Why ‘Wicked’ Is What Society Needs Right Now
On its opening weekend, Wicked racked in a history-making £129 million at the global box office, making Jon M. Chu’s cinematic adaptation the highest achieving film based on a Broadway musical ever. We’ve been treated to months of method dressing from Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, press roll outs and prereleases, so the magical film has dominated the media. But not just for the glamour of it all, but due to the necessary – and incredibly timely – moments of representation and pertinent themes seen throughout the film and with the cast members.
From LGBTQ+ representation, to shining a light on disabilities, animal rights, female friendship and more, Wicked not only offers escapism to a world of utter fantasy, but equally, acts as a sharp reminder of how to navigate a world marred by corruption and discrimination. Below, we explore the themes and storylines that have captured hearts and minds.
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Race and Representation
As one of the most widely known musicals, even the uninitiated will know that a key theme and plot line of Wicked is the ostracisation from society faced by Elphaba, (the ‘wicked witch’) who was born with green skin and is abandoned at birth because of this. Throughout the film, Elphaba faces discrimination and prejudice by almost everyone, forcing her to be an outsider.
Adding a layer of depth, Cynthia Erivo has become only the second black woman to play the role. The first being Alexia Khadime in the West End production between 2008-2013. With the film’s symbolism of race and discrimination and parallels to the very real representation of Black women in the industry and wider world, Erivo has often spoken about the impact of this.
During a recent interview with Variety, the star stated the following: ‘I hope it’s a bit of a love letter to everyone who feels different, who feels out of place, to all of the Black women who have walked into rooms and felt like they haven’t been welcomed.’
‘To anyone who has walked into a room and felt like they haven’t been welcomed... I am really glad to be the conduit through which this character has been brought to the world.'
Disability Rights
Across the history of Wicked, disability representation has been a conversation point. Since the arrival of Wicked on Broadway in 2003, the musical had never cast an actual disabled person to play the role of Nessarose (Elphaba's coddled younger sister), who is paraplegic. That is, until the release of the 2024 film. Adding to the film's list of firsts, Marissa Bode became the first actor in a wheelchair to play Nessarose. Authentic representation prevails.
Animal Rights
The 2024 Wicked film also touches on themes of animal rights and cruelty. In Oz, animals are marginalised and stripped of their rights, and Elphaba’s fight to defend them reflects a solidarity with her own personal struggle against injustice. As she seeks to protect the voiceless, her actions challenge the status quo, drawing parallels to real-world issues of animal cruelty and exploitation.
LGBTQ+ Visibility
Another reason why Wicked has become such a celebrated success is due to the LGBTQ+ visibility portrayed in the film, and, through some of the cast members. Much of the prominent cast members, including Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Marissa Bode, Bowen Yang and Bronwyn James, all identify as queer.
While there are no clear or direct queer romantic storylines between characters in Wicked, it is thought that queer people are represented in the land of Oz. Adding to this, both Erivo and Grande recently speculated about the sexuality of their respective characters, Elphaba and Glinda, given their extremely close relationship.
During an interview with The Gay Times, Erivo stated, ‘I think Elfie, she goes wherever the wind goes. I think she loves Glinda, I think she loves love,’ Erivo said. ‘I don’t think there’s anything wrong with celebrating the deep connection that both of them have. They do have a real relationship, it is true love, which is probably why people are shipping it because what they build with each other is an unbreakable bond.’
Similarly, Grande hinted at the fact that there may be more to Glinda’s sexuality, ‘Whether it’s romantic or platonic — Glinda might be a little in the closet — but if there were a time, you never know. Give it a little more time. It is just a true love, and I think that it transcends sexuality. It's just kind of a deep safety within each other.’ It’s beautiful to even imagine it, and give the audience that opportunity too.
Female Friendship
Another one of the major themes of the 2024 Wicked film is female friendship, which is largely seen between Elphaba and Glinda. Despite coming from vastly different upbringings and experiences, eventually, the pair are able to find strength and safety in one another.
While Glinda’s sweet, charismatic character contrasts against Elphaba’s fierce and formidable will, their bond allows them to face adversity head on while learning and growing together. There’s a removing of the typical trope of rivalry between two leading female characters – and rather, we see a relationship where empathy, support and understanding come out on top.
Political Strife
Mirroring very real themes of the past and contemporary, Wicked masterfully explores issues of power, corruption and social injustice through Oz’s political strife. There is a truly dystopian – and timely – vision at play here: we can view things through a post-US election lens. Namely, it’s an allegory for a United States that is ruled by a despotic man who harnesses both fear and entertainment to rule. Trumpism rings true in Oz.
Director Chu has spoken about the parallels of Wicked with the life of immigrants in the US. He recalls the scene where we see the wizard for what he is. “The storyteller has been unveiled and now the story we’re sitting in, we’re wondering, ‘Was this ever true?’ Is the yellow brick road that my parents talked to us plenty times about in the Wizard of Oz when I was growing up as immigrants, was that a real thing? Or maybe it was never made for us?”
“We’ll have to fix them ourselves,” Chu continued, “It’s not even about the truth… it’s when you find out the truth, when you wake up, what are you going to do? What’s your decision? Are you an Elphaba, or are you a Glinda (Ariana Grande)?”
As the film is set in a divided Munchkinland, Elphaba quickly becomes a symbol of the rebellion against an oppressive regime that others not only subordinates outsider humans, but wishes to take away the animals’ civil rights and abilities to speak. While Glinda initially opposed Elphaba, her character arc to stand by her side reflects how impactful not conforming to pressure and societal norms can be on yourself and others. The questioning of society’s ills, and acting as an ally to marginalised groups, chimes in an always timeless and urgent way.
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