I didn't care for it.
As with Frankenstein, the film is short less than 14 minutes, but a lot happens. We start with Dorothy in Kansas as she chases her horse into field with a cow and a scarecrow. The scarecrow comes to life, a cyclone blows in and off we go to Oz, where the wizard is under the control of an evil witch. Dorothy must defeat the witch, picking up a lion and a tin man along the way.
This movie was apparently influenced by a 1902 stage production and it shows. Unlike Frankenstein which felt like a movie, Oz feels like a camera pointed at a stage. There are also a lot of characters so the screen starts to feel very busy as the movie progresses. By the time we reach the end Dorothy's entourage includes Toto (turned into a human-sized dog by Glinda), the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, the Cowardly Lion, a mule and a cow.
There are some touches which seem to influence the version we all know so well. The introduction of the Tin Man reminded me of the introductory shot from the 1939 version. The Scarecrow moves much like we are used to seeing. A couple of the Oz sets are fun to look at (particularly the trees in the forest). Other than that, there's not much to recommend this one.
If you are a fan of Judy Garland's Dorothy, it may be an interesting diversion (and it's less than 14 minutes). For anyone else, stay away.
Available at YouTube
0 comments:
Post a Comment