Cinemallennials: The Wizard of Oz (1939)
For those of you unfamiliar with cinemallennials, it’s a bi-weekly podcast where me and another Millennial watch a classic movie we’ve never seen before and discuss its importance and relevance in today’s world.
In this episode, I spoke to Lars Henriks, the German film director and presenter of Lars Henriks Podcast International, about one of the most popular films of all time. The Wizard of Oz (1939). While most Americans are introduced to the wonderful land of Oz very early in their film lives, this was not the case with Lars, who remembers his cinematic childhood through the lens mainly from Disney animated films and some traditional folk tales. Since Lars is a director who has a special affinity for the unique and the fantastic, I was curious to see how he would react to the typical American fantasy film.
From the first film that really made Technicolor a culturally resonant phenomenon to its technical achievements, no wonder The Wizard of Oz Considered one of the greatest films of all time and is the film that made future fantasy stories – often viewed as impossible to fit into the film, like Lord of the Rings – possible for future generations. Oh, and we mustn’t forget the unforgettable characters. Whether Dorothy, The Scarecrow, the Cowardly Lion, The Tin Man, or even The Wicked Witch of the West – all characters have their own charming personalities and rewarding story arcs. We see them fail and fail until they jump the hurdles that are constantly being presented to them on Yellow Brick Road.
The film is also famous for the countless development stories that have emerged over the last 82 years – its mistakes, its successes and of course the people behind the scenes who made film history. The Wizard of Oz The legacy is still widespread today as it is notable for not only its writing and directing, but also its cast, musical compositions, elaborate sets, and costume design. These elements have influenced the world of filmmaking since the film was released in 1939.
In this episode, Lars and I discuss topics such as the blissful yet often frightening unconditional acceptance of film as reality by a child, how certain children’s films can shape the youth of a region, and how sometimes in our day and age someone who seems powerful can just be someone being behind a curtain knocking levers and pushing buttons without knowing what it’s doing.
Through our trip to Oz and back, we as the younger generation can see the timeline of all of our favorite childhood films and become aware of how our cinematic experiences often shape our perception of reality – and how, by connecting to our childhood, we can create a kinder, more accepting world create, just like the land of Oz.
I hope you enjoy this episode of Cinemallennials, which you can find here on Apple Podcasts or on Spotify. Please contact me as I would like to hear your thoughts on this The Wizard of Oz, especially if it’s your first time too!
– Dave Lewis for Classic Movie Hub
You can read all of Dave’s CMH Cinemallennials articles here.
Dave Lewis is the producer, writer, and host of Cinemallennials, a podcast in which he and another Millennial watch a classic movie from the early 1900s to the late 1960s that they have never seen and its significance and relevance in our present day World discuss discuss. Prior to writing for Classic Movie Hub, Dave wrote about Irish and Irish-American history, the Gaelic Athletic Association in the United States, and Irish innovators for Irish America Magazine. You can find more episodes of cinemallennials, film reviews and historical analysis on Dave’s website dlewmoviereview.com or his YouTube channel.
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