Was the Wicked Witch of the West actually wicked? Or was it all the tricks of the Wizard of Oz? These are the questions that Wicked answers. It reveals the truth of what really happened that led up to Dorothy Gale killing the Witch of the West, and the effect it had on Oz after she returned to Kansas.
I already knew I was going to cry when I saw the trailer. By that point, I'd seen the original musical (a slime tutorial though) so I knew the story and the music. However, I never seemed to have pieced it together in my brain that a movie meant that I could see the detailed expressions of all of the characters. It also meant a bigger set, more intricate music and effects. It was a dream come true.
On stage, there are so many things happening at once, that it's hard to focus on the undertones of a facial expression, mannerisms, etc. especially when you're watching a pixelated video from 2007. With the movie, you could see the expressions in detail, meaning you could analyze every minute emotion that the face was conveying.
Let's start from the beginning of the movie.
No One Mourns the Wicked. The opening scene takes place after the entirety of the Wicked and Wizard of Oz storyline. After Dorothy melts The Wicked Witch of the West, Munchkinland celebrates her death with Glinda (Previously known as Galinda). However, Glinda doesn't want to celebrate. After all, The Wicked Witch of the West was her best friend who had given up her reputation to fix society. This is why you never actually see her sing the line "No one mourns the Wicked". Even though Glinda is the main part of the song/scene, she spends the whole song attempting to humanize the Wicked Witch. She sings with empathy about how her life couldn't have been easy as she was basically called a monster from the moment she was born. But, the munchkins wouldn't listen. They've been conditioned by fear and the Wizard of Oz to think Elphaba was wicked. The pain in Glinda's face as she mourns the death of her best friend and watches her citizens celebrate it and repeat that no one will mourn her death, while attempting to stay happy to be accepted was enough to get the tears flowing. It reinforces the idea that Glinda's ultimate fear in life is being alone. No matter how hard it is for her, she feels that she needs to be accepted.
However, the scene (much later in the movie) in Dancing Through Life when Galinda gifts the "ugly" hat to Elphaba highlights how controlled she is by her fear. Her millisecond expression of surprise and panic as her friends tell her how ugly the hat is, that soon changes to her usual happy expression as she gives into her friends opinions shows how much of a pushover she is. She pranks Elphaba and gives her the hat so that she would be laughed at, because her friends tell her too. To her, she would rather make fun of someone who's been ostracized their whole life than be doubted and shunned by her peers.
Later in the scene, Elphaba is ridiculed for proudly wearing the "ugly" witch hat that she was gifted. She is surrounded, alone, and isolated as her classmates laugh at her from a distance, as they are all still afraid of her. Without music, she begins to dance. Her face is numb with pain as she watches her peers and her sister laugh in second hand embarrassment. Her sharp movements showed her frustration and pain with the discrimination she faces. However, there is a sense of self-acceptance. She knows that she is different and powerful. While she is aware of how everyone sees her, she continues to dance, getting larger in her moves, symbolizing her embracing her individuality. The sharp, pain-filled movements mixed with the free-spirited flowy movements create a dance that symbolizes Elphaba as a whole. This is when Fiyero says that she doesn't care what anyone thinks. It's the moment that Galinda acknowledges her mistake. Her expression is filled with guilt as she essentially tells Fiyero that she knew Elphaba cares how people see her but she still chose to embarrass her anyways. Galinda soon joins Elphaba in her dance, letting go of her pride and reputation, mirroring her movements. The dance starts off awkward, as Galinda doesn't know how to let go of her filter when it comes to expressing herself, but she soon falls into a comfortable rhythm with Elphaba, and they are able to create a harmonious dance where they are in sync, matching each other's pace, and mirroring each other's movements. It showed the harmony of the two frenemies forming a deeper connection and starting new. Elphaba was able to accept herself for who she is, and Galinda was able to show genuine empathy for the first time. The silent dancing, Galinda wiping Elphaba's tears, the hug at the end. It just made me cry so much. In the silence, you could just feel the smoothie of guilt and isolation that was being melted and mended in that scene.
While the beginning portrays Galinda as a self-absorbed martyr, she is simply someone who is hyperaware of how others perceive her. She portrays herself as a martyr, putting herself in this terrible situation of being roommates with Elphaba to lift the burden off of her classmates' shoulders. She doesn't do it because she really feels that she is a hero. She does it because she knows she can exploit it. She becomes more popular by being a martyr. She creates an image that she is a girl reluctantly dealing with Elphaba, even though she truly does want to be friends with her. Popular shows how Galinda views society: you can move up the social hierarchy with charisma and good looks. As she says it, "It's not about aptitude, it's the way you're viewed". However, there's a hint of sadness to the song. If you think about it, even though Elphaba is "ugly" in the eyes of Oz, she becomes popular for her bravery, wits, and talents. Her aptitude. It defies Galinda's point. This is why she is so fascinated by her. For Galinda, Elphaba is what she's ever wanted to be. A talented, honest witch who can fight for what is right. For Elphaba, Galinda is what she's ever wanted to be. A pretty girl who was loved by all.
By the time Galinda (now Glinda) and Elphaba went to Emerald City, they were both able to get what they've both wanted. A good balance of both. Glinda has a friend that she doesn't have to pretend for, a wand to practice magic with, and freedom to be who she wants to be. Elphaba is popular, and she is cheered on by the people around her. Which means, it's all about to come crashing down.
Defying Gravity. Oh boy, I could not stop crying for this one. In this scene, it is revealed that the Wizard of Oz is nothing but a con man who is the one behind all of the disappearances and violence toward speaking animals. He was the problem and he was looking for a person to point an accusing finger at. It was the only reason why he had invited Elphaba to begin with. He and Madame Morrible tricked into thinking she would be working side by side with the Wizard, when in reality they were only looking for someone to pin the "enemy" label onto. This is when Elphaba decides to defy gravity. She decides that she will defy everything that has ever limited her, and she will do anything to fight for the justice of the speaking animals. After she finally got everything she's ever wanted — popularity, a promise from the wizard to change her green skin, and a best friend — she still decides to give it all up to serve the greater good. She reverts back to her old way of living life. Sacrificing herself to fight against injustice. Glinda is the same. She begs Elphaba to apologize to the Wizard and do as he says, proving how deeply rooted social acceptance is in her mind. Right after they became best friends, they reverted back to their old ways, showing that they could never work in tandem. Glinda decides not to get on the broom because she knows that she doesn't have the magic to become the powerful rebel witch duo they want to be. She's also too scared to fully give up her social status and popularity to become a wanted fugitive.
I've also seen some theories suggest that Glinda believes that she could help Elphaba from within the system by becoming the leader, and convincing Ozians that she is good, but even if that were true, I don't think it would've been the main reason why she didn't get on the broom.
Either way, the scene made me cry so much. They both accept their fates, knowing that they are too different to work in tandem, say their goodbyes and encourage each other to find happiness after they separate. Glinda was too scared to lose everything she knows and loves, and she knew that she didn't have the magic to influence people. Elphaba gave up and chose to prioritize injustice and protest over protecting her dream.
They had differing paths and they both knew. The reality that their fates were inevitable made me emotional. It made me rethink my own lives. We spend our whole lives chasing dreams, giving up some to conform to society, and we never stop to think deeply about them. By giving up a dream, we stay safe in society, but we also miss out on a lifetime of opportunities. If we go out and chase every dream like Elphaba, we could do more harm than good. We would have to give up community and love to pursue these dreams. But as the same time, if we give up every dream to be what's best for society, we never live a fulfilling life.
The movie made me think of the businessmen on trains. They always look so tired and miserable. Was there ever a time in their life that they wanted to be a pilot or a power ranger? Do they still dream of these things? Ever since I watched the movie, I found myself wondering if these businessmen ever look at themselves in the mirror after a long day at work and ask themselves, "What if this is it? What if this is exactly where I'm supposed to be?" The thought of it makes a shiver run down my back. I don't want to live a life condemned by fate, where every road leads to the same, miserable fate. I want to live a life that could be summarized by one song: For Good from Act II of Wicked. A song sung by Elphaba and Glinda, talking about their friendship and how they've influenced eachothers lives. I want to live a life like that. A life where the experiences I never had teach me some thing new, and the experiences that I say "fuck it, I'll try it" to, add good flavor in my life. A life where negative experiences feel worth it in the end. I want to learn to learn from all of the experiences of life, whether I experienced them or not.
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