The Wizard of Oz

(Victor Fleming, US 1939, 102 min., 35mm)

If ever a film was meant to be seen on the big screen, this is it. Now a cultural icon, this adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s novel was one of the first films to be named to the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress. Judy Garland gives an endearing performance as the young Dorothy Gale, who is swept away by a tornado to the Land of Oz. A triumph of costumes, makeup, and set design, and featuring Harold Arlen’s Oscar-winning song “Over the Rainbow,” this film captures the fear, imagination, and wonder of childhood in fantastic Technicolor.