mise-en-scène in The Wizard of Oz

Below is the first film paper I’ve ever written, for Global Cinema I at Cornell University (Fall 2019).

There’s No Place Like… the Yellow Brick Road

The Wizard of Oz (Victor Fleming, 1939) has remained one of the most popular movies in American culture and one of my personal favorites. It is known as an American musical fantasy film that made use of many different cinematographic techniques including mise-en-scène, technicolor, fantasy storytelling, and musical score. mise-en-scène is parsed into different, dynamic elements setting into motion relationships that are “more akin to choreographies than to static framings” including props, setting, lighting, costume, make-up, hair styling, and figure behavior. (Davis et al., 236-239). Many of these elements were required to create the magic of the fantasy film, but four elements that especially stood out to me included setting, costumes, makeup, and props. The costumes and makeup of Dorothy Gale (Judy Garland), for example, and other cast members are so distinct and iconic that they are easily recognized and commonly worn as Halloween costumes to this day.

            In the storyline of The Wizard of Oz, a tornado rips through Kansas as Dorothy and her dog, Toto, seek shelter in Dorothy’s bedroom. A broken window hits Dorothy’s head unconscious, and she and Toto “fly” away in their house to the magical land of Oz. Upon their arrival in Munchkinland, they accidentally kill the Wicked Witch of the West’s (Margaret Hamilton) sister and befriend a good witch named Glinda. While wearing the dead witch’s ruby slippers, Dorothy follows the Yellow Brick Road with Toto toward the Emerald City to meet the Wizard who supposedly can send her back home. En route, she is joined by a Scarecrow (Ray Bolger) who wants a brain, a Tin Man (Jack Haley) who wants a heart, and a Cowardly Lion (Bert Lahr) who wants courage. The wizard asks them to bring the Wicked Witch’s broomstick in order to earn his help, but after they do so, it is revealed that the wizard had no real power. Dorothy realizes she had the power all along to return home by clicking her ruby slippers together and awakes to consciousness in her Kansas bedroom.

Two scenes in particular that are most intriguing to me include the scene where Dorothy lands in Munchkinland and the scene in which the “great wizard” grants his promises to the cast after they bring him the Wicked Witch’s broomstick. Both scenes are important to the entire film because one introduces the magical Land of Oz and serves as an exposition-- introducing the yellow brick road and the land’s extravagance, while the other scene is part of the storyline’s resolution--presenting some of the most memorable and satirical messages of the film as well. Thanks to the four elements of mise-en-scène mentioned earlier, both scenes work together as the Yellow Brick Road represents the cast’s journey to the discovery that they were always capable of achieving their wishes even without the wizard’s power--a power that never actually existed.

The Scene Where Dorothy Lands in Oz:

 In the scene where Dorothy Lands in Oz, technicolor becomes an important catalyst of mise-en-scène. Using technicolor technology, the makers of The Wizard of Oz decided that they were going to make their color “as colorful as possible” to create heightened and often surrealist effects with bold, expressionist splashes (Rushdie, The Wizard of Oz, pg 20-23). The first color shot, in which Dorothy walks away from the camera towards the front door of the house, is deliberately dull, but once the bedroom door opens, color floods the screen, adding to the dream-like environment and excitement at a time when color was relatively new in movies. In this scene, Technicolor works directly with mise-en-scène by amplifying the characteristics of setting, costume, and props. The Wicked Witch makes her first appearance in this scene with a face painted green, an iconic black costume, a pointed black hat, and a broomstick. Glinda, the good witch, also makes her first appearance with a large pink dress, crown, and wizard wand via a floating pink carriage made possible through special effects. Dark clothing colors and deliberately “ugly” makeup contribute to the evil characterization of the Wicked Witch. A lighter, more feminine costume and girly makeup make Glinda appear to be the friendlier of the two. Arguably, the two most important aspects of mise-en-scène in this scene are costume and setting. For example, aside from the opposite witch outfits, the ruby red slippers serve as both an important prop and costume in the film. Dorothy’s costume and hair contribute to her innocent naiveté by decorating her in a young, somewhat frilly outfit, amplifying her initial helplessness upon arrival. In contrast, the red slippers played a significant role in not only establishing Dorothy as the protagonist of the film but also symbolizing the determination, strength, and power she held all along. The yellow brick road literally and figuratively represents the long path taken by the main cast throughout the film. The munchkins and Glinda encourage Dorothy to “follow the yellow brick road” in order to achieve what she wants, which leads her on a journey that introduces both new friends and difficult situations. The yellow brick road can be compared to the journey of life, in which both friends and enemies are made, struggles and triumphs occur, and strengths and weaknesses are discovered about oneself. As one of the first Technicolor films, the audience was able to truly appreciate the impact of mise-en-scène in this scene, especially the character development and storyline contributions from the costumes, props, and setting.

The Scene Where The Wizard Delivers His Promise:

In the scene where Dorothy and her friends finally deliver the broomstick after following the yellow brick road, it is revealed to the Cowardly Lion, the Scarecrow, and the Tin Man that they each contained the qualities they wished for despite lacking the physical objects associated. The setting of this scene is much simpler than the rest of Oz as it is entirely green which is typically associated with renewal and ambition, reflective of the lofty goals of Dorothy and her friends. Props played an important role in delivering the theme that they already had the qualities they desired. This is also a comedic scene due to the satire associated with each gift.  For example, the wizard gave the Scarecrow a diploma rather than a brain, saying people who go to universities “think deep thoughts” — and with “no more brains” than the scarecrow, but that they are still people who get taken more seriously due to the diploma. The Wizard also gives a fake ticking heart to the Tin Man, stating that “a heart is not judged by how much you love, but by how much you are loved by others,” which is usually what society chooses not to believe. Each object physically represents what each character wanted, yet are not the exact items they sought. However, each character demonstrated their sought qualities throughout their journey, especially the Cowardly Lion who faced many fears en route to the wizard. This scene was comedic because it defied the expectations of the audience, who likely expected an actual heart, brain, and quality to be granted to each of the respective characters. Dorothy and her friends worked tirelessly to earn the wizard’s help, only to unexpectedly discover that he is an ordinary man from Kansas with a few miscellaneous items. The props resemble gag gifts that are usually given as a joke to people on special occasions with humorous meaning, further adding to the comedy of the scene.  Similar to Buster Keaton’s Sherlock Jr. (Peterson, 10-12), the comedy in this scene relies heavily on prop comedy and derives humor out of the contrast between the ‘real’ world and the fake world, which in this case is Dorothy’s dreamt land of Oz (Peterson, 10-12). However, unlike the silent film, the dialogue spoken in The Wizard of Oz is required as it amplifies the intentions behind each gift. The importance of the red slippers is also reiterated in this scene, as Glinda reveals that the shoes gave Dorothy the power to go back home all along. Once Dorothy clicks the heels together and states “there is no place like home,” she discovers this for herself.

Conclusion

Of the elements of mise-en-scène, The Wizard of Oz would not be as spectacular without the producer’s special attention to the intricate setting, fancy costumes, intentional makeup, and magical props. Dorothy is told to “follow the yellow brick road,” which seems to represent a journey of determination and personal growth.  The yellow brick road is the most important part of the land’s setting, as it is the only thing that leads the cast towards the accomplishment of their goals. Another famous line from the film is “there’s no place like home,” but I’d argue that there is actually no place like the yellow brick road. The yellow brick road represents the journey required to achieve something, and perhaps “home” represents one’s own mindset. For example, in the end, Glinda states that “[Dorothy] had to learn it for herself” and Dorothy realizes that if she “ever goes looking for [her] heart’s desire again, [she] won’t look any further than [her] own backyard.” Upon learning the power of the ruby slippers she had worn the entire journey, Dorothy gained the confidence to return to her literal home. However, she was capable the entire time, just as her peers did not need Oz’s proposed abilities representative objects to prove their abilities to think, love, and have courage.

Works Cited

“Color Wheel Pro - See Color Theory in Action.” Color Wheel Pro: Color Meaning,

http://www.color-wheel-pro.com/color-meaning.html#targetText=Red,rate, and raises

blood pressure.

Davis, Glyn, et al. “Interlude on Film Forum.” Film Studies: A Global Introduction, edited by

Lisa Patti, Routledge, 2015, pp. 235–240.

Fleming, Victor, director. The Wizard of Oz. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1939.

Peterson, Jennifer. “Sherlock Jr. (1924)”. Fifty Key American Films, edited by John White and

Sabine Haenni, Routledge, 2009. pp. 9-14