"The wicked witch, Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo), is entirely green, and has therefore been ostracised since childhood. Glinda (Ariana Grande), the good witch, is everybody's princess but, after a time, the two become best friends. I'll skirt over how the Tin Man, the Lion and the Scarecrow come about, suffice to say that, in the film at least, their backstories make perfect and resonant sense (except for the Lion, but never mind)."
"The first film left us at the point of discovery that Oz, far from being a magic paradise, was actually built on foundations of discrimination, oppression, enslavement and mendacity or, if you like things simple, fascism. The fact that the slave-caste is the animal kingdom rather than a human out-group doesn't make this opulent fantasia feel any less pointedly topical. Any timeless story feels timely, director Jon M Chu says, because it's about the human condition."
Wicked reimagines Oz from Elphaba's viewpoint, presenting Elphaba as entirely green and ostracised since childhood, and Glinda as the popular good witch who becomes her friend. The Tin Man, Lion and Scarecrow receive resonant backstories in the film, while the Wizard emerges as morally ambiguous. The first film reveals Oz as founded on discrimination, oppression, enslavement and mendacity—framing the society as fascistic in nature. The slave-caste is the animal kingdom, which intensifies the film's topical resonance. Director Jon M Chu frames the story as timeless because it examines concentrated power and its effects on the powerless. The first film is enchanting; the sequel, Wicked: For Good, is surprisingly moving, together running over five hours.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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