Depraved: For Good completes John M. Chu’s film adaptation of the Broadway musical Depraved, monitoring the poignant friendship between Wizard of Ouncescharacters Glinda the Good (Ariana Grande) and Elphaba, the Depraved Witch of the West (Cynthia Erivo). As anticipated from a fandom that’s been kicking round since Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel Depraved: The Life and Occasions of the Depraved Witch of the West, folks have loads to say in response.
Particularly, followers are divided about the place the story wraps up, and whether or not the movie’s model of Glinda’s ending is meant to be constructive. For us, it appears apparent: Glinda’s ending is a lot saccharine at first look, but it surely comes at an important value that may not be instantly clear.
[Ed. note: This article contains spoilers for Wicked: For Good and the Broadway musical.]
The ending of Depraved the musical has all the time been a scorching matter, with followers discovering Elphaba and Glinda’s parting a powerful capsule to swallow. And the brand new model has had its personal controversies, with viewers complaining that Elphaba and Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey) don’t inform Glinda they’re each alive. For essentially the most half, For Good stays trustworthy to the musical’s ending for Glinda, along with her kicking the Wizard (Jeff Goldblum) out of Ouncesand locking up Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh). However there are small, vital modifications price speaking about. For one factor, the musical would not discover whether or not Ouncess speaking animals get their rights and voices again after being ostracized and oppressed by the folks of Oz. In For Good, nevertheless, Glinda manages to revive animal citizenship in Oz, precisely what Elphaba all the time wished.
The most important change, nevertheless, is Glinda returning to the Emerald Metropolis tower the place Elphaba defied gravity and swore to alter Ouncesfor the higher. Glinda appears out over the town she now guidelines. Leagues away, touring alongside Fiyero within the realm past Oz, Elphaba appears again in her path. Regardless of the space, it’s clear that the 2 stay related: Subsequent to Glinda, the Grimmerie, a magical guide solely Elphaba might learn, flicks open and glows gold with magic.
For Glinda, that ending feels hopeful, not less than on the floor. And although her relationship with the Grimmerie is left open-ended on objective, it looks like she would possibly lastly get the chance to study magic, with Elphaba passing on the torch. Some followers, nevertheless, argue that making an attempt to make the ending happier dilutes the unique message that Glinda’s reign is finally bittersweet, each for her and for the viewers. Others really feel that the film sends a troubling message that Ouncess issues can now be mounted by one particular person, slightly than systemic upheaval.
One other argument says Glinda will get a redemptive arc she doesn’t deserve, and whereas Elphaba and Fiyero are pressured to flee, Glinda undeservedly will get all the pieces she’s ever wished — the love of the folks of Oz, acclaim past her wildest desires, and presumably entry to magic — regardless of being complicit within the Wizard and Morrible’s schemes.
However Glinda solely will get all the pieces she thought she ever wished. And the consequence is the sacrifice of her relationship with Elphaba.
Elphaba and Glinda’s relationship is the dwelling, respiration coronary heart of Depraved throughout all its narrative kinds, and the tragedy is that it can’t final. 2024’s Depraved established that Glinda prides herself on being surrounded by friends who worship her and suppose she’s good. For Good takes {that a} step additional by exhibiting, in a flashback to her childhood, that the folks round her have all the time purposely ignored her flaws — resembling her incapacity to do magic — with the intention to spare her emotions and keep in her good graces.
This doesn’t convey Glinda any pleasure, nevertheless — even when she tells her mom how she’s actually feeling, and what she actually desires, she’s advised to only maintain smiling, as a result of it makes folks completely happy. Madame Morrible repeats this sentiment to Glinda when Glinda confronts her about murdering Elphaba’s sister Nessarose (Marissa Bode). Morrible and the Wizard intend for Glinda to be a puppet, used to maintain everybody in Ounceshappy, nothing extra, nothing much less.
As soon as Glinda realizes her inaction has led the Ozians to plot Elphaba’s homicide, it spurs her to lastly be a part of Elphaba in opposition to the Wizard. However her small rise up comes too little, too late. Elphaba fakes her demise, leaving Glinda behind to hold on her pal’s life’s work, releasing the animals and hopefully ruling a model of Ouncesthat isn’t managed by propaganda and lies. Glinda isn’t primarily ready to try this as a result of she’s a “good” chief in contrast with the Wizard, although: It’s as a result of her relationship with Elphaba has made her much less egocentric and naïve than she was at first.
Glinda’s ending in For Good was by no means meant to point out her as a cheerful hero who advantages from all the nice Elphaba fought for. It’s to point out the cruel actuality of what her conduct has introduced: a world the place she’s the figurehead for a bunch of people that nonetheless wholeheartedly consider that the individual Glinda loves is the epitome of wickedness. Worse nonetheless, the Ozians’ love for her is all faux, as a result of the position she constructed herself up for isn’t who she really is. The one one who noticed previous the masks to who she really was is now gone for good.
Glinda’s future is considered one of a sinner atoning, trapped within the jail of her personal making, and with the information that none of it might have occurred with out Elphaba. For Good doesn’t linger on Glinda’s previous to convey that, by the tip of the movie, her getting all the pieces she desires is a symbolic win at greatest. It’s sufficient to point out that getting all the pieces you wished can, in truth, really feel a lot depraved.
Depraved: For Good is in theaters now.
