As a part of our "Essays" section,
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Photo Courtesy of Universal Pictures
Over Thanksgiving weekend, Wicked took the world by storm, becoming the highest-grossing film based on a Broadway musical, pulling in $214.3M in only its second weekend in theaters. The film, directed by Jon M Chu, stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande and brings in talented actors like Jonathan Bailey and Jeff Goldblum, but that’s not the only reason for its success.
For anyone who is not familiar with the Broadway musical or Gregory Maguire’s novel that inspired it, Wicked provides a new perspective on characters like the Wicked Witch of the West from The Wizard of Oz. Part One of Wicked begins before the events of the original movie, while Part Two, similar to the musical, will follow Elphaba and Glinda through Dorothy’s time in Oz.
The movie takes a similar plot to the play, following Elphaba the Wicked Witch, played by Cynthia Erivo, and Glinda (or Galinda) the Good Witch, played by Ariana Grande, as they navigate their time at Shiz University. The two are frenemies who learn to settle their differences as roommates, and later enter a great deal of political drama in Oz.
Though it may seem unlikely coming from a movie musical set in a fantasy world, the story provides a great deal of political commentary that is extremely relevant in our modern political setting.
Wicked has sent many viewers out of the theater in tears, not only because of the heartwarming story of an unlikely friendship developing between the two leading women of the story, but also because the story highlights animal cruelty and sends strong feminist, anti-racist, and anti-fascist messages.
During the movie, we see Elphaba fight back in an attempt to protect a lion cub from authorities looking to harm it. This urge to stand up for animal rights follows Elphaba as she makes it her mission to protect the animals in Oz, highlighting the issue we see all too often today.
Wicked also highlights many of the struggles faced by people of color. The storyline places a great deal of emphasis on Elphaba’s green skin setting her apart from her peers and causing many to treat her poorly.
This is a clear nod to the racism that plagues society and it works to combat negative stereotypes by depicting Elphaba as an incredibly strong character who fights for fair treatment for herself and others.
The anti-fascist message presented in the movie also provides a great deal of political commentary about the current state of America, as the movie shows our main characters fighting back against oppression and advocating for the rights of so many communities that are often overlooked.
The United States is currently dealing with a great deal of oppression, from book bans to controversy over abortion bans, making the themes shown in Wicked that much more important and prevalent, and likely contributing to the film’s astounding success.
One of the strongest and most central themes in Wicked is that of female friendship and leadership, showing how two women come together to tackle oppression in their world.
The movie tackles many themes of femininity, showing how being a woman can mean that you have the space to be soft and emotional while still being able to stand strong and fight for what is right.
Being able to see Elphaba and Glinda put aside their differences and work towards creating a better world creates an incredibly uplifting message for women around the world. This movie serves to inspire so many with the themes it presents.
While Wicked may not be a movie you would expect to tackle so many difficult issues that we see in society, it is able to bring light to many topics that deserve to be highlighted in our media.
Wicked continues to achieve high levels of success because of its ability to combine comedy and uplifting messages with the scary and upsetting issues we deal with today, leaving audiences feeling inspired about the future and the ability to create change in our world.
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