Watched on 4K UHD Blu-Ray

"Toto, I have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore."

Rank 4 on the list of best film quotes of the American Film Institute speaks for itself. In 1900, L. Frank Baum published a fairy tale in the USA, which soon became the most important children's book there and led to numerous sequels. In 1939, Hollywood became aware of the series and thus staged a film adaptation that was also to leave a lasting impression.

That the work is an adaptation of a children's book is evident in every shot of the film. The characters play down their roles in every scene in a very childlike and sometimes exaggerated way, which, however, exudes such charm that you rarely get to see in a film like this. The film quickly loses its seriousness, but without forgetting the story, which still has something to say. Interestingly, it still has a topical reference, which would be laughed at today because of the way it's done, but which is so timeless that you can watch it anytime. In the end, there is no elaborate finale to marvel at, but there is a surprising one whose message still holds up in today's world.

Now, "The Wizard of Oz" is structured more as a colourful adventure in which elaborate stage sets and costumes are the main attraction. One is probably tempted to grin from time to time when looking at the clearly marked landscapes and the fear that the actors are about to run into a wall. Nevertheless, the scenes are still impressive to look at, especially because of the effort put into the costumes and the wide variety of figures singing and dancing. By today's standards, these musical numbers are a little too lengthy, but they are so memorable that they still resonate in the ear canal. The fun-composed pieces are also as timeless as the whole scenario, and measured against the former possibilities, one still pays respect to the effort in the realisation as well as the wealth of ideas. Even today, one remembers the glittering red shoes of Dorothy, the very remarkably successful masks of the scarecrow or the lion as well as the opulent design of the landscapes or the palace.

It is difficult to give a rating to the acting performance when the realisation of a children's book is also done accordingly. The film also makes no secret of the fact that it was tailored to a very young audience. The fact that lead actress Judy Garland in particular mostly acts with wide eyes and a lot of head gesticulation shows quite clearly who she was trying to appeal to. Grumpy heads would now accuse her of childishness, but it just comes across as cute when she pulls off almost every scene in her own way, as described. I don't want to go into the stresses and strains of filming and the fate of the then already 16-year-old, who became a star and an icon of the LGBTQ+ community through the film, and unfortunately also a drug addict through the filming conditions and the demands placed on her.

The same statement about acting goes for her friends, and so Ray Bolger, Jack Haley and Bert Lahr make a bit of a fool of themselves in accordance with their character. Only the bad guys give a slightly different performance, analogous to the story, but as I said: anyone who is so limited cannot really prove what he/she is capable of as an actor. So the repertoire remains predictable, which is understandable when you consistently adapt a film and stage it for a specific target group.

Finally, it should be mentioned that the film, more than others, is now showing its signs of wear and tear. As a musical on a stage, it would still work well, but the film is only still interesting due to the fact that the ideas have a timeless character as well as having caused a furore as a colour film. Otherwise, one has to realise somewhat disillusioned that today's CGI technology has actually pushed the "real" character of the film into the ridiculous corner a bit more than usual. There's no denying it, unfortunately, which is really a bit of a shame.

You really have to completely fade out the time differences to give the film the chance to be viewed objectively in today's world. Only then do its good sides reveal themselves without showing the deep wrinkles of age. And since the technical aspect is too much in focus in the computer age, the otherwise child-friendly musical spectacle has its stage sets hanging from its cheek. Those who can ignore this will still be able to appreciate the timeless story and the memorable compositions. So the devaluation is ultimately due to the time value.