The Wicked premiere showing is pure perfection from set design to character adaptations, live singing portions, and a purposeful lack of CGI that makes this film an absolute standout in the cinematic space.
The movie starts with a scene in Munchkinland, which was a farm in Norfolk where the team planted nine million blooms, with the burning of ‘the Wicked Witch’ (Elphaba). Glinda, the Good Witch, performed by Ariana Grande, arrives via pink bubble to rejoice at her once best friend’s death.
Grande’s live vocals in ‘No One Mourns the Wicked’ are beyond impeccable, hitting opera-worthy octaves, whilst giving us a glimpse into the character’s loneliness of losing the only friend that ever understood her but unable to grieve publicly because of the societal role she now plays.
Glinda also sported a custom corset gown, designed by mastermind Paul Taswell, fit with plumes of pink organza, rhinestone bubbles and a standout embellished bodice worthy of every award in the book.
The story then follows the two meeting at Shiz University, where an unassuming enemies-to-friends trope evolves in the most heart-touching scene. Elphaba (played by Cynthia Erivo), born green and excluded from society, arrives at the party and is ridiculed due to Glinda encouraging her to wear a hideous hat. Elphaba, fighting back tears, performs a dance which only earns her more embarrassment.
Glinda’s consciousness then weighs heavy, and she joins forward despite protests of social destruction from friends. With only the scuff of shoes to accompany the pair, the silence is heavy, encompassing Elphaba’s years of torment and weariness to accept a gesture of kindness.
The scene ends with Grande cupping her face and wiping a single tear, cue the entire theatre in floods. In a way, I suppose we all relate to the humanness of never quite being able to find a place of true acceptance.
As the friendship between the two blossoms, it’s a telling reminder to audiences that understanding and kindness are the most healing gifts we can offer each other.
The character conceptualisation behind the pair is meticulously developed. Grande’s performance as Glinda is equipped with humorous quips and satirical self-absorption – nothing short of perfection.
The anticipated Defying Gravity performance was pure vocal excellence. Erivo is a vocal powerhouse who delivers knockout vocals whilst catapulting through the air. The movie finishes with the infamous riff, in which Elphaba is fully vilified by the wizard, and yet she will not be silenced.
The performance’s strength is a testament to standing by morality. Perhaps the most touching part of the final scene is the cape Elphaba sports, now a sign of her wickedness, was actually first a sign of love, being placed on her shoulders by her only friend to warn off the cold before taking flight. Rather heartbreaking that one of the only gestures of love the character ever receives was turned to a symbol of her supposed cruelty.
The movie is undoubtedly a dose of magical perfection coupled with a touch of relatability to strive for courage and kindness in our own lives, I’m already biting my nails for part two.
