I’m suprised that this post hasn’t been ____ed by the ____ist yet.
And then, of course, the yellow brick road splits at the scarecrow’s field and heads off into another unknown direction. Indeed, this whole single road/single direction/single brick color problem must eventually lead to a very difficult brick differentiation conundrum, assuming that there are several directions to choose from, and several cities in the Kingdom of Oz. Likely the need for different color bricks to lead to or to connect different locales will require several brick lanes being of similar hues. I think it is safe to assume that the yellow brick road did not split at the scarecrow’s field as postulated, but connected with a “gold” or “lemon” road requiring a close eye to discern the difference.
The Munchkin land, being only reachable by yellow and red brick roads, must necessarily be on the outskirts of the kingdom, perhaps surrounded by water or unpassable mountains. Or perhaps, the red road leads to a connection with several other rainbow bricked roads and it is the Emerald City that is the remote (and thereby single-color brick roaded) city in Oz.
Possibly others can see merits in this colored brick method as a substitution for good old maps and road signs. I, for one, do not. I argue that the wizard was as bad at managing the Oz Department of Transportation as he was in solving the whole Wicked Witches problem. He should have been impeached.
But didn’t the Wicked Witch cast a spell to make the poppies appear right as Dororthy and company got within sight of the emerald city? I don’t think the gap had been there previously. (But I admit I haven’t read the books, so this is just my fanwankery.)
J.
What always bothered me is that Dorothy saw the need to follow the first couple lines of the spiral. It should have been obvious from standing near the origin where the spiral ended, she should have saved herself a few steps and started there.
I’m so glad to hear that I’m not the only one who feels this way. From the first time I saw the movie, I’ve been saying “Why not just walk over to where the road actually leads out of Munchkinland and just avoid making yourself dizzy?”
I invented an answer that involved the karmic and magical imperative of starting at the very beginning of the Yellow Brick Road to avoid devastation and misery. It was very complicated and unlikely, but it made me feel better.
Yeah, but the choreographer whould have had a hissy fit.
For that matter why did several Munchkins have to interrupt her every time she took three steps and repeat Glinda’s advice to “follow the yellow brick road”? Did they think she was deaf?
Well if I were Dorothy and I were in a strange place with Munchkins screaming directions at me and witches threatning me, I would follow the yellow brick road as accurately as I could in case something odd happen in this land to screw me up some more. And that means starting out on that little point and turning.
But I’m a stickler for following instructions exactly. 
That always bothered me, too. But I just took it as Dorothy taking Glinda’s advice of “it’s always best to start at the beginning” literally.
Well, the Munchkins were never very bright. Remember when Glinda said that the Wicked Witch was powerless in Munchkinland? The Lollipop Guild and the Lullaby League should have seized upon that opportunity to pummel her into a quivering green heap.
Clearly, the Munchkins had poor strategic skills, at best.
As opposed to the smooth and happy journey that resulted when she did start at the very beginning?
Trying to find sense out of The Wizard of Oz is like trying to find a nudist at the North Pole. I mean, why didn’t Glinda simply tell Dorthy right at the start that knockin’ the ruby slippers would take her home? Glinda claims Dorthy wouldn’t believe her, but after having a tornado drop her in a land of Technicolor and being mobbed by weird short people, I’m sure Dorthy would have given the idea a try.
And why did Glinda act as though she had never seen a dog before? After all, the Wicked Witch knew what a dog was. (“I’ll get you, and your little <fill-in-the-blank> too!”)
Glinda thought Toto was a witch in disguise.
“I’ll bet you say that to all the girls, Mr. Dodgson!”
(I’m resisting the temptation to make several “Number of the Beast” cracks about bringing a discussion of Wonderland into an Oz thread…)
Yes, but rainbow-bricked roads can only be traveled by friends of Dorothy…
I can’t remember either, but cosndiering there seemed to be poppies on the sides of the road as well, I figured they had been there for a while.
Of course, I keep wonder…why doesn’t the which just kill Dorthy instead of stupid half-assed measures?
She throws a fireball at the scarecrow and then doesn’t stick around. Later on, she locks Dorthy in her tower and says “Those shoes will never come off…as long as you are alive”. She also says she doesn’t want to wait much longer…so she takes out a rather cool hourglass and sets it, saying(in so many words) that she’ll kill dorthy once it runs out. Why not just kill her now and get it over with? What the hell else does she have to do? She have cookies in the oven or something?
I wonder if it’s because all Animals in OZ have the ability to talk and humanlike intelliengence…and thus, since Toto could not talk, then it could not be an animal, but rather a witch is disguise.
Or at least, most animals seem to be able to talk.
Which is interesting considering they have an army…at least that’s who I assume those guys in the uniforms and with the little rifles are.
Actually, an aspect of that whole scene that’s always irritated me was Glinda saying the Munchkins would escort Dorothy to the border of Munchkinland, yet at the end of the “You’re off to see the Wizard” song, the Munchkins wave goodbye and you can still see the beginning of the YBR in the town square about forty feet back. Wow, some escort! The Munchkins really protected Dorothy for those critical and hazardous first twenty seconds of her journey.
Then again, they’re Munchkins. Maybe walking forty feet is like a marathon to them.