#wicked: part 1 2024

[quotes-from-oz]

I really love how in the speaking interlude in Defying Gravity Glinda gives Elphaba the cape. Even though it's just scrounged from around them in the Wizard's palace. In this scene Glinda knows she won't go with Elphaba. That's something she can't commit to. But she still loves her and wants to protect her. Glinda does not have much power or strength in the same way Elphaba does. The way she protects Elphaba and shows she cares here is the same way she does in Popular: through costume. If there's one thing Glinda understands, it's perception and image. She expresses herself through her clothing. She doesn't give the cape to Elphaba just because it's cold out and it'll keep her warm (though that's true) but also because it is a visual symbol of who she wants to become, and in this moment Glinda is empowering her towards that even though she can't agree with her choices. Just like in Popular Glinda is helping Elphaba manage her image to get the results she wants, although in Popular urging Elphaba to conform not only protected her but lent her credibility, while here it allows her to break out of the role Glinda helped put her in in the first place. I think this moment really shows how much Glinda cares about Elphaba. And the fact that Elphaba keeps wearing it for the next several years also shows how Elphaba feels about Glinda.

[mikkimai]

Pink.

[mellkellyismyhero]

I love how Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel specifically cameoed during One Short Day, because that’s the song where Glinda and Elphaba are talking about their future together- a future that we know they’ll never get. BUT having Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth there feels like we got to see a version of Elphaba and Glinda who DID get their happy ending together living in the Emerald City 💚🩷

[thephantomofanastasia]

Really cool wicked fanart by APOLAR on Instagram - apolar.arch their work is incredible. Check their page out!

https://www.instagram.com/apolar.arch/profilecard/?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==

[crowlixcx]

Two good friends. Two best friends.

[florals-cardigan]

[tophuukiey]

“Stay close to your dearest friends

But also, even closer to your adversaries„

•

•

Bonus—the uncropped, unshaded version:

[melknkookies]

Cottagecore gelphie!!🩷💚

(finally had time to finish a drawing of them. I literally went to the theaters 5 times for them)

[gay-aunt-jackie]

my head if they made inside out

[tidescaller]

GLINDA in Wicked: Part I HAPPY SCANDALOCIOUS BIRTHDAY ! @harleyquinizel

[quotes-from-oz]

One other critique I will make about movie!Elphaba has very little to do with Erivo or her acting (again, I think she was very capable) but more with her casting choice.

I've previously reblogged posts complaining about Elphaba being essentially conventionally attractive in the film. While she is green, elements of her presentation, which mark the way she is treated and consequently moves through the world, are unusual, such as her being generally ugly or unattractive, and somewhat androgynous/not fitting regular standards of femininity. This is my other issue with movie!Elphaba.

And this is a longtime issue with book-to-film adaptations featuring unattractive or unpalatable characters. People looking at an image crave beauty, marketing execs like easily marketable material, hence the unattractive becomes attractive on it's journey to the silver screen, regardless of the maintained textual treatment of the characters (ie in the world of Wicked everyone maintains Elphaba is still unattractive, despite complete conventional beauty, an impeccable style and symmetrical features). We've seen this in the Hunger Games, Legally Blonde, or any movie that tries to convince it's audience an otherwise model in glasses is an ugly girl prior to a makeover.

But I think it goes past simple beauty, down to the way Elphaba is presented to the audience in Wicked: Part 1. There were multiple moments where Elphaba exhibited behaviour that textually, was odd and offputting, but to the audience was stunning and impressive. I think the most notable example was the scene of her dancing alone at the Ozdust. I personally as a viewer have a hard time believing that she is being bullied public humiliation style while she is voguing and serving absolute cunt. Her dance is striking, and not ridiculous or awkward at all. When you make Elphaba seem effortlessly cool, beautiful, and admirable, the core of her character makes less and less sense.

This portrayal is at odds with Galinda who is textually a popular, beautiful woman but who is permitted to, from the audience's point of view, maintain her stage theatrics and goofiness as she occupies a more comedic role to Elphaba's somber, righteous protagonist. The physical comedy of Galinda's over the top "toss toss!" when talking to Fiyero is played for laughs in a way even Elphaba's mimicry in Popular doesn't match. Even at her most uncomfortable Elphaba in the film has an effortless elegance, meanwhile Galinda swings on chandeliers, resulting in an odd viewing experience as the film tries to convince you that Elphaba is weird without ever showing her be weird.

Elphaba's textually-awkward-yet-objective-grace in the film paired with Galinda's textually-normalized-and-beautiful-yet-objective-physical-comedy-routine further obfuscates one of the key points of Wicked in my eyes. That is, that a black and white morals are tied to conventional beauty, gender roles, and social acceptance, and all of this serves to ostracize the other and further political persecution of minorities or othered people. But, of course, I do understand that this theme slipping from any film adaptation was inevitable with today's Hollywood being what it is.

TLDR: I love Erivo but she slayed too hard. I miss weird ugly social outcast Elphaba.

[mikkimai]

I'm too far gone ✧˖°⊹ ࣪ ˖

[mari-thesapphic-lady]

quality is terrible but LOOK HOW BEAUTIFUL SHE IS!!

[corona-australis]

WICKED (2024) - dir. Jon M. Chu

[crowlixcx]

[mysweetgelphie]

the first time i watched wicked i didn’t rlly see the throuple thing with fiyero, elphaba & glinda. but on my second watch there was this moment where i was like OMG THROUPLE!!!! and i’m not rlly sure why

but the moment when glinda changes her name & she’s like “im making an announcement! i’m going to change my name!”, fiyero immediately so concerned just says “your name?!” & glinda very quickly turns to look at him and says “yes😇”

then elphaba equally as concerned as fiyero goes “are you sure???” and glinda again turns quickly to say “yes😇” & in the theatre i was like omg that was such a throuple moment between them

elphaba & fiyero were just looking at her so fondly & concerned afterward as well like they’re both thinking “well, our gf is always doing silly things, but she’s glinda so we’ll just go along with it” i love them