Both Wicked films have plenty of deep political themes. However, the creatives did choose to amend two dicey political lines from the Wicked film, and to cut out two important references from Wicked: For Good. I don’t know how to feel about this.
The Wicked film changed some key things about how Oz is run
Two lines of act one of the stage show suggest that Munchkinland might not be run in the most democratic way. Right at the start of the play, Glinda tells the crowds that Elphaba and Nessa’s father “just happened to the governor of Munchkinland”. Later on, when the dad gifts Nessa the shoes, he says this “befits the future governor of Munchkinland”. When you put these lines together, they imply that Munchkinland’s ruler isn’t directly voted on by the people, but isn’t simply a hereditary position. If the role was inherited, then the dad wouldn’t “just happen” to get the job, and the next ruler would be Elphaba. It seems this elite family are manipulating the system so they stay in power.
The Wicked film doesn’t imply this in the same way. Glinda says that Elphaba’s father had been “appointed” the governor of Munchkinland. This suggests the selection process was more transparent, and wasn’t only his doing. He never suggests Nessa is set to become the governor after him. So, the film doesn’t make the same points that the musical did about elite political families.
Wicked: For Good glossed over two references to US politics
When Elphaba visits Nessarose in Munchkinland, she asks for help. In the stage show version, Nessa says, “I can’t harbour a fugitive. I am an unelected official!”
Now, the stage show opened on Broadway in 2003. Back then, this “unelected official” line was a really big deal. Plenty of theatregoers interpreted “unelected official” as being a jab at George W Bush. He won the 2000 presidential election very narrowly, and only after several recounts and a controversial Supreme Court ruling. It was common to refer to him as an “unelected official”.
Wicked: For Good didn’t include this line. Lots of the dialogue in this scene is very different from the musical.
Another political reference from act two of the musical was cut from Wicked: For Good. Once Dorothy’s house has squashed Nessa, Elphaba and Glinda argue. Elphaba has clocked that her sister has been murdered. Glinda refuses to acknowledge the Wizard’s (and her own) involvement. In the stage show, Elphaba asks Glinda what else Nessa’s death would be. Glinda responds that it is a “regime change”.
In the 2000s, the Bush administration often referred to the Iraq War as a “regime change”. The Wicked: For Good film didn’t use this phrase.
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Featured images via Universal Pictures.
