BeforeWickedbecame a Broadway sensation and got its own movie adaptation, anothermusicalreinterpreted the classic story ofThe Wizard of Oz. The show, titledThe Wiz, debuted in 1974 and received a movie adaptation four years later. The film version ofThe Wiz, which was a flop, became notorious for having big names in the music world attached to it, such as Diana Ross and Michael Jackson.
Despite the film’s flop status, some people have lovedThe Wiz, as the film has spectacular visuals, gigantic dance sequences, and beautiful music. One of the few fans of the film was film critic Roger Ebert, who tried to highlight many of its positive aspects in his review.
‘The Wiz’ Sets Oz in the Big City
The Wizis aspin on the classic story ofThe Wizard of Oz. The 1978 film, directed by four-time Oscar-winner Sidney Lumet, is based on a Broadway musical of the same name. Its biggest difference fromThe Wizard of Ozis thatThe Wizfeatures an entirely Black cast.
The film stars musicians like Diana Ross and Michael Jackson, and comedian Richard Pryor plays the titular Wiz.Ross is Dorothy, as a teacher in her mid-20s in this iteration, and she gets transported through a blizzard to Oz after she leaves a Thanksgiving meal with her family in Harlem.
The movie follows the same story asThe Wizard of Ozas Dorothy follows the yellow brick road to meet the Wiz, and the scarecrow, the tin man, and the lion join her along the way.The main differences are aesthetic changes, as Oz is now an urban area with skyscrapers and alleys and the Wicked Witch of the West is the owner of a sweatshop. The film was shot in New York to achieve this setting, and the World Trade Center even stands in as the enormous Emerald City.
The film’s music is a blend of styles, ranging from gospel to pop. The show’s standout songs are “Ease on Down the Road” and “A Brand New Day,” as well as Diana Ross’s showstopper, “Home.” The movie also includes four songs that weren’t in the original musical, plus one song that was cut from the Broadway musical.
Roger Ebert Was One of the Film’s Biggest Defenders
The Wizwas a commercial failure. It was doomed from the start as it was the most expensive movie musical made at the time and earned less than half of its budget at the box office. It was also a critical failure, being panned by multiple critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a rotten score of 47%. On Metascore, it has an average score of 53 out of 100,with the second-highest review coming from one of the most famous critics of all time, Roger Ebert.
Roger Ebert, who also loved the originalWizard of Ozandmany other fantasy movies, had high praise for the film, giving it three stars on his four-star system. Although he was vocal and critical about the film’s flaws,he highlighted the film’s dance sequences and shots set against the city. He also responded to people who said the film was too absurd,writing in his review, “Critics like that wouldn’t know a yellow brick road if they saw one.”
On his television show, titledSneak Previewsat the time, Roger Ebert and his co-host Gene Siskel both recommendedThe Wizto audiences, and Siskel gave the film the same score in his review as Ebert. On the show, after watching one of the musical sequences, Siskel said, “Diana Ross is terrific there. In terms of movie musicals, I think Barbra Streisand just got some heavy competition.“Ebert added that the film was “in the great tradition of the American musical.”
However,Siskel and Ebert’s praise couldn’t save the film from the sea of critics who didn’t like the film. The pair even agreed on some of the film’s flaws, saying it went too long and overdid some parts. “I just don’t buy the way the film repeatedly lays on its heavy message that you’re able to find whatever you want in life inside yourself,” Siskel said. Siskel was also wrong that Diana Ross could compete with Streisand, as the singer did not star in another feature film afterThe Wiz.
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The Wiz Is Remembered as More Than a Flop
Although the film will forever be known as a flop,The Wizleft a lasting impact in interesting ways. The film has achieved a cult-like status, especially through its TV airings.The film’s beginning being set at Thanksgiving also makes it a great choice to watch during the holiday.
Interestingly,The Wizwas the first collaboration between Michael Jackson and music producer Quincy Jones, who worked on the songs for the film.Jackson and Jones worked together three more times afterThe Wiz, making some of Michael Jackson’s most popular albums:Off the Wall,Thriller, andBad.
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The Wizalso launched the career ofdirector Joel Schumacher. Schumacher wrote the screenplay forThe Wiz, and three years later, he was able to direct his first feature film,The Incredible Shrinking Woman. He would also go on to directSt. Elmo’s Fire,The Lost Boys,Batman Forever, and another musical adaptation,The Phantom of the Opera.
The film was also a chance to popularize the musical, and a few musical runs since the film’s release have taken inspiration from the movie. Not everyone would have been able to go seeThe Wizin its original Broadway run, so the widespread release of this film gave people an opportunity to experience this take on the story. Even today, the film’s availability to rent or buy on streaming services makes it a nice alternative for people who haven’t had the chance to see a live performance ofThe Wiz.Rent on Prime Video or Apple TV.
