1. A FILM REVIEW: THE WIZARD OF OZ
José Antonio Ponce Real
“The Wizard of Oz” is an American fantasy film based on the book “The Wonderful Wizard of
Oz” by Lyman Frank Baum. The film was directed by Victor Fleming. It stars Judy Garland as
Dorothy and Frank Morgan as the wizard. The film won two Oscars in 1939 for Best Song
(Over the rainbow) and Best Music.
The Wizard of Oz was shot in California (USA) and is set in Kansas (USA) in the early 1900´s.
The film is about Dorothy, an orphan girl who lives with her aunt and uncle in Kansas. One
day she and her dog Toto are caught by a tornado and Dorothy’s house (with them) is
transported to another world: Oz. The Land of Oz is inhabited by fantastic and strange beings:
witches, winged monkeys, unicorns… On her arrival, Dorothy is received by the Good Witch
of the North and the Munchkins, little people who live in Oz. They were happy because
Dorothy’s house had flattened and killed the Wicked Witch of the East. Dorothy is considered
a heroine but she wishes to get back home and see her family. The Good Witch of the North
tells Dorothy that the Wizard of Oz, who lives in Emerald City, might be able help her. Dorothy
was very happy and decided to go to there, immediately. She and Toto have to follow a yellow
brick road to Emerald City. On her way to Emerald City, Dorothy will meet friends: the
scarecrow, the tin man and the cowardly lion. They also want to ask the Wizard of Oz for their
wishes and they decide to join her and help each other. Dorothy and her new friends will live
a lot of adventures on their way to Emerald City.
I loved “The Wizard of OZ” when I was child. It’s one of the first films I saw. I strongly
recommend it. The film has a wonderful soundtrack and the song “Over the rainbow” is very
popular. There are a lot of sequels of The Wizard of Oz, but none managed to surpass the
original film.