at Thanksgiving. When her dog Toto runs away into a snowstorm, Dorothy follows but gets caught up and whisked away to the Kingdom of Oz. In this dystopian urban environment, Dorothy makes friends with a scarecrow, tin man, and a lion, while making an enemy with the dangerous Wicked Witch of the East. Her only hope to get back home is to follow the yellow brick road to the Emerald City and seek the aid of the powerful Wizard of Oz.

The Wiz certainly is not my cup of tea and does not transcend well into my demographic background. That being said, there are a few interesting things going on here. Some of the sets are fascinating. Some scenes are shot on location in places like parking garages but the constructed sets are the best to examine. In The Wiz, the Kingdom of Oz is a mix of urban decay and wasteland. I caught myself questioning whether Oz should be so full of the familiar for Dorothy, but so was the 1939 classic version- Oz was farm fields and wilderness. Creating the dilapidated sets must have been difficult but rewarding for everyone involved.

The problems I perceive with The Wiz deal with time and age. Diana Ross clearly looks older than the 24-year-old character she portrays (she was in her mid-thirties at the time). I understand that the film needed a big-name with musical ability to headline this film, but Ross only works with a grain of salt too large for me to swallow. The inclusion of other African-American icons is useful. Not only does it round out the cast with notable names and faces (Michael Jackson, Nipsey Russell, and Ted Ross), but it brings real talent to the film.

I was impressed with Michael Jackson’s performance. Many singers cannot act but it is clear that the man was born to be an entertainer. As the brain-seeking scarecrow, his character’s message is targeted directly at urban African-American youth. While “don’t listen to them- you can be smart” is a good message, it is not one that has aged well. At the time this film was made, it probably seemed uplifting and inspirational, especially coming from Diana Ross and Michael Jackson. This far removed from the civil rights era, however, the message comes across as hokey and lacking substance.

Despite a number of laudable elements, the film as a whole has not aged well. While I just defended the film’s use of the familiar with its urban decay, this setting has a very dated feel now. Maybe it still resonates for those who live in and around decaying cities, but the sets, while looking good, fail to transcend time for me. This, along with the costumes and musical style, prevent The Wiz from standing the test of time like the 1939 version of The Wizard of Oz has. It wasn’t a wasted opportunity when it came out but it almost feels like one 30 plus years after the fact.

RATING: 2.5 out of 5