Movies are based on a collision of money, technology and artistry that can make successful films influential in very different ways. Some, like Citizen Kanecan make a name for themselves through new ways of writing scripts and directing scenes. Others, whether we are talking about the 1927s, The jazz singer or 2009 Avatarcan earn their place in film history thanks to their technological advances.

However, few films in Hollywood history have had such a lasting influence on visual storytelling as The Wizard of Oz. Victor Fleming’s 1939 adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s children’s novel is a popular rite of passage for young moviegoers, and its characters and quotes have achieved a rare level of cultural ubiquity. Nearly a century after its release, a rewatch will remind you why The Wizard of Oz is and remains a timeless piece of entertainment: It could well be the best fantasy film Hollywood has ever produced.

The Wizard of Oz follows Dorothy Gale (Judy Garland), a young Kansas girl who is struck by a tornado that transports her, her dog Toto, and her family’s farmhouse to the magical Land of Oz. Once there, Dorothy quickly becomes the target of the green-skinned Wicked Witch of the West (Margaret Hamilton), who wants the magical ruby ​​slippers that her arch-nemesis Glinda (Billie Burke) transported to Dorothy’s feet before she could grab them. Desperate to find a way home, Dorothy seeks out the legendary Wizard of Oz (Frank Morgan), who promises that he will grant her her wish if she brings him the Wicked Witch’s broom. Dorothy is quickly joined by a Scarecrow (Ray Bolger) in need of a brain, a Tin Man (Jack Haley) in need of a heart, and a Lion (Bert Lahr) in need of the courage he has long lacked.

As the plot suggests, The Wizard of Oz is a fairy tale. Its characters are archetypes learning valuable, timeless life lessons. Fleming’s film understands this and uses the cinematic tools of the time to create a visual experience that looks and feels like a fairy tale book come to life. From the obviously constructed sets and matte paintings to the deliberately over-the-top, scene-stealing performances, The Wizard of Oz is both theatrical and immersive. By plunging viewers into Dorothy’s typical life in Kansas, the film quickly draws them into its rhythm and keeps them there, even as it becomes increasingly hallucinogenic, nightmarish and euphoric.

Contrary to popular belief The Wizard of Oz was not the first film production to use Technicolor photography. However, no film before had used the technology as imaginatively and effectively as Oz. In a perfect example of a film shot at the right time, The Wizard of Oz uses Technicolor to contrast the mundane life of his heroine in Kansas, portrayed in sepia tones in the opening and closing sections, with the heightened vibrancy of his other world.

Few moments in film history are more famous than Dorothy’s first steps into Oz. As Dorothy opens the door of her farmhouse with Toto in her arms, Garland is pushed out of frame, giving Fleming the chance to beat her to it and guide his camera through the sepia tone of her house into a world of pure color. Fleming quickly cuts back to Dorothy’s amazed face before taking an impressive crane shot that gently glides past rows of shiny, impossibly large flowers and artificial hills before returning to an astonished Dorothy approaching the nearby town square, suddenly looking smaller than before.

This beautifully staged moment captures the appeal of fantasy storytelling better than almost any other in film history. This kind of encounter between artistic intent and technological invention has happened only a few times, and the leap into a never-before-seen world is so vivid and awe-inspiring that it continues to capture the imagination today.

85 years after its cinema release The Wizard of OzThe influence of is still felt and visible. In fact, one need not look further than Lee Isaac Chung’s Twisterswhich contains numerous references to The Wizard of Ozincluding a visual gag involving a movie screen and a tornado that is arguably the most imaginative homage to the film you’ll ever see. Although many films have attempted to recreate its fantastic power, very few have come close.

There are many reasons for this, but the biggest secret to success probably lies in a harmless text from The Wizard of Ozs most famous song. As Dorothy stands next to haystacks in the film’s prologue and looks up at the sky, she sings, “Somewhere over the rainbow the sky is blue, and the dreams you dare to dream… do come true.” The Wizard of Oz doesn’t just feel like a Hollywood blockbuster. It feels like a dream, too beautiful, too scary and too strange to ever forget.