In a bold cinematic decision, the director of the highly anticipated film Wicked: For Good has deliberately broken a long-standing rule from the world of Oz to deliver one of the movie's most powerful moments.
Jon M. Chu, the visionary behind the two-part adaptation, has revealed to Variety that he fought to retain a crucial, emotionally charged scene where Elphaba and Glinda confess their love for one another, a direct violation of the established linguistic rules of Oz.
The Forbidden Words in Oz
The original The Wizard of Oz film and the subsequent Wicked stage musical meticulously adhered to a set of language guidelines created by composer Stephen Schwartz. A key tenet of these rules was that the phrase 'I love you' is never spoken within the magical land itself.
This is evident in the classic 1939 movie, where Dorothy only expresses her love for family after returning to Kansas. Similarly, throughout the entire stage production of Wicked, characters demonstrate their love through actions and song, but never utter those three specific words while in Oz.
Jon Chu explained the significance of this rule, stating, "You’re not allowed to say ‘I love you’ in Oz. No 'God', no 'okay,' no 'I love you'."
An Improvised Moment of Truth
The rule-breaking moment occurs during the film's poignant finale. As Elphaba and Glinda share their tearjerking duet 'For Good,' their farewell takes an even more intimate turn.
In a raw, unscripted moment during filming, actresses Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande improvised the exchange of "I love you." Recognising the profound humanity of the improvisation, Director Jon M. Chu championed its inclusion in the final cut, despite it crossing a foundational boundary of the story's world.
"It was so human," Chu reflected. "It crossed over a boundary of Oz into our world." After his passionate advocacy, Stephen Schwartz ultimately gave his approval for this historic deviation.
Why Breaking the Rule Was Essential
For the stars of the film, saying "I love you" was an essential and truthful conclusion to their characters' epic journey. Cynthia Erivo, who plays Elphaba, shared her reasoning on the Wicked podcast, noting that while the characters had always felt and shown their love, they had never verbally expressed it.
"For me, I was just like, 'If this is the last moment, you would say it.' So I was like, 'She has to say it,'" Erivo explained.
Ariana Grande, who portrays Glinda, echoed this sentiment, expressing that the line felt instinctively right. "It was just so obvious to say 'I love you' and let that moment happen because that is what actually would happen," Grande said. "I'm grateful that we finally get to hear them say 'I love you' to each other... I think it's the only time that they actually do say it in the scheme of their friendship."
This intentional breach of Ozian law serves to heighten the scene's emotional impact, grounding the fantastical story in a universally relatable human experience and providing a rewarding payoff for fans who have followed their complex relationship.
