Screenwriting : Character Archetypes: “The Wizard of Oz” - from "Go Into the Story" blog by Adam T. Sasso

The Wizard of Oz is one of those rare films that transcends eras. I don't know if that's because of the setting and scenery, or if it's because of the archetypal characters, or if it's because of the fable-like nature of this universally-relatable story that will never grow old or stale. And what an amazing piece of filmmaking for its time. Not many films looked like The Wizard of Oz when it was made back in 1939. It's such an emotion-ringer, too: part happy, part sad, part funny, part scary, part celebratory and part mournful. It's a comedy, tragedy, thriller, musical, fairy tale and horror film all rolled into one. I would bet that, if all of the filmmakers in the world who preceded the Wizard of Oz were asked what films influenced them the most, that this classic would probably be one of the films nestled at the top of the Inspiration Tree. Kudos to novelist L. Frank Baum for the wonderful gift that he left the world, and all the great people who made it into the film masterpiece that it is and will always be.