For all the folks saying that it's a tornado, not a hurricane ... or cyclone, not tornado etc ... it has no relevance to the main points of the video so let's just call it "Big spinning, windy thing" ;)
Collative Learning at last somebody saw and experienced the same as me!!! Although I slightly disagree(maybe cos I’m Scottish) and think it’s a windy big spinning thing? But sometimes in the summer they’re wee......
If you've ever been in one, you'd understand and care about the difference. Hurricanes are of the element water. Water deals with emotions. Tornadoes are of the element wind which relates to thoughts, that's a clue to the movie, imo.
I bet you could have a lot of fun with lots of kid's movies like that! Can I throw one at you? How about an alternative tag line for Paddington Bear, the movie!?
@@Schnitz13 oh ffs no one's interested, it's old hat, do you honestly think every crappy thing that happens on the main stage, the breadcrumbs lead back to the Rothschild family, and I don't think Baum had them in mind? If he did it's a tenous link
12:16 The chicken reference: Odd that they hatch next to a salt shaker, something you put on your eggs before you eat them. Also, the hatching eggs are consistent with a food theme. Dorothy's farm might be failing and barren (there's almost no vegetation) as a result of the devastating Dust Bowl of the 30s. She's probably hungry, and when you're hungry you dream about food (e.g. apples, eggs, corn, lemon drops, lollipops, etc)
The Electric Light Orchestra used a scene from The Wizard Of Oz on their 'Eldorado' album cover, a concept album about a protagonist who escapes to a dream world only to find himself being dragged back to the real world a world he no longer wants to exist in. Yep, just thought i'd add that.
The book is most definitely a commentary on the 1896 US presidential election. Most of those elements are present in the movie but its still open to different interpretations.
@@MrJonnyPepper The yellow brick road represented the gold standard, which was a big issue at the time. Dorothy being a naive girl from Kansas represented midwestern farmers. The scarecrow needing a brain gives you an idea of what Baum thought of them. The tin man represented the factory owners and industrialists. Again, him needing a heart is a big clue as to Baum's thoughts on them.
That makes sense since Auntie Em and Uncle Henry are taking care of the new chicks at the beginning...the munchkins of the full grown chickens recently hatched from the incubator (the eggs are on top of the houses where heat rises up). Ironically enough, Dorothy took a chicken leg before she ran away, but I don't know if she actually ate it before singing "Somewhere Over the Rainbow". Oh the chickmanity of it all! Lol
Little kids do often personify animals as other people. The whole yellow brick road journey is likely a metaphor for leaving childhood and becoming an adult.
What is less obvious to most is the understanding of just how much power we all have upon what we can do within our so-called "reality" structure. Dorothy had the power all along to get herself back home within those ruby slippers (I. E. her own mind). Yet she had to go through the things that she did in order to understand that power that was within them; and within herself. That to me is much of what we all go through within our own lives. We don't realize that we have the power to change our own situation or circumstance because our own thoughts and beliefs have actually constructed our own reality to begin with. We all unwittingly create the very dramas that we say we do not want only to have them all show up in spades because of our own focus upon such things. What you think about and focus upon the most expands. However YOU have the power to change it once you change your thinking about it. Once you can get out of victimization mentality and realize YOU have the power AND have had that power all along: THAT is a HUGE game changer for your life. That is the true message of this film and why I love it so much. That is what is missing here in your analysis. Thoughts create reality.
Rob's Analysis are something that makes me inspired as an artist- the opposite of all these "Reviews" or "Explained" videos where the youtubers just explain the plot and use footage from the films copiously to mooch off the million dollar productions to make their video watchable (as opposed to a webcam of their face)
Whever I see a video on a movie by huge youtubers that's slightly over 10 minutes long I know it's only 10 minutes because that's the average length people watch youtube, and if people watch the full thing they get more ad revenue and youtube algorithms promote it more. The information and thoughts are always so shallow, they're like the fast food of movie analysises. It drives me crazy.
I'll take low quality production videos with interesting ideas no problem- its more like you have these youtubers running their yap over footage from films and calling it their "art"... I'm not a Copyright fanatic but when your using footage made by very talented people and making money off it you better really justify the footage showing up with thought out critique (like Rob does). Ultimately these sort of videos benefit everyone (copyright owners too) but its good to respect the fact that I wouldn't want my entire film uploaded by someone else to talk over for their youtube channel unless they use the footage for more then window dressing. Also the hubris of these people "explaining" a film to me... I usually turn it off because I see the film being played in the video and think "This movie would be so much better without a youtuber talking over it" Someone made a Cat in Hat (2005) analysis and they sounded like they were on the verge of tears explaining to me why the film is "actually good" because his entire presupposition was "the movie got bad reviews so everyone thought it was bad" and its like these people suck the fun out of this art. Rob this video was great because you managed to outline another simple way for people to digest "analysis" of films for people to try out for themselves.
@@couchpotato3197 You are correct, but also 10 minutes is the minimum length for a RUclipsr to be able to place ads on the video themselves. Meaning, if you're under 10 minutes RUclips places the ads following an algorithm. If you're over 10 minutes, you can place as many ads as you want.
I’m always intrigued by movies that stand the test of time. The Wizard of OZ is probably #1 on that list. Even elements of Psycho and Citizen Cane feel dated, bit the Wizard of OZ remains brilliant and fresh. Other timeless films which come to mind: 2001, The Shining (and all Kubrick films), Grease, Monty Python’s films, many Spielberg films (ET, Schindler’s List, Indiana Jones trilogy), and the original Star Wars trilogy. Would love to see Rob Ager’s list of top 20 “timeless movies.”
The three farm hands are just that, farm hands. They may have been symbolic "uncles," but she does have an aunt and uncle who are her guardians, Henry and Emily. The Hunk/Scarecrow character was originally considered to be a possible suitor for a somewhat older Dorothy before sensible heads prevailed and removed that. That's why Dorothy says "I'll miss you most of all," in the screenplay and film.
Yeah I realized toward the end of editing the vid they aren't actual uncles lol, but didn't bother re-recording the narration as it wasn't a big deal. When was a kid I viewed them as uncles because they act as such in the final scene.
they took out the romance thing most likely cause they knew young kids everywhere would watch the film so back in 1939 they maybe thought romance would be too "RISQUE" or controversial for 1939 or 1940's kids cause of the times the film was made in - they wanted more universal mass appeal for kids of all ages and adults to watch it - maybe its why they took the romance thing out
@@ianmitnick8245 I'm glad they did take the love affair out, since it probably would have been awful, and the notion of a prepubescent girl like Dorothy having relations of any kind with a 30+ man would be pretty intolerable by modern standards.
Another psychological connection that most viewers fail to notice is when, on the Kansas farm, Zeke (the cowardly lion) advises Dorothy that "The next time Ms. Gulch starts to sqwak, walk right up to her & spit in her eye"! Well, that's pretty much exactly what Dorothy does in Oz, when she throws the bucket of water on the wicked witch, thus putting an effective end to her "sqwaking"!
Love your analyses! Wow 80 years old ... and yet I’m still learning more about it. Funny how technology may have changed, but artistry & techniques haven’t. Puts into perspective how groundbreaking directors were in that day
*THE FILM* (( *VERY* different than the book!)): One tyrannical ruler is crushed by Dorothy's house. The next despot is "liquidated" on orders of a third incompetent boss -- the phony "wizard" of OZ --- before he disappears into the sky --- exiled via a vehicle he can't control. Who wins? Why, Glinda of course! With all rivals to her power eliminated she has sole rule over all of OZ and even has a preordained puppet government of bumbling incompetent middlemen --- scarecrow, tin man and lion!
What is extraordinary about this film is that the journey from children ‘s book to film was a circuitous, even chaotic one. The final screenplay was cobbled together from multiple writers. Then, the first director was fired and another hired. The original actor for the tin man nearly died from heavy metal poisoning due to the toxic makeup initially used. Despite these earmarks of a disaster, the film emerges with a remarkably cohesive narrative and artistic vision. I might even go so far as to say a cinematic masterpiece. One could say more, but once again, this Collative Learning video does a tremendous job of thoughtful film analysis.
But wait - so much insight, but you're calling Zeke, Hickory and Hunk "uncles" but aren't they hired hands and the Uncle is Auntie Em's spouse Henry? This is very basic to the plot, that these men are friends she can rely on and not relatives but take responsibility for Dorothy's well being out of their love for her?
I always wondered why green was such an important color in Oz and why folks are all in green in an emerald city...what does the use of the color symbolize?
No surprise David Lynch loves this film. 'Blue Velvet' has connections to it, right from the opening credits. The use of color, the surreal nature and the basic ideas that, no matter how the World may seem, we always want to find meaning to our lives. Side Note: My friends Great Uncle, Ray Bolger, played The Scarecrow. Pretty cool. They look exactly alike.
Are you kidding? Blue Velvet does have references to it, but Wild at Heart contains far more references to The Wizard of Oz than BV. I suggest you check it out.
I completely agree, the parallels between the characters in Kansas and Oz are obvious to anyone of any age that watches the film. But you actually blew my mind with the amount of detail that was put in with the similarities that I completely missed as a kid, especially with the Wizard of Oz himself with his booming voice for example. This film is a true timeless masterpiece 😍
I remember when I was a little girl (I'm almost 70) the last shot of the movie was a shot of her ruby slippers under her bed. Then it was cut and I never saw it again. thank you.
Good analysis! I was aware of many parallels but not munchkins = baby farm animals. For me the lasting lesson is that each character already has the traits they’re seeking, and finally own them after outer acknowledgment. I like that. We watched this on TV every year for so many years when I was a kid, I remember each place where it would pause for a commercial. Thanks for this review.
There's something else that I noticed, a few years ago. The Lion, The Scarecrow and The Tin Man all sing about their various, apparently disparate desires, but, they're all singing the SAME tune. We're all after the same thing; that which we believe will bring us peace of mind and a sense of fulfillment. In this sense, each chasing the same Pill of Immortality, no matter the form in which we, as individuals conceive it to be.
I watched this film since I was a child, but it wasn't until high school that I realized that Scare Crow was describing the Pythagorean theorem near the end of the movie.
@@collativelearning yeah :D by the way i recently watched some of your vids about eyes wide shut i'm wondering if you have or are making any about VANILLA SKY ? or Mulholland Drive
@@collativelearning It was actually Oliver Hardy, as someone already said below. You can watch the actual film if you have the bluray of TWOO. Hardy met Laurel a few years later.
Arguably, the greatest movie ever. In the book, Oz was a real place. It was no dream. I don't think it was about "traits" at least not for Dorthy. All the characters had what they wanted all along, and Dorthy was home all along. Dorthy, like the other characters, just needed to learn to appreciate what she already had. At the beginning of the movie, Dorthy hated her home, she thought she needed something else to be happy, but her adventures taught her she already had what she wanted.
In the book there is a red as well as yellow brick road, red leading to perdition. It's quite telling that in the film poster, the yellow is framed in red - and the silver slippers are ruby in the film - thus the path to perdition and dissolution of the wizard's legerdemain are at the heroine's whim.
OMG. OMG. Somebody help out here: Years ago, I was obsessed with the Munchkin response, "If any," answering "This is a day of independence, for all the Munchkins and their descendants..." I lost the research, but it is a Depression-era legalize thing. Fascinating. I love the analysis, too.
Dorothy is like Sal Mineo in Giant. The only reason she returned to Kansas was to be buried. Remember Amanda from Eyes Wide Shut? Mandy? Dorothy is like a used supermodel.
Daenerys is associated with storms, and she's swept away to a strange land becomes a leader. Stannis is a heartless man whose name means tin. Jamie is a cowardly lion. Jon is a crow who knows nothing. Tyrion is a small man with a big shadow. Cersey is named after a witch, wicked and from the west. Melissandre is a good witch from the east. Sandor is a hound. Coincidence?
On the contrary, the farm hands are mirror images of the scarecrow, tin man and lion in Dorothy’s dream. Each fails to possess the qualities they declare in the farm yard scene.
Have you ever looked at PAN’S LABYRINTH? That’d be another great example of this two-leveled story: the protagonist is literally a magical princess completing quests to join another world, or she’s a kid escaping from war and an evil stepfather by imagining a fantasy. The only problem is some people try to find the “answer” about whether it’s really real or really not, when the whole point is that both interpretations are there, and it wouldn’t make things any less worthy if the fantasy was created by her mind or by the mind of a writer outside the story
You can go even deeper than that. It's very yungian. Especially the book but even the movie there's and the sepia scenes it's like the shadow self meeting the inner child and waking self.
The night before 1st grade,I dreamt that I was in Kansas( though,in colour,in the 1940s.) and that i got to meet Dorothy and her Toto,dog.It's been a out 46 years since i had that dream.Seems like yesterday i woke up on an Autumn day,actually happy to go to school on such a beautiful morning!🌞🍁🍂🐹
I remember watching the Wizard of Oz many times as a kid and recently rewatched it for the first time as an adult. I still remembered every scene very well such that I could practically recite the dialogue as it happened, even though there were very few details that I newly noticed, I did notice that I had a new appreciation for the story telling. The scene where Dorthy meets Professor Marvel, for example. As a kid, I didn't give much thought to what the scene said about his character. But as an adult, I could fully appreciate how the well the filmmakers portrayed his benevolence and cleverness even before the scene played out. I love how his concern is implied without overt explanation and even despite his carefree disposition which, as adults, we can see is a clever tactic to disguise his intent to persuade her to return home. I think of it as a curiously meta approach to the tenant "show don't tell" in a scene full of dialogue.
There was a little person that hung themselves in the backround. The Hi def version didn't reveal it to me fake, the Hi def version edited a bird in the same spot to hide the death. Grab an old VHS of the movie and you can see clearly that it is a person climbing a ladder and hanging himself.
Please do! I remember coming across something saying it's all about Mind Control. Return To Oz is fascinating and, like a lot of stuff that was ostensibly made for kids in the 80s, absolutely horrifying. Rob, thanks very much for what you do.
I think it's something in between. Some films HAVE no meaning, & some are simply ROMPS (Disney's Alice In Wonderland & What's Up Doc), which isn't the same thing, others are thoroughly plastered with symbols and meaning, and most somewhere in between. There is separation by genre too. Some Documentaries and re-enactments are mostly to frighten or titillate, some use effects and facts to tell GREATER Truths (Errol Morris' Thin Blue Line). I truly believe that any film that effectually just seems a mirror to our own expectations and thoughts would be as big as an accomplishment as the best, carefully assembled, "message" film. Would that even be truly, completely possible? Imagine guessing every card in a shuffled deck right. Now imagine getting the cards wrong 51 times.
An interesting hot take I picked up on can be seen from a Hermetic perspective. The three kingdoms of life are the Mineral-Vegetable-Animal (which has it's echoes in the first questions of Twenty Questions). The movement towards completeness ( the Jungian process of individuation) involves the reckoning of these three components of the self, with human being the transcendent aspect. Mineral - Tin Man * Vegetable-Scarecrow * Animal-Cowardly Lion - We " come to terms" with these modalities, and begin the journey inward toward the Emerald City , - itself being an echo of the Emerald Tablets ( the ancient tales of Isis and Osiris mentioned at the beginning by the charlatan wizard ). I'm not just pulling this out of my crystal balls, however. This type of thinking was very much a part of the cultural landscape of the time and Frank L. Baum knew a thing or two about Theosophy and the Perennial Philosophy. To say there's a lot going on with this film would be an understatement. Thanks for all of your videos CL!
That is an interesting take. Me, I always thought the Emerald City was a reference to the golden brick road paving the way to riches (green being the color of money), since the original book was mostly an allegory about moving away from the Gold standard and to the Silver standard (from what I remember). But something from the Wizard's dialogue is probably a better clue. Any idea on the poppies or flying monkeys, as symbolism?
Lion, Tin Man, and Scarecrow: The soldier asks for courage and receives a medal; the worker asks for meaning and receives a schedule; the farmer asks for intelligence and gets a diploma. Follow the yellow brick road, follow the money - you always knew the answer, just click your heals and be willing to come home to reality. (They fall asleep in a poppy field and get woken up by “snow” as well. That’s gots some MK Ultra flavour to it but who knows.)
just because ive been doing some research and i cant hold back, hunk hickory and zeke arent dorothy's uncles, theyre just farmhands. in fact in some deleted scenes, hunk (scarecrow) and dorothy have a romantic subplot, which is why dorothy says she'll miss the scarecrow most of all
This movie terrified and confused me the one time I saw it on TV around age 5. I get it but I still don't get the appeal in my 40s. Also, wonder about the diamond or diamonds in the logo, under the title text. Anyway, good analysis as always.
One thing you missed about Hickory (the Tin Man) is that he says "someday theyll erect a statue for me in this town!" When we first meet the tin man in oz he's frozen like a statue due to rusting.
I love how Lynch's favourite movie is Wizard of Oz. It helps me understand all the dream logic and there are a lot of subtle and not so subtle references to it in his work, even in Twin Peaks The Return
Brilliant! Looking forward to more you have to process about this film. As a Wizard of Oz historian, I can confirm for you that the economic allegory theory (published in the 1970s, yet sadly attributed to Baum’s intention) has become the stuff of urban legend as much as the hanging munchkin. Love your work!
What about Glenda before Dorothy Glenda had to share power with 2 other witches and a wizard after her she has no competition, plus she knew the slippers could take her home at the beginning of the film. But on the other hand she could be a manifestation of Dorothy's conscience?
I love Oz and I'm so happy you're going to do more Wizard of Oz videos, and have been doing videos on why we watch movies in general. I've always found it so fascinating how people have used stories in their lives, from the bible to folklore to movies to videogames. Especially since I've become ill in the last few years and use movies to try to feel some catharsis, movies really can be like facing yourself in a dream. It feels so validating to realize everyone does this to some extent too.
Ha! Dorothy became an empowered young woman in this film by helping and guiding older men on how to achieve an objective or goal. Another way to look at it - anytime we try to achieve a large goal we face the following: fear (lion), not being smart enough (straw man), or enough heart to finish the job (tin man). Dorothy represents persistence and coaches the others to band together to achieve success. She was so confident in the final scene at OZ, then wakes up to being a girl again with adults telling her it was nonsense. Not sure why the author chose to portray Dorothy to not have parents or siblings. Maybe it was more common back in the early 1900's. A fantastic film, very well done.
The farmhand Hickory that turns into the Tin Man says “someday they’re going to erect a statue of me in this town” so statue = tin man. They’re farmhands, men who work on the farm, not uncles. The scene where the apple trees are talking is not “normal” for Oz. The trees there don’t normally talk, either. If you watch closely, as Dorothy and the Scarecrow approach the trees, you can see the Wicked Witch hiding among the trees and kind of slinking away. What has happened is that the Wicked Witch has put a spell on the trees to try to keep Dorothy from getting apples. Of course, when I was a child, I didn’t notice most of what you’re talking about. But as an adult, I do notice it, and my analysis matches yours in most of what you say. You’ve obviously given it more thought than I ever did, so you point out some things that I didn’t notice along with the things that I did notice. It is correct that the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion each already have the trait that they think they’re missing. That concept is much plainer in the book. In the book, though, Oz was not a dream. It was real and at the end, it says that Dorothy magically flew home and the silver slippers fell off her feet as she flew. In the book, they were silver slippers. The filmmakers changed them to ruby slippers because they were using Technicolor to film it and they wanted the slippers to be colorful.
Interesting. I know the Wizard character is frequently used as an analogy for narcissists too. It would be interesting to explore the book as well as the movie, which if I understand correctly,is very seldom read in the UK but much loved in the USA. The winged monkeys are the images which strike me most about this film but I know you were trying to keep your video short. Might be enough material for a Part 2 here Rob :-)
I didn’t know many of the meanings in The Wizard of Oz until I grew up. Like poppies related to drugs, pedophilia, for obvious reasons, the flying monkeys, obviously race related, and the flagrant use and acceptance of witchcraft. Good or bad. There’s more. But you get the picture. At least I did.
It's my favourite childhood film. Your analysis definitely added some explanations that I had not thought of. For example, the Munchkins being farm animals does make sense.
MR KNOW IT ALL, the scene of the hanging in the background 7:52 is not doctored for you tubers. It appeared on VHS back in the 90"s and was very well known at that time. You can't explain everything away to your liking. Some things are as they seem.
This was brilliant! The Wizard of Oz is my favorite movie of all time, and I have seen it so many times. Your video brought so many things that I have never thought of to light, and have reaffirmed why I love this movie so much, and why it is so genius. If you ever had the time, I would love to see a video discussing how Oz: The Great and Powerful ties into The Wizard of Oz seeing as Dorothy’s journey was all a dream. Thank you so much for your time and such a fantastic video.
For all the folks saying that it's a tornado, not a hurricane ... or cyclone, not tornado etc ... it has no relevance to the main points of the video so let's just call it "Big spinning, windy thing" ;)
Collative Learning at last somebody saw and experienced the same as me!!! Although I slightly disagree(maybe cos I’m Scottish) and think it’s a windy big spinning thing? But sometimes in the summer they’re wee......
The film calls it a twister and a cyclone.
If you've ever been in one, you'd understand and care about the difference.
Hurricanes are of the element water. Water deals with emotions.
Tornadoes are of the element wind which relates to thoughts, that's a clue to the movie, imo.
Well yeah that's quibbling 🤣
By that's I mean they are 🤣
“Transported to a surreal landscape, a young girl kills the first person she meets and then teams up with three strangers to kill again.”
Haha
geeks.media/a-theory-to-blow-you-back-to-kansas-7-reasons-the-true-villain-of-the-wizard-of-oz-was-glinda-the-good-witch-1
@@mrmody249 + I don't buy into that whatsoever, but it's definitely food for thought.
I bet you could have a lot of fun with lots of kid's movies like that! Can I throw one at you? How about an alternative tag line for Paddington Bear, the movie!?
She wasn't controlling the house, she's been framed! This is why we have courts.
Every time I see this movie it is just so impressive. It has aged so well.
Effects and sets are unreal for the age of the movie
There's never been a more effective tornado.
And don't forget about the meaning of the film itself. Who's really pulling the levers behind the scenes in our world? Hello, Mr. Rothschild...
@@Schnitz13 oh ffs no one's interested, it's old hat, do you honestly think every crappy thing that happens on the main stage, the breadcrumbs lead back to the Rothschild family, and I don't think Baum had them in mind? If he did it's a tenous link
Mmm abestos
@@johndowe7003 defo asbestos, in the snow and the original Tin Man init
The professor Marvel guy has" balloon exhibitionist" on his caravan door. later the wizard of Oz flys off in a big balloon back to home.
yep
AND played by the same actor, Frank Morgan.
So she's lured into the back of a camper by an exhibitionist...
12:16 The chicken reference: Odd that they hatch next to a salt shaker, something you put on your eggs before you eat them. Also, the hatching eggs are consistent with a food theme. Dorothy's farm might be failing and barren (there's almost no vegetation) as a result of the devastating Dust Bowl of the 30s. She's probably hungry, and when you're hungry you dream about food (e.g. apples, eggs, corn, lemon drops, lollipops, etc)
Also consider that the professor wearing his turban resembles oz with his large, bulbous head.
Whoa, good eye!
The Electric Light Orchestra used a scene from The Wizard Of Oz on their 'Eldorado' album cover, a concept album about a protagonist who escapes to a dream world only to find himself being dragged back to the real world a world he no longer wants to exist in.
Yep, just thought i'd add that.
The book is most definitely a commentary on the 1896 US presidential election. Most of those elements are present in the movie but its still open to different interpretations.
Scrolled down to comment this if it hadn't been said. Thanks for not letting me down!
Was that taft?
@@MrJonnyPepper The yellow brick road represented the gold standard, which was a big issue at the time. Dorothy being a naive girl from Kansas represented midwestern farmers. The scarecrow needing a brain gives you an idea of what Baum thought of them. The tin man represented the factory owners and industrialists. Again, him needing a heart is a big clue as to Baum's thoughts on them.
The munchkins = farms animals actually clicked with me. Think you might be on to something there.
always wondered about the eggs...
Even the word “munchkin” sounds like a slightly modified version of “chicken.”
@@jamesarthurkimbell wow thats cool
That makes sense since Auntie Em and Uncle Henry are taking care of the new chicks at the beginning...the munchkins of the full grown chickens recently hatched from the incubator (the eggs are on top of the houses where heat rises up). Ironically enough, Dorothy took a chicken leg before she ran away, but I don't know if she actually ate it before singing "Somewhere Over the Rainbow". Oh the chickmanity of it all! Lol
Little kids do often personify animals as other people. The whole yellow brick road journey is likely a metaphor for leaving childhood and becoming an adult.
What is less obvious to most is the understanding of just how much power we all have upon what we can do within our so-called "reality" structure. Dorothy had the power all along to get herself back home within those ruby slippers (I. E. her own mind). Yet she had to go through the things that she did in order to understand that power that was within them; and within herself. That to me is much of what we all go through within our own lives. We don't realize that we have the power to change our own situation or circumstance because our own thoughts and beliefs have actually constructed our own reality to begin with. We all unwittingly create the very dramas that we say we do not want only to have them all show up in spades because of our own focus upon such things. What you think about and focus upon the most expands. However YOU have the power to change it once you change your thinking about it. Once you can get out of victimization mentality and realize YOU have the power AND have had that power all along: THAT is a HUGE game changer for your life. That is the true message of this film and why I love it so much. That is what is missing here in your analysis. Thoughts create reality.
I am revisiting "Dark side of The Rainbow" after this.
*Eye Love your profile photo and username.*
@@DMTInfinity
Eye see you too. 👍
It doesn't hold as well as when I was in college.
SwitcherooU yeah, not as profound now as it was on acid 😆
@@awesomewelles9174
i know right 😆
Speaking of psychological archetypes and dream logic, I was thinking, I’ve never seen you analyse any of David Lynch’s work. Are you not a fan?
THIS, Rob.
He's reviewed Mulholland Drive long ago and recently the film The Elephant Man. He also has Eraserhead on his to-do list.
Rob's Analysis are something that makes me inspired as an artist- the opposite of all these "Reviews" or "Explained" videos where the youtubers just explain the plot and use footage from the films copiously to mooch off the million dollar productions to make their video watchable (as opposed to a webcam of their face)
Whever I see a video on a movie by huge youtubers that's slightly over 10 minutes long I know it's only 10 minutes because that's the average length people watch youtube, and if people watch the full thing they get more ad revenue and youtube algorithms promote it more. The information and thoughts are always so shallow, they're like the fast food of movie analysises. It drives me crazy.
I'll take low quality production videos with interesting ideas no problem- its more like you have these youtubers running their yap over footage from films and calling it their "art"... I'm not a Copyright fanatic but when your using footage made by very talented people and making money off it you better really justify the footage showing up with thought out critique (like Rob does). Ultimately these sort of videos benefit everyone (copyright owners too) but its good to respect the fact that I wouldn't want my entire film uploaded by someone else to talk over for their youtube channel unless they use the footage for more then window dressing.
Also the hubris of these people "explaining" a film to me... I usually turn it off because I see the film being played in the video and think "This movie would be so much better without a youtuber talking over it"
Someone made a Cat in Hat (2005) analysis and they sounded like they were on the verge of tears explaining to me why the film is "actually good" because his entire presupposition was "the movie got bad reviews so everyone thought it was bad" and its like these people suck the fun out of this art.
Rob this video was great because you managed to outline another simple way for people to digest "analysis" of films for people to try out for themselves.
@@couchpotato3197 "fast food of movie analysises" Haha! Couldn't have said it better!
@@couchpotato3197 You are correct, but also 10 minutes is the minimum length for a RUclipsr to be able to place ads on the video themselves. Meaning, if you're under 10 minutes RUclips places the ads following an algorithm. If you're over 10 minutes, you can place as many ads as you want.
Same - I’m inspired every time i watch Rob - on RUclips analysis he’s a man among children
Excellent work Rob!
I’m always intrigued by movies that stand the test of time. The Wizard of OZ is probably #1 on that list. Even elements of Psycho and Citizen Cane feel dated, bit the Wizard of OZ remains brilliant and fresh. Other timeless films which come to mind: 2001, The Shining (and all Kubrick films), Grease, Monty Python’s films, many Spielberg films (ET, Schindler’s List, Indiana Jones trilogy), and the original Star Wars trilogy.
Would love to see Rob Ager’s list of top 20 “timeless movies.”
The three farm hands are just that, farm hands. They may have been symbolic "uncles," but she does have an aunt and uncle who are her guardians, Henry and Emily. The Hunk/Scarecrow character was originally considered to be a possible suitor for a somewhat older Dorothy before sensible heads prevailed and removed that. That's why Dorothy says "I'll miss you most of all," in the screenplay and film.
I've always wondered why Auntie Em and Uncle Henry don't have their own avatars in Oz.
Yeah I realized toward the end of editing the vid they aren't actual uncles lol, but didn't bother re-recording the narration as it wasn't a big deal. When was a kid I viewed them as uncles because they act as such in the final scene.
they took out the romance thing most likely cause they knew young kids everywhere would watch the film so back in 1939 they maybe thought romance would be too "RISQUE" or controversial for 1939 or 1940's kids cause of the times the film was made in - they wanted more universal mass appeal for kids of all ages and adults to watch it - maybe its why they took the romance thing out
@@ianmitnick8245
I'm glad they did take the love affair out, since it probably would have been awful, and the notion of a prepubescent girl like Dorothy having relations of any kind with a 30+ man would be pretty intolerable by modern standards.
Another psychological connection that most viewers fail to notice is when, on the Kansas farm, Zeke (the cowardly lion) advises Dorothy that "The next time Ms. Gulch starts to sqwak, walk right up to her & spit in her eye"!
Well, that's pretty much exactly what Dorothy does in Oz, when she throws the bucket of water on the wicked witch, thus putting an effective end to her "sqwaking"!
This film production level was so ahead of its time!
Love your analyses! Wow 80 years old ... and yet I’m still learning more about it. Funny how technology may have changed, but artistry & techniques haven’t. Puts into perspective how groundbreaking directors were in that day
*THE FILM* (( *VERY* different than the book!)):
One tyrannical ruler is crushed by Dorothy's house. The next despot is "liquidated" on orders of a third incompetent boss -- the phony "wizard" of OZ --- before he disappears into the sky --- exiled via a vehicle he can't control.
Who wins?
Why, Glinda of course! With all rivals to her power eliminated she has sole rule over all of OZ and even has a preordained puppet government of bumbling incompetent middlemen --- scarecrow, tin man and lion!
What is extraordinary about this film is that the journey from children ‘s book to film was a circuitous, even chaotic one. The final screenplay was cobbled together from multiple writers. Then, the first director was fired and another hired. The original actor for the tin man nearly died from heavy metal poisoning due to the toxic makeup initially used. Despite these earmarks of a disaster, the film emerges with a remarkably cohesive narrative and artistic vision. I might even go so far as to say a cinematic masterpiece. One could say more, but once again, this Collative Learning video does a tremendous job of thoughtful film analysis.
But wait - so much insight, but you're calling Zeke, Hickory and Hunk "uncles" but aren't they hired hands and the Uncle is Auntie Em's spouse Henry? This is very basic to the plot, that these men are friends she can rely on and not relatives but take responsibility for Dorothy's well being out of their love for her?
I always wondered why green was such an important color in Oz and why folks are all in green in an emerald city...what does the use of the color symbolize?
Some people say Citizen Kane is the best movie ever but I think the Wizard of Oz is the best movie ever
they both are two of the best!!
@@ianmitnick8245 aw come on. Get off the fence
Casablanca for the win !!!!!!!!!
2001 is the best I've seen.
Chinatown
Omg! I guess I am a child at heart still. I never viewed Dorthy’s adventures as a dream not til now. Haha. Thanks a lot.
No surprise David Lynch loves this film. 'Blue Velvet' has connections to it, right from the opening credits. The use of color, the surreal nature and the basic ideas that, no matter how the World may seem, we always want to find meaning to our lives.
Side Note: My friends Great Uncle, Ray Bolger, played The Scarecrow. Pretty cool. They look exactly alike.
I can't wait for Rob's video on Blue Velvet
@@couchpotato3197 , agreed. 'Blue Velvet' is one of my favorite films. Def a top film of its decade IMO
Are you kidding? Blue Velvet does have references to it, but Wild at Heart contains far more references to The Wizard of Oz than BV. I suggest you check it out.
I completely agree, the parallels between the characters in Kansas and Oz are obvious to anyone of any age that watches the film. But you actually blew my mind with the amount of detail that was put in with the similarities that I completely missed as a kid, especially with the Wizard of Oz himself with his booming voice for example. This film is a true timeless masterpiece 😍
Return To Oz is the movie I loved as a child.
I watched it as an adult and all the psychiatric hospital stuff scared the shit out of me lol.
i can’t remember much about it except it the room with ornaments and decorations and Dorothy has to chose one...
I remember when I was a little girl (I'm almost 70) the last shot of the movie was a shot of her ruby slippers under her bed. Then it was cut and I never saw it again.
thank you.
Good analysis! I was aware of many parallels but not munchkins = baby farm animals. For me the lasting lesson is that each character already has the traits they’re seeking, and finally own them after outer acknowledgment. I like that. We watched this on TV every year for so many years when I was a kid, I remember each place where it would pause for a commercial. Thanks for this review.
There's something else that I noticed, a few years ago. The Lion, The Scarecrow and The Tin Man all sing about their various, apparently disparate desires, but, they're all singing the SAME tune. We're all after the same thing; that which we believe will bring us peace of mind and a sense of fulfillment. In this sense, each chasing the same Pill of Immortality, no matter the form in which we, as individuals conceive it to be.
I watched this film since I was a child, but it wasn't until high school that I realized that Scare Crow was describing the Pythagorean theorem near the end of the movie.
Did you realize he was describing it incorrectly?
FUN FACT - in the 1925 adaptation Stan laurel played the tin man
No way. I love Stan Laurel. that guy was genius. Great actor and great director too. He directed Way Out West, which was superb.
@@collativelearning yeah :D by the way i recently watched some of your vids about eyes wide shut i'm wondering if you have or are making any about VANILLA SKY ? or Mulholland Drive
The thin man? :D ...I'll show myself out.
@@collativelearning It was actually Oliver Hardy, as someone already said below. You can watch the actual film if you have the bluray of TWOO. Hardy met Laurel a few years later.
There are also spheres on each side of Oz`s throne that appear to echo the crystal ball that Professor Marvel uses during his prognostication.
Can't wait for the rest!
Arguably, the greatest movie ever.
In the book, Oz was a real place. It was no dream.
I don't think it was about "traits" at least not for Dorthy. All the characters had what they wanted all along, and Dorthy was home all along. Dorthy, like the other characters, just needed to learn to appreciate what she already had. At the beginning of the movie, Dorthy hated her home, she thought she needed something else to be happy, but her adventures taught her she already had what she wanted.
Return to Oz is where it's at. What a fantastic film.
Goddamn it Rob. I fucking love your videos 👍
This is FANTASTIC!!
In the book there is a red as well as yellow brick road, red leading to perdition. It's quite telling that in the film poster, the yellow is framed in red - and the silver slippers are ruby in the film - thus the path to perdition and dissolution of the wizard's legerdemain are at the heroine's whim.
OMG. OMG. Somebody help out here: Years ago, I was obsessed with the Munchkin response, "If any," answering "This is a day of independence, for all the Munchkins and their descendants..."
I lost the research, but it is a Depression-era legalize thing. Fascinating. I love the analysis, too.
Thank you, Rob! Your work is always much appreciated and greatly enjoyed :)
Dorothy, Glinda and the Wicked Witch of the West could each be said to represent an aspect of the Triple Goddess: Maiden, Mother and Crone.
Dorothy is like Sal Mineo in Giant. The only reason she returned to Kansas was to be buried. Remember Amanda from Eyes Wide Shut? Mandy? Dorothy is like a used supermodel.
Daenerys is associated with storms, and she's swept away to a strange land becomes a leader.
Stannis is a heartless man whose name means tin.
Jamie is a cowardly lion.
Jon is a crow who knows nothing.
Tyrion is a small man with a big shadow.
Cersey is named after a witch, wicked and from the west.
Melissandre is a good witch from the east.
Sandor is a hound.
Coincidence?
I would love you to revisit the munchkin land scene in the future. No bullying, this video was fascinating.
On the contrary, the farm hands are mirror images of the scarecrow, tin man and lion in Dorothy’s dream. Each fails to possess the qualities they declare in the farm yard scene.
ZARDOZ speaks to you: to his chosen ones!... - to quote a somewhat trippy, grown-up version of The Wizard of Oz.
Even the name is a homage to wiZARD of OZ.
another great video!
Really enjoy your channel , Mr. Ager👍🏻 Looking forward to purchasing your analysis vids in the near future ! Cheers
Have you ever looked at PAN’S LABYRINTH? That’d be another great example of this two-leveled story: the protagonist is literally a magical princess completing quests to join another world, or she’s a kid escaping from war and an evil stepfather by imagining a fantasy. The only problem is some people try to find the “answer” about whether it’s really real or really not, when the whole point is that both interpretations are there, and it wouldn’t make things any less worthy if the fantasy was created by her mind or by the mind of a writer outside the story
You can go even deeper than that. It's very yungian. Especially the book but even the movie there's and the sepia scenes it's like the shadow self meeting the inner child and waking self.
The night before 1st grade,I dreamt that I was in Kansas( though,in colour,in the 1940s.) and that i got to meet Dorothy and her Toto,dog.It's been a out 46 years since i had that dream.Seems like yesterday i woke up on an Autumn day,actually happy to go to school on such a beautiful morning!🌞🍁🍂🐹
Rob- Best Film analyst on the web
One thing I've always wondered is-if Dorothy had stayed in the wizard's balloon, would she still have gotten back to Kansas?
I remember watching the Wizard of Oz many times as a kid and recently rewatched it for the first time as an adult. I still remembered every scene very well such that I could practically recite the dialogue as it happened, even though there were very few details that I newly noticed, I did notice that I had a new appreciation for the story telling. The scene where Dorthy meets Professor Marvel, for example. As a kid, I didn't give much thought to what the scene said about his character. But as an adult, I could fully appreciate how the well the filmmakers portrayed his benevolence and cleverness even before the scene played out.
I love how his concern is implied without overt explanation and even despite his carefree disposition which, as adults, we can see is a clever tactic to disguise his intent to persuade her to return home. I think of it as a curiously meta approach to the tenant "show don't tell" in a scene full of dialogue.
The tornado made me very scared of the house falling. And I was scared of the witch. Most of the forest made me scared as long with the monkeys
THANK YOU!!! This was excellent!
Love your stuff, Rob. Thanks for another great analysis.
This is why I watch the old films over and over. I already know how the story goes and now I focus more on the dialogue.
This is actually a good analysis of Wizard of Oz.
There was a little person that hung themselves in the backround. The Hi def version didn't reveal it to me fake, the Hi def version edited a bird in the same spot to hide the death. Grab an old VHS of the movie and you can see clearly that it is a person climbing a ladder and hanging himself.
Interesting perspective.
Id love to see your take on the sequel!
I love that film. Might do something on it
Please do! I remember coming across something saying it's all about Mind Control. Return To Oz is fascinating and, like a lot of stuff that was ostensibly made for kids in the 80s, absolutely horrifying. Rob, thanks very much for what you do.
The magician also has a picture of a balloon on his cart, hinting at the hot air balloon towards the end
I think it's something in between. Some films HAVE no meaning, & some are simply ROMPS (Disney's Alice In Wonderland & What's Up Doc), which isn't the same thing, others are thoroughly plastered with symbols and meaning, and most somewhere in between. There is separation by genre too. Some Documentaries and re-enactments are mostly to frighten or titillate, some use effects and facts to tell GREATER Truths (Errol Morris' Thin Blue Line). I truly believe that any film that effectually just seems a mirror to our own expectations and thoughts would be as big as an accomplishment as the best, carefully assembled, "message" film. Would that even be truly, completely possible? Imagine guessing every card in a shuffled deck right. Now imagine getting the cards wrong 51 times.
An interesting hot take I picked up on can be seen from a Hermetic perspective. The three kingdoms of life are the Mineral-Vegetable-Animal (which has it's echoes in the first questions of Twenty Questions). The movement towards completeness ( the Jungian process of individuation) involves the reckoning of these three components of the self, with human being the transcendent aspect.
Mineral - Tin Man * Vegetable-Scarecrow * Animal-Cowardly Lion - We " come to terms" with these modalities, and begin the journey inward toward the Emerald City , - itself being an echo of the Emerald Tablets ( the ancient tales of Isis and Osiris mentioned at the beginning by the charlatan wizard ). I'm not just pulling this out of my crystal balls, however. This type of thinking was very much a part of the cultural landscape of the time and Frank L. Baum knew a thing or two about Theosophy and the Perennial Philosophy. To say there's a lot going on with this film would be an understatement. Thanks for all of your videos CL!
That is an interesting take.
Me, I always thought the Emerald City was a reference to the golden brick road paving the way to riches (green being the color of money), since the original book was mostly an allegory about moving away from the Gold standard and to the Silver standard (from what I remember). But something from the Wizard's dialogue is probably a better clue.
Any idea on the poppies or flying monkeys, as symbolism?
Lion, Tin Man, and Scarecrow:
The soldier asks for courage and receives a medal; the worker asks for meaning and receives a schedule; the farmer asks for intelligence and gets a diploma. Follow the yellow brick road, follow the money - you always knew the answer, just click your heals and be willing to come home to reality.
(They fall asleep in a poppy field and get woken up by “snow” as well. That’s gots some MK Ultra flavour to it but who knows.)
just because ive been doing some research and i cant hold back, hunk hickory and zeke arent dorothy's uncles, theyre just farmhands. in fact in some deleted scenes, hunk (scarecrow) and dorothy have a romantic subplot, which is why dorothy says she'll miss the scarecrow most of all
This movie terrified and confused me the one time I saw it on TV around age 5. I get it but I still don't get the appeal in my 40s. Also, wonder about the diamond or diamonds in the logo, under the title text. Anyway, good analysis as always.
Would love to see a longer version of this going over every scene
The Wizard of Oz is one of the greatest fantasy stories ever written.
One thing you missed about Hickory (the Tin Man) is that he says "someday theyll erect a statue for me in this town!" When we first meet the tin man in oz he's frozen like a statue due to rusting.
I love how Lynch's favourite movie is Wizard of Oz. It helps me understand all the dream logic and there are a lot of subtle and not so subtle references to it in his work, even in Twin Peaks The Return
Is it his fave? I didn't know that.
I should have said one of his favourite movies but I can't remember where I read that, other than seeing it everywhere in his movies.
Along with the skulls, I always thought that the huge headed Oz of the dream was just like the old guy when wearing the turban.
Great presentation as always Rob!
Brilliant! Looking forward to more you have to process about this film. As a Wizard of Oz historian, I can confirm for you that the economic allegory theory (published in the 1970s, yet sadly attributed to Baum’s intention) has become the stuff of urban legend as much as the hanging munchkin. Love your work!
The Cabinet of Dr. Calari
Fantastic analysis! i never caught the skulls in Professor Marvel's trailer. There's a reason the film is a classic.
good stuff
What about Glenda before Dorothy Glenda had to share power with 2 other witches and a wizard after her she has no competition, plus she knew the slippers could take her home at the beginning of the film. But on the other hand she could be a manifestation of Dorothy's conscience?
I always wondered about the tin mans hat, they're usually yellow.
I loved learning that a sepia-dressed actress pulls back the door, and Judy dressed in colored clothing walks thru the door.
yeah that was awesome.
Collative Learning...BRILLIANT! BLOODY BRILLIANT! Well done you Sir! Thank you for this for very smart analysis!
You may want to read "Invisible Ink" by Brian McDonald.
I love Oz and I'm so happy you're going to do more Wizard of Oz videos, and have been doing videos on why we watch movies in general. I've always found it so fascinating how people have used stories in their lives, from the bible to folklore to movies to videogames. Especially since I've become ill in the last few years and use movies to try to feel some catharsis, movies really can be like facing yourself in a dream. It feels so validating to realize everyone does this to some extent too.
Ha! Dorothy became an empowered young woman in this film by helping and guiding older men on how to achieve an objective or goal.
Another way to look at it - anytime we try to achieve a large goal we face the following: fear (lion), not being smart enough (straw man), or enough heart to finish the job (tin man). Dorothy represents persistence and coaches the others to band together to achieve success. She was so confident in the final scene at OZ, then wakes up to being a girl again with adults telling her it was nonsense.
Not sure why the author chose to portray Dorothy to not have parents or siblings. Maybe it was more common back in the early 1900's.
A fantastic film, very well done.
#ART *chef's kiss 😚👌
(The movie and this analysis)
Props to you Rob!
The farmhand Hickory that turns into the Tin Man says “someday they’re going to erect a statue of me in this town” so statue = tin man.
They’re farmhands, men who work on the farm, not uncles.
The scene where the apple trees are talking is not “normal” for Oz. The trees there don’t normally talk, either. If you watch closely, as Dorothy and the Scarecrow approach the trees, you can see the Wicked Witch hiding among the trees and kind of slinking away. What has happened is that the Wicked Witch has put a spell on the trees to try to keep Dorothy from getting apples.
Of course, when I was a child, I didn’t notice most of what you’re talking about. But as an adult, I do notice it, and my analysis matches yours in most of what you say. You’ve obviously given it more thought than I ever did, so you point out some things that I didn’t notice along with the things that I did notice.
It is correct that the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion each already have the trait that they think they’re missing. That concept is much plainer in the book.
In the book, though, Oz was not a dream. It was real and at the end, it says that Dorothy magically flew home and the silver slippers fell off her feet as she flew. In the book, they were silver slippers. The filmmakers changed them to ruby slippers because they were using Technicolor to film it and they wanted the slippers to be colorful.
Rob, have you considered doing a film analysis of the 1972 movie "Deliverance"? I've noticed a lot of symbolism in the film and foreshadowings.
Interesting. I know the Wizard character is frequently used as an analogy for narcissists too. It would be interesting to explore the book as well as the movie, which if I understand correctly,is very seldom read in the UK but much loved in the USA. The winged monkeys are the images which strike me most about this film but I know you were trying to keep your video short. Might be enough material for a Part 2 here Rob :-)
I didn’t know many of the meanings in The Wizard of Oz until I grew up. Like poppies related to drugs, pedophilia, for obvious reasons, the flying monkeys, obviously race related, and the flagrant use and acceptance of witchcraft. Good or bad. There’s more. But you get the picture. At least I did.
It's my favourite childhood film. Your analysis definitely added some explanations that I had not thought of. For example, the Munchkins being farm animals does make sense.
Hey this blew my mind! I love the education focus.
MR KNOW IT ALL, the scene of the hanging in the background 7:52 is not doctored for you tubers. It appeared on VHS back in the 90"s and was very well known at that time. You can't explain everything away to your liking. Some things are as they seem.
Thanks for your videos. Would you consider enabling subtitles?
This was brilliant!
The Wizard of Oz is my favorite movie of all time, and I have seen it so many times.
Your video brought so many things that I have never thought of to light, and have reaffirmed why I love this movie so much, and why it is so genius.
If you ever had the time, I would love to see a video discussing how Oz: The Great and Powerful ties into The Wizard of Oz seeing as Dorothy’s journey was all a dream.
Thank you so much for your time and such a fantastic video.
Its actually an allegory for Hollywood and the American dream lol
Okay yes to be fair. But that "person" trying to hurt Toto was a actual monster