Analyzing Themes In The Wizard Of Oz (1939)

The most common contemporary understanding of theme is a main idea or an underlying meaning that is central to the story in a film. If a plot refers to the sequence of events of a story, this is the surface of a film or what we see and hear. The theme then would be what’s under the surface, or the idea or point that the audience receives from watching the film. A director or writer of a film may make themes very clear and sometime these lessons or messages can be very subtle. Themes can be exemplified by mise en scène, either by the use of acting style or a characters thoughts that can give us the aspect of human dilemma that will explore the theme of the film.
In The Wizard of Oz (1939), there are many themes that could be exhumed, but a major theme is “perception”. Both director and writer uses sensory means in order to bring the awareness of the theme of the story and there are immediate recognitions of moral qualities that a viewer may discern from the viewing of the film. An attractive message that reflects an individual’s deepest desires according to Dr. Howell (2015), “Goodness and Wickedness are
An audience can gather many details and these tools can communicate subtle details of a character’s personality, all of which can connect to the theme of the story telling. The Wizard of Oz could have probably been done without the costumes, but the effectiveness of implications towards it themes and its dramatic effect would be lost. “A character's relationship to the story's themes, the plot developments, and the other characters can be suggested, emphasized, and intensified for the audience by the use of certain costumes, makeup” (Goodykoontz & & Jacobs, 2014). Both costume designers and makeup artists work closely with the film’s production designer, director, cinematographer, and actors, to create a total look that conveys the film’s themes, setting, and