Since spring break, I have been a ds106 failure. Busy is an understatement to describe my life since break. My first draft of my thesis is coming up on Tuesday–thankfully I’m on time, but I have to bust my butt until then. As a result, ds106 and this blog have taken a backseat. So these next few assignments are my way of consoling the relationship.

For the reading movies assignment, I chose to analyze The Wizard of Oz. It has always been one of my favorite films. I think this film was ahead of its time –manipulating gray scale film and color, costumes, visual effects, casting.  I did some short research on the movie. The creators decided to make Kansas gray to adapt it accurately from the book. The author repeatedly described the scenes of Kansas as “gray” or with an “air of grayness.” To remain true to the book, they chose to contrast the two locations. Who knew that in 1939 we could see a house falling from the sky? or a witch appearing from a bubble? It truly is magical. This film stretched the bounds of film-making for its time.  It never ceases to amaze me. The Wizard of Oz can be put in the fantasy genre. It has flying monkeys, talking scarecrows, castles, and witches — just to name a few of the fantastical elements of the film. The Wizard of Oz can also be considered a musical because of the noteworthy songs written and sung. This marvelous film transports the audience to a mystical land that appeals not only to kids but to adults alike. The applicable tropes include: the “otherworld” trope and within that the “Dreamland” trope. I think these are applicable because in this film the audience is transported from the gray scale Kansas to a magical land of Oz that ceases to exist in reality.  This “dreamland” of oz is a creation of Dorothy’s subconscious as we see through the use of dreaming.

To exemplify the revolutionary special effects of this film I am including the clip of the tornado and the house falling from the sky. Yes the special effects of this scene aren’t the best, but for the 1930s they are pretty awesome.

And to exemplify a fantastical element to support my genre choice, I’ve included the clip of the flying monkeys departing the wicked witch’s castle.

Watch and appreciate this marvelous film!