I can’t decide if this 107-year old silent version of The Wizard of Oz is genius or just really creepy. Obviously the special effects back in those days weren’t that great and the costumes left a lot to be desired but when you didn’t have a lot to go on as in what could be done and what to expect then it might have been something rather extraordinary. There are definitely some elements that changed throughout time and some that are just flat out strange to watch since the era was something far different than anything we know of now.
It has the classic characters obviously such as Dorothy, Toto, the Cowardly Lion, Tin Man, and Scarecrow, but the story is just different enough thanks to the lac of any really complicated special effects or makeup. Plus it’s all one stage with different settings, or so it looks like, since a sound stage back then was either unheard of or extremely expensive. The era was a lot different to be certain and the whole feel of the movie was something else entirely.
The idea of the film was still the same but near the end it looks like the scarecrow was made king, that part I don’t remember from the version I watched. There’s bound to be differences between different versions of a movie but sometimes it really seems like different directors from different times like to take whatever they feel is the traditional view and put it into their film. To be quite honest no way is wrong so long as you find a way to stay true to the story. I might just be another writer talking but seriously, if you stay true to the story then the little changes here and there shouldn’t matter.
The Wizard of Oz is one story that’s been done and redone so many times that you would think people might get tired of it. But still it’s considered to be one of the most enduring movies of all time no matter how it’s presented. The last version I remember watching was an animated movie called Legends of Oz, which took a very different route towards the Emerald City than I recall. Then there was Oz the Great and Powerful that showed how the magician first came to Oz and earned his title. That’s funny isn’t it? The title alludes to the wizard and yet a lot of people associate the film with the lead protagonist, Dorothy Gale.
It seems that no matter which version you look at she kind of takes the spotlight no matter what. Even in this 1910 version her story line tends to override just about everything else since she eventually becomes the savior of Oz when she vanquishes the evil witch. I kind of wonder why the film was named after the wizard when in future films he plays less than a prominent role, except for Oz the Great and Powerful. At least in the most recent animated film it becomes Legends of Oz, since the wizard is long gone.
No matter which version you watch however the film is one that is still a classic after so long.
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