In “Wicked: For Good,” animals, who have already lost their ability to speak, are being oppressed, and those in power are dictating the lives of their constituents. Although a fictitious movie, the themes echo unpleasant parts of our history and even conjure parallels of modern society and government.
With the return of the Wicked Witch of the West, Elphaba Thropp, played by Cynthia Erivo, Oz is in upheaval and “danger,” as claimed by the powerful. The Wizard and Madame Morrible have obtained significant power, and with Glinda Upland, played by Ariana Grande, they are able to manipulate the public to view Elphaba as a source of evil.
Wicked is not just a story of an endearing friendship, but also a message on public oppression and government dictatorship. In “Thank Goodness,” Glinda presents news of her and Prince Fiyero’s wedding. She claims, “I couldn’t be happier.” Her lying throughout the majority of this song points towards the calculative nature of the powerful, and how those in charge often lie to get their way.
As a whole, part two lacked the melodic buoyancy and joy of its predecessor, which was anticipated: this movie covers a darker time in both Elphaba and Glinda’s lives. Vocally, this film is greater and more developed, perfecting the delivery of its songs and also increasing the emotional impact of the musical.
For example, it’s safe to say that during “No Good Deed,” Erivo’s portrayal of sheer regret and guilt, through song, was truly awe-inspiring.
During “For Good,” the switch in melodic tendencies for Grande and Erivo provided another significant moment, as Grande usually sings the higher parts. In the franchise, it is said that the higher Glinda sings, the less truthful she is being. Here, one can take note of Grande’s extraordinary illustration of Glinda’s truth and honesty through her singing in her lower register, as she speaks to her best friend and finally confesses her feelings: “Because I knew you, I have been changed for good.”
All in all, the soundtrack provides the deepest view into both character’s increased maturity but would be easier to adapt to if listened to all at once. To better understand and balance the emotions of the movies, we recommend watching both back-to-back.
Since the release of the franchise, its biggest criticism has been its length. While movie one runs over three hours, its successor is just longer than two hours; the movies are significantly longer than the Broadway production of the same musical.
As viewers who enjoyed the movies thoroughly, we did not notice the length, nor do we find it to be a negative. For those who are new to the franchise or are used to the shorter Broadway musical, which runs at about two hours for the entire story, the run time of over five hours may feel tedious. The filmmakers seem to prioritize plot, connections to the storyline throughout both movies, and elements of foreshadowing over viewers’ time, and that decision may harm them in terms of finding new fans. However, we felt the film was overall enjoyable even considering its run time.
This movie focuses on Glinda’s path to truly becoming “the good,” a significant change for the character. During “Wonderful,” Glinda still has hope in the wizard, as seen in her reprise of the “unlimited” theme and urges Elphaba to ally with them. But once her wedding day doesn’t necessarily go to plan, a switch begins to occur in the character’s behavior.
From minor details, such as perfecting the mannerisms of her character’s day-to-day interactions with others, to her vocal performance during “The Girl in the Bubble,” to her somber and melancholic overturn during the horse ride to Kiomo Ko, Grande’s version of Glinda encapsulated everything necessary to bring her character to life.
Easily manipulated by the Wizard and Madame Morrible, however, Glinda’s naivety and innocent disposition may have delivered a deeper message on the heavy influence of government propaganda. The green, ugly posters of Elphaba labeled as “wicked” and the bright, pink posters of Glinda as “the good” looked oddly familiar to those created by many in our government today.
Often, we become trapped in the biased advertisements and media online, a huge threat to our understanding of the world around us. If the information we consume is deceptive and unreliable, then those we vote into power will be, too.
Returning to Munchkinland during the final moments of the film, all of Oz sings in unison: “No one mourns the wicked.” Glinda, saddened by the death of her best friend, delivers a powerful message to those gathered around her. Now a renowned public figure and on the road to changing for the better, she vows to ensure that the elite will end their discrimination. Their steady corruption is halted by the re-entry of animals into the Emerald City, an integration similar to that of the late 1950s. The message here is clear, true, and applaudable: everyone is made equal.
Director Jon M. Chu’s homage to the original Broadway production of “Wicked” ends the movie when Glinda is seen whispering into Elphaba’s ear as the sun sets behind the duo. This visual is a direct nod to the cover of the playbill created in 2003 for Broadway.
In an interview with “Variety,” Chu revealed that “the girls got to choose what they are actually saying in the scene. I don’t even know what they said.” Keeping the whisper a secret between Grande and Erivo, between Glinda and Elphaba, strengthens their bond and promotes their sacred connection.
Overall, we gave part two a four out of five stars. Since Elphaba knew that poppy flowers have the power to put anyone to sleep, why couldn’t she have just used those to her benefit? Madame Morrible is able to control the weather, so why didn’t she apply these powers against her enemy? Though some of our questions were left unanswered, the sheer beauty of this movie cannot be denied.
This movie’s lack of the certain sense of joy and youthfulness that part one contained was expected due to the maturity in the main characters’ lives and minds. Portrayed visually and cinematically darker than the first, movie two contained scenes of colorful splendor during its happier moments, while its angered and frustrated scenes were much more obscure.
For example, during the dark “No Good Deed” ending scene, Elphaba’s rage and wrath is portrayed by fire and flames.
“We first see it when she starts the fire and the monkeys start flying around and lighting all the torches,” cinematographer Alice Brooks said. “She’s about to transform into the Wicked Witch of the West.”
In a similar fashion, the color blue represented Elphaba and Glinda’s friendship throughout the movies; the shade of blue of the moon during “For Good” is the same color used for the lighting in the first movie during the Ozdust Ball, when both girls first became friends.
Minor details such as this one, but also Dorothy’s kicking legs as she is taken by the flying monkeys, or the slowing down of the confetti around Glinda as she sings “Thank Goodness” and comes to important realizations in her own personal life, are what make this movie so well put together and presented.
Nearing perfection, “Wicked: For Good” has it all: true love, hateful loathing, beautiful vocals, serene visuals, and unexpected plot twists. But most importantly, it leads to the conclusion of a true and grand friendship, capturing the essence of connections full of reverence and interdependence while delivering powerful messages that simply can’t be ignored.
