The Wizard of Oz (1939)
The Wicked Witch of the West is among the greatest villains of all time. Not only does she have magical powers and a private army but she is crafty. Not only is she willing to kill but she delights in personalizing the doom of her victims. She is passionate yet always in control. Her hatred for the protagonist is arguably justified.
The Wicked Witch has the generic look of a wicked witch… yet it is very distinct. The actress who played her matched the look with such memorable gusto that she set the standard. Her character now defines the archetype.
The Wizard of Oz was a musical fantasy for general audiences. It was and is family friendly, suitable for children, yet its villain is scary. When she dashes the hopes of a young girl with a cruel trick of sadistic mockery, we are terrified. The scene is scarier than most in actual horror movies.
The greatness of the Wicked
Witch of the West as a fictional character can be proven. Her movie was
generations ago… yet you all know who am talking about by her nameless name
alone.
She is a character that people want to know more about. A few stories have been written to explain how she became that way. Good villains tend to draw that kind of attention.
ReplyDeleteIndeed. An entire book and musical was written about her. To say she's memorable is understatement at this point.
DeleteI liked her. I like her even more as I read "Wicked." She did such a great job in the movie and everyone has been inspired by her version.
ReplyDeleteHer influence has not waned in nearly a century! She has proven an everlasting inspiration.
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