The Wonderful Worlds of OZ

 I saw the new Oz movie a few weeks ago after anticipating for months. I knew they hadn't used much source material and that it was a "prequel" to the Wizard of Oz, so I didn't go into with thinking it would be like the books. (There are 15 to 18 Oz books by Frank Baum, depending if you count the ones that are not officially Oz books but about Oz characters.) I also understand film is a different media than books, and as such, sometime changes are necessary.


Nevertheless, I was disappointed. The acting was all fine, the scenery was ohmygod fabulous. But the story...I just didn't like it. The Oz books were never a romantic love story. And even with that, I might have been OK if the women in the film would have been strong; from the simpering China doll character to three, count 'em THREE witches fighting over the wizard who really wasn't a wizard?? These are WITCHES, after all, women who have power, vast holdings, and confidence. They wouldn't have fought over ANY man, let alone a humbug wizard. In my humble opinion.

FYI, if you want to see a movie that IS based on source material albeit mooshed up from several books, try the 1980's movie "Return to Oz."

So after the movie I was inspired to read all the Oz books which I purchased for one dollar on Kindle. I had read more than a few, but never the entire collection. The writing is old fashioned. They are sprinkled with unfortunate words of the time, especially concerning race. They also probably wouldn't meet today's youth appetite for realism and excitement.

Even so, Baum was remarkably ahead of his time. His women are strong and independent...Oz is ruled by Ozma, with Glenda the Good and Dorothy at her side. Baum also encourages people to be who they are, embodied in characters like the Shaggy Man who refuses to be Less Shaggy, and the Patchwork Girl who loves her multicolored deliciousness despite Ozian norms to the contrary. Baum gently teases people not to be intellectual snobs with his Woggle Bug, G.M.T.E. (Greatly Magnified and Thoroughly Educated), and the Sawhorse reminds readers that servitude, even if pleasant, is still servitude.

I am loving these books. If nothing else, the movie inspired me to read them all. Maybe the next Oz movie writers will do the same.