2:31 a.m. - 2003-01-14
Oz
"You know Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas any more"
I was listening to the original version of "Wizard of Oz" tonight while I was climbing stairs. When I was small, I would have no trouble imagining that I was there with Dorothy in her adventures. The wonders of Oz were truly exciting and the travails with the wicked witch were truly frightening to me - especially those gargoyles. Because I was very small I think the movie had some influence on how I reacted to the unknown as I grew up. In the story, Dorothy greets everything with curiosity and courage. She thinks for herself and speaks her mind - "pert" we used to say. She tries very hard to do the "right thing". When the movie has been discussed in any public forum it has always been with a certain amount of awe as well as respect for all the creative breakthroughs it represented at the time. It is called a "Classic".
I was wondering what would happen if it were to be released as a new story now. Based on the reactions to Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings I think the following would occur. It would be put through the ratings system and be deemed too scary for children under 8. When I was growing up in the sixties, fairy tales were standard fare both at home and school from the earliest stages of literacy. Remember the Brothers Grimm? Those tales had some of the goriest descriptions in childrens' literature, yet most of the children of the sixties came through the "trauma" just fine. Read "Women Who Run with Wolves" for some very interesting thoughts on what it expresses.
Some people would boycott it based on the assertion that it promotes a belief in the occult. What is the difference between a miracle and magic? One year, when I was co-chair of the local Amnesty International group in Calgary, I represented them at a holy festival of a particular mainstream faith community; all peace groups had been invited. In addition, leaders of all the other faith communities were not only invited to attend, but also to speak. One of the best parts of all the speeches was the gentle ribbing each church leader made of the other faiths' na�vet� in accepting certain faith based explanations of otherwise unexplainable occurrences as miracles when more pragmatic analysis might do just as well. Everyone took the ribbing in good humour and it did set a tone of tolerance for each other. A person's personal faith perspective is the only difference.
Some people would find hidden meanings or innuendo where none really existed or was intended. When Dorothy first meets the Scarecrow she asks for guidance. He responds "well, some people go this way, and some people go that way, and some people go both ways" - they were at the crossroads. But I'm certain someone today would contend it was meant to promote a certain type of relationship. I began thinking about the other night, when my sons needed to explain some of the jokes in Grease to me. If something isn't in one's scope of experience or understanding, it isn't going to register and I'm still miffed that our elementary school choir wasn't allowed to sing "Puff the Magic Dragon" at one concert. On a more serious note, I remember one summer when it was about 80F/30C and all my sons were running through the sprinkler in our backyard. We have a six foot high fence. My youngest, who was under 2 at the time, pulled off his sodden bathing suit and continued playing in the water. The woman living next door craned her neck to look over the fence, stated that no male was going to flaunt his sexuality in her face, and then demanded that I stop my son from being a "dirty boy". I responded that my toddler's only thoughts were of comfort on a hot day and that any "dirty thoughts" that were occurring in her mind were her own. She moved out shortly after that. My guys still remember and talk about that "crazy woman".
Yet again, some people would claim the film has secret messages confirming their own world or faith view. In Calgary, a certain faith group is claiming that Tolkien actually created the character of Gandalf to represent their high holy deity. Not. Tolkien was a very learned scholar of celtic and norse mythology. The influence on his books is obvious - the characters and "hero tales" are direct reflections of those early cultures' fundamental archetypal templates. In Tolkien's book "The Silmarillion", which is prequel to and culminates in the story of the "Lord of the Rings", the history, character, and role of Gandalf is fully described.
Really great childrens' literature, or adult literature for that matter, is great because it provokes the imagination, explores the relationship of good and evil, and tells an exciting story through characters that spark a strong sense of identity or understanding in the reader or listener. Check those personal demons at the door. Like the "crazy" neighbour one's projections are innate - attacking an external object won't make them go away.
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