Evolution
...none would argue that the content, style, and structure of genre films changes over time, but is this evidence of significant evolution, or merely variations on a theme? In examining three different movie musicals - The Wizard of Oz (1939), Jesus Christ Superstar (1973), and O Brother, Where Art Thou (2000) - I will attempt to determine the extent to which these variations constitute evolution of the genre.
The Wizard of Oz (dir. Victor Fleming) tells the simple story of Dorothy Gale, an young girl from Kansas transported to the magical land of Oz. Accompanied by three unlikely compatriots - a tin woodsman, a scarecrow, and a cowardly lion - as well as a loyal dog, Dorothy must make her way through the strange and enchanted kingdom of Oz to ask the Wizard to send her back to her beloved Auntie Em. A whimsical fable, the movie's escapist fantasy urged the downtrodden American audiences of the time to forget their troubles and find their heart's desires in their own backyards.
The Wizard of Oz contains many conventions commonly seen in musicals, most notably the use of artifice and spectacle. The entire kingdom of Oz, and especially Munchkinland, are lush with vibrant colours. The Munchkins themselves are sickeningly sweet, with their false voices and archetypal fashions. The Munchkins are caricatures, an exaggeration of Dorothy's wish to be appreciated. She is certainly appreciated in this new land, as the Munchkins throw a musical parade in her honour and declare her their national heroine. However, despite her newfound celebrity, Dorothy wants only to return home.
This film contains elements of the fantasy/quest movie, as Dorothy and her friends embark on a quest to find the Wizard and obtain their various goals. The elements of fantasy are many; Dorothy, as the central character, has been magically transported from the 'real' world of Kansas to...
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