Spoiler Alert – This post will talk about Wicked, the movie, and it WILL contain spoilers. If you haven’t yet watched this brightly-colored musical, you might wish to skip this post.
The Dear Wonderful Hubby and I recently watched Wicked, the movie, and we both really enjoyed it.
It DOES have issues.
The primary one being casting a beautiful black woman to be the ‘ugly’ green antiheroine. Other characters would talk about how ugly she was and I would think, ‘Are they looking at the same gorgeous being I am?’
So yeah, there are issues with Wicked.
But it is also brightly colored and has great character arcs and…
It is fraggin’ brave.
Wicked is all about fascism. The movie is fun and has great songs and jokes but it is also a warning about what is currently happening all around us and what might be if it isn’t stopped.
The talking animals, for example, represent opponents to fascism and also anyone else the fascists target as being ‘others’ or…animals. First, fascists take away their targets’ voices by designating them as criminals or unnatural, then they imprison them or make them completely disappear.
The labelling of anyone daring to stand up against fascism, as another example, as being ‘wicked’ and an enemy of the people was brilliant. As was the use of ‘media’ to deliver that message.
This is high risk movie making, my friends.
To create art warning others about how fascism spreads and the tactics fascists use while we are surrounded by rising fascism is dang courageous.
Wicked will likely be banned in the US in the future. Its creators and stars will be and likely currently are in danger.
I suspect everyone involved with the film knew the risks when they joined the project.
I hope we can all be as brave.
