From The genius For Badfrom Toto to “Dorothy’s friends”, arguably no American film has influenced the popular consciousness as much as Victor Fleming’s 1939. THE Wizard of Oz. And yet, its enduring thematic and visual presence in David Lynch’s filmography might surprise some. After all, most of us look first The Wizard of Oz as children; Lynch’s dishes often get so dark that grown adults need a visual and conceptual palate cleanser before bed. For these reasons, Alexandre O. Philippe Lynch/Oz would seem a must for fans of the yellow brick road or the Great Northern Hotel in twin peaks. If only.
What could have been a fascinating exploration of how one of America’s weirdest cinematic classics shaped one of our weirdest contemporary authors is instead a series of rambling video essays narrated by critics and directors who, on occasion, seem to know little about film or film history. Somehow almost each the canonical movie is “like” The Wizard of Oz – Since The Miracle Worker For The Big Lebowski. The context of the end of the Depression and the film’s queer appeal are almost entirely ignored as speakers rave about incredibly common narrative themes and plot points not only in film, but in Western storytelling as well. and Eastern: a physical journey resulting in an epiphany, a portal to a new and alien world, asymmetries of power, etc.
Much of what is thematically related to The Wizard of Oz also applies to books that preceded it: Frank Baum’s 1900 children’s novel on which it was based, Lewis Carroll’s 1865 Alice’s Adventures in Wonderlandor the Chronicles of Narnia series by CS Lewis — not to mention older texts like Homer’s THE Iliad and the Odyssey or the Mesopotamian Epic of Gilgamesh. Lynch/Oz show me how all great filmmakers build on the work of great filmmakers who came before them – from Antonioni to Arthur Penn to George Lucas. “Is this an Oz tale?” asks director Rodney Ascher, commenting on Luke Skywalker’s journey to the Death Star to join the Rebellion. “Is all?”
But if “everything” is an Oz tale, then why focus on David Lynch? Lynch/Oz is most compelling when the screen splits to compare stark visual parallels between the fantasy musical and moments from Lynch: The Wicked Witch who suddenly appears in lost highway (1997), Dorothy’s Fear by Naomi Watts as she arrives in Hollywood in Mulholland Drive (2002), the preponderance of ruby red shoes worn by female Lynch characters. Filmmakers John Waters and Karyn Kusama offer the only redemptive commentary, with separate claims backed by evidence specific to THE Wizard of Oz and how it influenced Lynch and other directors.
“Not a day goes by that I don’t think about The Wizard of Oz“, said Lynch of the film – and from the excerpts of his work in this doc, it’s not hard to believe him. But comparing this cinematic touchstone to so many films, of so many styles , many of which have nothing to do with Lynch (Eddie Murphy’s Coming to America?), Philippe dilutes the thesis of the film. For those with only a tentative understanding of film history or storytelling staples, Lynch/Oz can be insightful (“look, all of these movies contain similar conflicts or plot points!”), but for those who want a deeper understanding of either THE Wizard of Oz or the singular work of Lynch, this documentary will disappoint you.
Lynch/Oz is currently in theaters.
