This cinematic critique comes by way of The Sopris Stars, a new monthly youth publication powered by The Sopris Sun.
Editor’s note:Potential spoilers of “Wicked”and “Stranger Things” lie ahead.
Many critics agree that the Broadway musical and popular “Wicked” films paint a political drama, exploring themes of conspiracy, polarization and facism. New York Times film critic Manohla Dargis stated in her review that “Fascism has come to Oz in ‘Wicked: For Good,’ and there’s no wishing it away.”
These themes were even more prevalent in the play-inspiring novel by Gregory Maguire, but, rather than allowing the story to parallel the sensitive debates prevalent in today’s political environment, director John M. Chu has drawn on its face with crayons and poured glitter in its hair. While the film still covers complex societal themes, each has been buffered. This ebullient perspective is pervasive, from the fashion designs to the script itself, and does not make the story more approachable. It rather infers that topics of great severity can not be conceptualized by the average viewer, at least not without a layer of pink bubblewrap to protect them from a stark reality.
The musical’s Doctor Dillamond is a goat with human qualities, including the ability to think and speak, who is very special to the protagonist, Elphaba, in all variations of the story. The two characters find comfort in each other’s presence due to their unusual appearances. In the story, Dillamond finds the words “animals should be seen and not heard” scrawled on his whiteboard. In 2024, critic David Crow wrote, “Even 20 years ago, I recognized the importance of
reminding the next generation about the insidious way
hatreds and bigotries can be manipulated like something out of 1930s Germany.”
I could not agree more with Crow about the references prominent in the story. However, I think that these themes, particularly Dillamond’s absence following the incident, would have been much more impactful without the filler dialogue surrounding it. The search for Dillamond could have been an impactful reflection of the discrimination that so often follows diversity, but instead our focus was turned almost completely to the complicated romance between Elphaba and Fiyero.
This is not a critique of “Wicked” alone, but of countless other cinematic tellings that attempt to explore contemporary political and cultural divides. The mixing and mingling of contrasting points of view can be effective. In fact, it is essential for an informed society not to build an intolerance toward candor, regardless of how difficult it may be to untangle.
Entertainment is meant to entertain, but also serves to educate on many topics, including morality and bigotry. And perhaps popular media can be used to convey themes that younger generations tend to shy away from.
‘Stranger Things’
Take the show that has recently taken the world by storm, “Stranger Things.” This action-packed thriller flew out of
left field and executed this purpose almost perfectly.
While New York Times critic James Poniewozik stated that
“it never met a subplot it could do without,” I believe these subplots are what make the show so appealing to younger audiences, each demonstrating the chaos and complexity
of being a teenager.
The child characters are pulled between saving the world and playing Dungeons & Dragons in Mike’s basement, juggling monsters, parents and curfews. All the while, the show carries symbolisms of politics and, more specifically, clandestine government control.
Though the series takes place in the ‘80s, certain themes reflect our times. The characters are surrounded by people covering up truths: from their parents to the demogorgon to the government. The characters struggle to differentiate reality from fraud, which I can’t help but compare to modern misinformation and disinformation concerns or far-fetched conspiracy theories circulating the internet. In the show, the “upside down” is concealed by the government, reflecting transparency and accountability concerns.
The subplots in “Stranger Things” may be construed as a buffer to overshadow these themes, but, to this critic, mirror the daily lives we each carry out amid our real world’s own omnipresent chaos.