Evil director Jon M. Chu defends the film’s smooth color grading. Adapted from the Broadway musical of the same name, the 2024 musical brings the story of Elphaba (Cynthia Eviro), the Wicked Witch of the West, to the big screen. Although the film received rave reviews from audiences and critics, one aspect attracted controversy. How the land of Oz has always been rich in color both in the 1939s The Wizard of Oz and 2013 Oz: The Great and Powerfulthe 2024 film has an overall desaturated look.
Chu said The Globe and the Mail that the film’s smooth color grading was deliberate to “immerse people in Oz” and “make it a real place“instead of feeling fake and plastic. Otherwise, he explained, the stakes and relationships wouldn’t feel real. Evil also aims to offer a new way of experiencing Oz, where people can feel “the dirt” and “the wear of it” due to the impact Oz has on the earth. Chu further reveals that as Elphaba’s story progresses, the the color contrast would “above” over time. Check out what he said below:
I mean, there’s color everywhere. I think what we wanted to do was immerse people in Oz, to make it a real place. Because if it was a fake place, if it was a dream in someone’s mind, then the real relationships and the risks that these two girls are facing wouldn’t seem real.
It is also [presented in] in a way we’ve never experienced in Oz before. It’s been a matte paint job. It’s been a digital video game world. But for us, I want to feel the dirt. I want to feel the wear of it. And that means it’s not plastic.
We have the environment. The sun is the main source of light. You see the vast landscapes. You see the air. You see there are creatures here. These two characters who will go through two films, their relationship with the land is important; its relationship with the nature of this land that the magician imposed on himself. THE [colour] the contrast increases over time because that is what Elphaba brings to this world.
What does this mean for the wicked
Colors are used intentionally in Wicked
The use of color in Evil has deeper meaningsand the film does not lack for colorful costumes and sets. While Glinda’s (Ariana Grande-Butera) outfits are in abundant shades of pink and relentless fashion styles, Elphaba is authentic in her choice of colors. She doesn’t try to hide her naturally green skin, which is also the central color of the Emerald City.
The land of Oz is supposed to be a magical place rich in color, but with the wizard in charge (Jeff Goldblum) lacking any magic of his own and the sinister plan to suppress magic in Oz, the world of Evil is witheringresulting in the film’s dull and desaturated color grading. Chu’s comment indicates that he is using color to tell the story of magic in the film. The lack of color also configures the change of Perverse Part II.
Our Take on Wicked’s Color Rating
It’s a brilliant detail that adds to Wicked’s world-building
The drab color grading is doing exactly what it intends to do by disappointing viewers of the supposedly magical land of Oz, ruled by an imposter. In The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy tells her side of the story, having traveled to the land of Oz for the first time, but as viewers will already know, her version barely covers the truth in Evilthe story.
Without the color change, the Wizard of Oz’s impact on the magical land would go unnoticed. Although the wizard is great at selling a false story to the people of Oz and using colors and styles to decorate his lies, he cannot hide the truth about the damage he causes to the land and people. The Wizard of Oz makes Elphaba the villain, but EvilThe first film’s dull color grading is a brilliant detail that shows the wizard’s true face.
Source: The Globe and the Mail