The Wiz musical has always been a staple in most Black households, and is definitely one to revisit. I remember as a child only seeing bits and pieces in between flipping the channels. If you were to only catch glimpses of the entire film, you’ll see everything from this dystopian city full of vibrant backdrops and unique but nostalgic characters, to heartwarming musical numbers. I’m thankful I did a rewatch this year, as now I can appreciate most of the artistic direction and powerful message of the film.
The 1978 version of The Wiz combines the classic story The Wonderful Wizard of Oz but this time set in Harlem, New York. The 24-year old elementary school teacher, Dorothy Gale is a soft-spoken woman who struggles with social interaction. Her family tries to nudge her to explore life “below 125th street” and not to be afraid to take risks. Then, as you may remember how the story goes, she gets caught in a snowstorm that transports her into the dimension of Oz–this time a world that resembles much of New York City.
One thing I’d like to highlight about this musical that makes it completely different from the 1939 version of film by the same name is that this has an all-star Black cast, including the iconic Diana Ross, Lena Horne, Nipsey Russell, Ted Ross, Richard Pryor, and Michael Jackson. It is full of Black singers, dancers, and actors all alike making this one of the most memorable musicals in our culture. I remember growing up watching the Turner Classic Movie channel with my father, and seldom did I see many musicals with Black people or without storylines and character types other than what fell into the enslaved, servant, or racist ‘entertainment’ archetype. The Wiz showcased an earlier time where Black artists were continuing the endless struggle to make ourselves seen, and create media that inspires and moves generations.
The Significance of Imagery
This film is truly a visual spectacle. Throughout its entirety, this gem relies heavily on vibrant hues to depict different moods – from the golds, reds, and greens in the stylish musical number “The Color Is” to reds, pinks, and oranges in the seductive Poppy Girls scene. And of course, the iconic yellow-bricked road leading down the Brooklyn Bridge. The use of imagery is metaphorical to the social and political climate that was taking place in New York City in the 70s. Black and Brown communities were hit hardest with financial insecurity and housing instability. The lack of support and resolve overall led to a rise in crime and thousands of people leaving the city over the years. In the film, we see the Scarecrow is made from mostly leftover garbage in a deserted neighborhood. Similarly, the Tin Man is curated from rusted scraps of metal from an abandoned amusement park. The film also often alludes to the exploitation of Black people for a corrupt entity, like towards the end where we see workers suffering in a mass assembly line to make goods for Evillene.
Some of the imagery that was fixed in my mind as a kid was the frightening, sometimes eerie feel of some scenes. The Cowardly Lion breaks out of one of the statues from the New York Public Library, but not before his eyeballs follow the group through the cemented stone. And of course the CREEPY scene of subway creatures coming to life at the partially empty Hoyt – Schermerhorn station. If you are a visual movie watcher, this is definitely a film that you’ll appreciate.
A Notable Score
Audience members will get a magical feeling from watching the cast’s performance of each musical number. The music differs from the original film of the same name in that it gives more of an upbeat score that pays homage to the music from 1970s. Funk, soul, R&B, and disco vibes all featured here. The songs are fabulously catchy, each with it’s own innovative take on the original story and its characters. Produced and composed by Quincy Jones, the soundtrack’s success actually surpassed that of the film itself. But regardless of box office sales, this musical is a theatrical essential. I have fond memories of hearing my father sing the “Ease on Down the Road” chorus – the song performed as the familiar four ease down the yellow brick road to the city.
Media Literacy of The Wiz
Like many of Black culture’s musicals and films in the past, we faced the egregious stereotypical roles, and themes that were rooted in colorism, fatphobia, transphobia, and classism. While some were not written by us, we still do associate ourselves with certain media as we are a minority in this industry. The Wiz does partake in some of these detrimental traits that are hard to neglect in our current year. One of the most noticeable offenses was that a light-skinned actress was cast as the Good Witch and given almost an angelic backdrop, contrasting to Evillene the Wicked Witch, who is fat, dark skinned, and wears obtrusive prosthetics on the nose and face area. There are several other atrocious depictions of dark skinned characters– in ways that resemble the Sambo archetype, along the theme of fatphobia, colorism, and even texturism (and of course the subject of Michael Jackson’s presence given the now public horror of his crimes).
Now while several members of our community would stress the context of the time that it was made, I still feel it’s vital to fully address it to avoid repeating the same harmful stereotypes in the art we create/consume today. It may seem tiresome and ineffective at times to criticize everything we consume, as it seems like a never-ending list of problematic themes we encounter, especially from the past. Regardless, I think this is why media literacy is so vital. We must break down what we absorb to expose our true perspectives on society and the world around us to avoid repeating the same generational mistakes- whether they be deemed unintentional or a product of their time. I actually went back and forth with myself trying to decide if I even would want to do a review of The Wiz, given its visible problematic contents. Although it is not my place to decide every piece of art people should and shouldn’t partake in, I do think raising awareness of these subjects should make us as consumers uncomfortable. As much as I truly enjoyed the Black joyous creativity of the film and it’s iconic representation, these things are not something I can gloss over. If you can enjoy a movie, song, book, etc. without questioning some of the obvious negative stereotypes especially of marginalized people, you might want to start asking yourself why.
The Wiz and its Impact
A blatant, dangerous common misconception in the film industry is that movies falling under the category of a “Black film” should be judged in a different, even disparaging manner. Despite the insane amount of senseless and lazily written films created by non-minorities who have the most authority in this industry, anything that is written by us, for us, and starring us is always subjected to scrutiny and standards that are not held for films created by non-minorities.
The Wiz arrived on the heels of the Blaxploitation era, and was given pretty awful reviews originally. The criticisms ranged from the judgement of the casting (some stating Diana Ross was too old at 33) and that the musical strayed way too much from the original make. Given the racist and exclusionary industry in both film and theatre, it is really not a surprise that what became a cult classic in many of our households was so widely ridiculed initially. I think many critics at that time, including audience members were disgusted at the mere thought that our community would remake something so widely known into our own beautiful, timeless creation.
But as it stands, the film opened the doors for so many Black casted musicals to showcase not only our boundless creativity and talent – but our preservation. Having this representation not only inspires generations of more Black artists in the theatre/film industry, but also the power that we can change the narrative that all of our media has to be about a struggle. The Wiz represents more than just a reimagined classic. It is proof we can use our artistic expression to tell our stories and perspectives and create something that is effortlessly heartwarming, fun, and visually stunning.