One particular scene inWickedjust gets better every time I watch it. Like many who have long loved the musical, I counted down the days to watch the on-screen adaptation. I saw theWickedmovie for the first time on the day it was released, and was happy enough to accept an invitation from a friend to see it again only a week later. Now, withWickedavailable to digitally purchase, I have watched the movie two more times (so far). This will almost certainly become one of my regular comfort watches, but I find myself especially eager to watch a single resounding scene.
Wickedis obviously a winner in several ways. It’s not easy to bring a belovedBroadway musical to the screen, and projects likeCatsandInto the Woodshave demonstrated varying ways that this can go wrong. Director Jon M. Chu managed the perfect balance withWicked, however. The movie is true to the musical, and any changes and adjustments made were only an enhancement. I found “Defying Gravity,” “The Wizard and I,” and otherWickedmusical numbersand their scenes to be even better than the stage production in some ways. Still,the Ozdust dance scene is what always pulls me in.
Galinda & Elphaba’s Ozdust Dance Is Always My Favorite Scene To Watch In Wicked
Chu’s Changes Greatly Enhanced This Scene
Galinda and Elphaba’s dance at the Ozdust Ballroom may be the single most important scene in theWickedmovie. While it is undoubtedly key in these two characters' stories in the Broadway musical, the on-screen version took this to a different level by focusing on the moment’s emotions. It’s clear to me that Chu recognized the advantage he had here.
The scene is profoundly artistic, but not so much that it becomes pretentious or superficial. The balance hereallowed the official start to Galinda and Elphaba’s friendship to resonate with me in a way it never had beforetheWickedmovie.
The Reason Wicked’s Ozdust Scene Will Never Get Old To Me
This Scene Perfectly Captures The Complicated Nature Of Galinda & Elphaba’s Friendship
The first time I watched theWickedmovie, I felt a bit uncomfortable with the wayGalinda and Elphaba’s Ozdust dancewas drawn out in comparison to the musical. As someone who knows this story inside and out, I was, admittedly, counting down the moments to “Popular,” which I knew would come after “Dancing Through Life.” After all these years, the gravity of moments like the one played out at the Ozdust Ballroom had been somewhat lost to me. However, by slowing things down and really emphasizing the characters' discomfort,Chu forced viewers like me to stop and fully appreciate the situation.
Turning the Ozdust scene into the anchor for the firstWickedmovie was a powerful choice on Chu’s part, and I’ll never get tired of watching it.
Now, with every rewatch ofWicked, I love this scene even more. There areso many layers of nuance to how Elphie and Galanda start their friendship. Both girls were emotionally vulnerable in a way they weren’t typically comfortable, and this dynamic carries across their friendship. Their dance becomes an inside joke that is referenced throughoutWicked, and this is entirely unique to the movie. Turning the Ozdust scene into the anchor for the firstWickedmovie was a powerful choice on Chu’s part, and I’ll never get tired of watching it.
