As Wicked prepares for its highly anticipated release on 22 November, many fans have found themselves comparing the musical’s visuals to the original Wizard of Oz (1939), with particular attention to the contrast in colour saturation. While the 1939 classic is praised for its vibrant Technicolor aesthetics, some modern audiences feel that Wicked has failed to capture that same sense of vibrancy. In fact, complaints about the film’s “dark” and “bleak” colour palette have raised a broader question: should Technicolor, a bygone Hollywood process, make a comeback?
Image: Universal Pictures
Technicolor, known for producing bold, bright, and saturated colours, dominated Hollywood’s Golden Age, especially from the 1910s to the 1960s. The method required a complex and expensive three-strip process that ultimately became too impractical and costly to sustain. The process was officially discontinued decades ago, and today, the materials necessary to recreate it are no longer produced. Despite this, the longing for Technicolor’s colourful magic has not faded, as evidenced by fan comments decrying Wicked’s muted hues. One critic on X noted, “How the hell do you adapt Wicked, a musical based on The Wizard of Oz, a marvel of Technicolor film, and make it THIS bland and muddy?”
The disappointment in Wicked’s lack of vivid colours, despite its clear homage to the source material, raises the question of whether filmmakers today are “afraid of colour.” It’s not that modern films are restricted by budget—on the contrary, many have the financial resources to push for more dynamic visuals. Rather, modern aesthetics lean towards a more subdued and realistic palette, which often lacks the fantastical quality that Technicolor delivered.
Interestingly, The Love Witch (2016), a low-budget indie film directed by Anna Biller, has garnered attention for its deliberate attempt to recapture the feel of classic Technicolor. Shot on 35mm film, the film follows the romantic misadventures of Elaine (Samantha Robinson), a witch whose obsession with love leads to fatal consequences. Though set in the present day, the film’s visual style is decidedly retro, inspired by the golden age of Hollywood. Cinematographer M. David Mullen explained that while Kodak’s current film stock options were limited, they pushed the boundaries of modern film technology to create a smoother, more saturated look reminiscent of past Technicolor films.
Using Kodak Vision-3 5213 film stock, rated at 100 ASA to boost colour saturation, The Love Witch used innovative techniques to replicate Technicolor’s bold hues, including coloured lighting on set and creative filters like kaleidoscope lenses and plastic diffraction filters. The result is a striking visual experience, rich in saturated tones, and often described as a love letter to the glamour of 1950s cinema.
Despite its modern-day setting, The Love Witch never shies away from embracing the retro aesthetic. It’s been lauded by fans for its faithful recreation of Technicolor’s intensity, even if it couldn’t completely replicate the process itself. For many, the film stands as a testament to the power of colour in filmmaking, evoking a sense of nostalgia for a time when films were not just stories on screen but immersive visual experiences.
Image: Anna Biller via X
This raises an important question: why are contemporary films not adopting similar approaches? While The Love Witch showcases that a Technicolor-inspired look can be achieved, even on a shoestring budget, many modern filmmakers have veered towards more muted, often desaturated tones in their work. The current trend towards realism, enhanced by digital technologies, has likely contributed to this shift away from bold, dreamlike visuals. But in doing so, it risks losing the spectacle that Technicolor once brought to the screen—the sense of larger-than-life fantasy that films like The Wizard of Oz and Singin’ in the Rain were known for.
In the case of Wicked, some fans argue that the lack of visual vibrancy limits the magic of its musical world. As one user on Threads put it, “Instead of embracing the LIFE of it all, they actively eschew it.” The point is clear: colour is not just a superficial aspect of film—it’s essential to creating an atmosphere, to making the world of the story feel alive.
As filmmakers increasingly rely on digital effects and post-production colour grading, the distinctive, tangible quality of Technicolor has become a relic of the past. While digital methods can mimic some aspects of the process, they struggle to recreate its warmth and depth. And, as modern movies continue to take on more subdued looks, we’re left to wonder if audiences today are missing out on the sensory experience that Technicolor provided.
The allure of Wicked may well lie in its magical storyline, but the visual aspect could have been made just as vibrant as the musical’s world of witches, green skin, and enchanted realms. In an era when digital possibilities abound, is there a place for colour to reign supreme again? Perhaps the future lies not in simply looking back, but in blending the best of both worlds—where modern technology meets the timeless appeal of Technicolor’s visual richness.
