Wicked (2024) and The World, the Flesh, and the Devil (1959)

"Once upon a time..." Two top-notch tales to begin Black History Month.

Wicked, part 1 (2024; Amazon Prime, Peacock)

The Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda form an unlikely friendship in a musical reimagining of Oz’s backstories. Wicked, part 1 adapts the first act of the musical Wicked, which debuted on Broadway in 2003 and continues in uninterrupted production to this day. The songs are catchy, powerful, and philosophically insightful—sometimes painfully so. The story leans into the melancholy of what happens when we stop listening to “them.” But it balances this with a great deal of entertaining acting, humor, breathtaking dance numbers, and Oscar-winning costuming and set design. The film’s friendship gives it a core of hope, a light in the darkness, like Diogenes’ lamp as he searched for a righteous man...

Don’t miss the subtle references to The Wizard of Oz—not the obvious fact that it’s set in Oz with the same characters, but nods like Elphaba and Glinda walking in step, or that rainbow in the opening shot. I’m only recommending “part 1” here because part 2 (Wicked, for Good) is a lot less fun. It’s darker; the characters (and the story?) are more confused; the songs don’t land the same. It fits the narrative that everything would go sour (or at least bittersweet), but as a movie it doesn’t leave the same taste in my mouth.

I have much more to say about these movies, so much that they fill the first chapter of my book-in-progress! You can read about this in my “Writing Updates” at the end of these blog posts.

For sensitive viewers: some (computer-animated) animals in pain, and angry flying monkeys attacking in one scene. Clearly implied adultery. Some children bully a young girl. Everyone at the university briefly finds a certain young man attractive, including another young man, but none of this goes anywhere.

The World, the Flesh, and the Devil (1959; YouTube, or pay at Amazon or YouTube Movies & TV)

A miner (Harry Belafonte) surfaces after what appears to be an apocalypse and finds innovative ways to rebuild his life—and see if anyone else survived. If you’re like me, you probably don’t associate post-apocalyptic science fiction with the 1950s. In a genre quite popular today, this old movie does superbly. It feels so contemporary that it jumps off the black-and-white screen. Its streets full of abandoned cars and fully stocked stores are hauntingly stunning. Harry Belafonte delivers a moving, winsome performance of intensity, mourning, humor, and heart. But will he find others…?

For sensitive viewers: Despite the title, there is nothing godless about this film. One swear word and temporary violent danger.

Nathan’s Writing Update

I am pleased to report that I have finished my book proposal and the first chapter of my book! My working book title is “New Eyes: Movies, Ecology, and the Philosophy of Compassion.” As mentioned above, the first chapter is all about Wicked. I shared this chapter with a colleague and she reported that it was inspiring, which greatly motivated me to keep working. I also met my goal for January: to send my first “query letter” to a first press. A query is a 250-word book proposal to see if they’re interested. If it’s anything like job applications, I’m expecting plenty of Nos before the Yeses. But you never know—I’ll keep you posted!