‘The Wizard of Oz’ is very much in the stiff MGM ‘House Style’ of the 1930s. Though it’s amazing what King Vidor was able to accomplish in the Kansas scenes though. They may be the best part of the film from a cinematic point of view.
Part of the problem with the original is that Kansas is done in a way that’s more interesting than Oz. Yeah Oz is all sharp colors and stuff but for the most part it’s pretty bland directing. That and of course it’s silly. The new one is pretty good. I’d have liked it more if they gave Raimi a freer hand to be all Raimi, but of course the box office numbers are showing they were right.