Review of The Wiz (1978) by James C — 08 Aug 2011

After recently seeing Ken Russell's THE BOY FRIEND at a screening honoring production designer Tony Walton, I thought I should probably watch THE WIZ so I could see his Oscar nominated costumes & sets.

Well, they were about the only good thing is this mess of a musical. As has been noted in most reviews, Diana Ross is way too old to play Dorothy, but that aside, she also looks TERRIBLE throughout the film.

Who put that awful wig on her head and why does Oscar nominated and famed cinematographer, Oswald Morris, make everything including Miss Ross look so washed out and bleak? Oz should at least have some eye popping color and it just never seems to be visible.

The story changes from the classic 1939 version don't help either. Dorothy's character never makes sense and doesn't even engage any sympathy for her plight to get home. The Wicked Witch appears so late that she's never any threat.

The rest of the cast, Michael Jackson (Scarecrow), Nipsy Russell (Tin Man), and Ted Ross (Lion) are great but once again, you never warm to any of them. Director Sidney Lumet never gets involved in the characters and films everything from such a distance that the viewer can't get involved either.

The music is good but the choreography is bland and the "riffs" (I'm being polite when I want to say "rip off") of the 1939 skiping down the yellow brick road just make you want to watch that film instead.

I kept wondering why they weren't "easing down the road" like the song says. Diana Ross gets her one take solo to belt out the finale song and emote trying to out do Streisand's "My Man" number from FUNNY GIRL but all you notice is how boring it all looks and feels.