Of all the companies, Disney has continued one of the greatest musicals of all time as a dark fantasy epic: our streaming tip

Disney is often associated with toning down inspirations in its films when they are too dark. ‘The Little Mermaid’ ends much happier than in Hans Christian Andersen, and in ‘Cinderella’ there is much less blood than in the original fairy tale.

That’s exactly why it stands out when a Disney film is scarier and more difficult than other film adaptations: the MGM classic ‘The Wizard of Oz’ is considered one of the most magical and beautiful musicals in film history – and above all, this vivid story from Disney’s “Oz – A Fantastic World” continued darkly. “Oz – A Fantastic World” is via Disney+ available.

None of those responsible for “The Wizard of Oz” took part in the grim fantasy epic. However, director/writer Walter Murch (co-writer of George Lucas’ directorial debut “THX-1138”) and his writing partner Gill Dennis (“Walk The Line”) made sure their film was a sequel to “The Wizard of Oz “. in a meaningful way.

Disney also paid a licensing fee to MGM to use the ruby ​​shoes, which are part of the musical landmark’s iconography even though they don’t appear in the “Oz” books written by L. Frank Baum. In that respect, ‘Oz – A Fantastic World’ can be described as a semi-official sequel to the classic with Judy Garland.

If you’d like to watch it (again) in preparation, “The Wizard of Oz” is available as VOD on many platforms, including Prime Video*.

“Oz – A Fantastic World”: The suffering after the happy ending

Six months after the events of “The Wizard of Oz”, the life of eight-year-old Dorothy Gale (Fairuza Balk) is a pure nightmare: the family farm has been destroyed, so the starving Gales have to take out a mortgage. . Uncle Henry (Matt Clark) is physically damaged and mentally broken, and Aunt Em (Piper Laurie) has a bad attitude toward her niece, who raves about Munchkins and other wonderful creatures.

So Dorothy is placed in an electroshock therapist, Dr. Worley (Nicol Williamson) is admitted to the psychiatric hospital. There the child must be brought to his senses. When a storm causes chaos in the creepy clinic, Dorothy manages to escape – and soon wakes up in a devastated Oz, which desperately needs her help…

Poverty, depression, trauma and the threat of electric shock in the real world, destroyed buildings, desolate landscapes and despots, in the fantasy world that supposedly offers escapism: with this grim atmosphere and a multitude of eerie, strange events, ‘Apocalypse Now’ film editor Munch approaches the tone that Baum has used in numerous “ Oz” books.

The departure from the cheerful colors, cheerful, playful characters and optimistic lessons of the MGM musical is no coincidence. Yet this desolation has a certain culture shock effect – especially because it is a Disney film and the intention is to get close to the musical classic.

A gifted young actress and her terrible environment

The plunge into darkness is not only reflected in the fact that Dorothy encounters significantly more grotesque creatures than in her (semi-official) predecessor, and the dangers she stumbles into are staged in a more drastic and stressful way. The central performance alone is made of very different material: Garland’s enchanted wonder gives way to a fearful, exhausted and lost Dorothy. Fairuza Balk doesn’t just look scared; in many scenes her eyes are slightly swollen, as if worried tears might roll down her cheeks at any moment..

And yet it is believable that this is the same Dorothy as in Victor Fleming’s oft-copied Technicolor dream: Beneath her fear and sadness at all the destruction and panic around her beats a kind, caring heart, making Dorothy a good, caring heart . longing for happiness and fulfillment struggling with an overwhelming situation in life.

The fact that Balk is able to put all this into words is impressive. What’s even more impressive is that she has to manage these emotions virtually alone for long stretches of the film, as she is often surrounded only by puppets, animatronics, and a chicken. And if she does have human co-stars, they are just as distant as the beautiful living Princess Mombi (played with shocking goosebumps by Jean Marsh).

Dramaturgically, “Oz – A Fantastic World” can be a bit bumpy, as Dorothy is passed somewhat ungallantly from one mini-quest to the next. And for a directorial debut by a famous film editor, the editing of this fantasy-horror spectacle seems strangely unpolished. Perhaps this is simply due to the film’s less than smooth production history.

But this Weaknesses are effectively offset by the bizarre, memorable character design and melancholic, dark aesthetic of the sets. Not least because the appearance of the film so seamlessly reflects the inner life of Dorothy, which Balk’s performance makes you long for. The film’s dense, dissonant sound and David Shire’s eclectic score, which ranges from grueling to anxious to triumphant, greatly intensify this raw, longing story: This time, Dorothy can’t run away from her worries; she needs to deal with it deeply so that things get better.