As a Frenchman, this movie has never been a movie staple for me. I mean, I knew it existed, I knew about the scarecrow, the tin man and the lion…gosh, I even knew about the famous song. They would probably show it on TV around Christmas but I just didn’t take the chance to actually watch it. And after all, we’ve got our own children’s classic movies and they were the one we would watch with fervor and passion under the comforting shadow of the big Christmas tree year after year. Jean Marais, Gerard Philippe, Belmondo, they were my heroes, the one that I was hoping to join on their exhilarating adventures, riding horses, climbing donjons and inviolable castles.
But back to Oz…
In a sense, what a better way to discover the wonders and colors of this movie than watch it in the marvelous blu-ray edition that was released a few days ago. It will never rival with the “in-theater” experience, but it’s definitely a close contestant that could bring magic and wonder in your home sweet home. And what a wonder it was to see Dorothy open the door of her house and discover the world of Oz for the very first time!
How many movies could pride themselves on bringing such a dazzling feeling after 60 years of existence?
And that’s why movies are such an important part of my life. That’s why I keep feeding my appetite with movies from all around the world, old, new, funny, scary, good, not so good, short, long...That’s why, deep inside of me, I’m still the little boy whose first vivid memory in a movie theater was the day I watched “E.T” on the big screen with my dad. Watching him cry (as the rest of the people that night) when the light went on made me understand the power of movies, the way they could dive into your subconscious, building a receptacle for years and years of flickering images to come.
I love movies.
I love writing. The stories are all around, they’re floating above us, they’re the magical click that could turn our life upside down.
From the Kid who’s crying inside the arms of a beggar to the Kid who doesn’t want to let his alien friend to go home, movies spell the word M.A.G.I.C in a universal language.
That’s what it was meant to be, and that’s what it has to remain after all.
