The Wizard of Oz

As much as I enjoy a good classic film from Hollywood's golden years, there are plenty of highly adored films from that era I have yet to see and, until just recently, one of them was The Wizard of Oz from 1939. This is one film I never had on video or DVD and so it passed me by but with the success of Wicked, I thought it was time to see what this was really all about and finally leave Kansas.

Set in rural Kansas, a young girl is whisked away in a tornado with her dog to a mysterious land filled with enchanting colours and characters. While all of this far removed from the dilapidated world she knew before, she is desperate to get home and sets her sights for the powerful wizard of Oz who might be able to grant her wish but is under the watchful eyes of the Wicked Witch of the West.

Directed by Victor Fleming, I watched the 4K restoration of The Wizard of Oz which looks marvellous today and has not lost any of its charm. The excellent sets, make-up and costume design all still shine just as they must have done on release when the majority of films were still in black and white. This was also released in the same year when Fleming directed the mammoth scaled Gone With The Wind but his direction showed no signs of weariness in what is a perfectly crafted adventure that can appeal to audiences of all ages. 

Much has already been said about The Wizard of Oz but I would like to give praise to the cast who are put through the ringer with singing, dancing and acting under a lot of make-up and costumes. Interviews in the subsequent years since its release saw the cast admit this was not fun at all to make but you wouldn't know watching this today. Judy Garland, Margaret Hamilton, Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr and Jack Haley all work wonderfully together to make this the classic it is today.

I wouldn't say you have to be a fan of musicals to enjoy this; I did wonder if its charm would be lost on me as I had not grown-up with this but thankfully that was not the case in the slightest. The Wizard of Oz is an excellent family-friendly adventure and there is not much more to say as it is so easy to recommend.