With Oz The Great and Powerful looming around the corner, it would be remiss not to highlight one of the coolest Wizard of Oz shorts I’ve ever seen: Heartless.
The film centers around the silver tongued woodsman who makes the ultimate sacrifice for love.
Based on the story by L. Frank Baum, the impoverished woodcutter falls in love with a young woman who’s mother doesn’t approve of the young man. To prevent her daughter from eloping with the woodcutter she goes to the Wicked Witch of the East who enchants the woodcutters ax to fail.
When it does, and with no healers to help him he seeks the help of a clever tin smith who fashions the parts he needs to go on.
The film is dark and lovely. It evokes emotion and is beautifully shot. I didn’t even notice that twenty minutes had passed when I reached the end of it. The fan film, if you could call it that, was directed by Brandon McCormick who has produced several shorts since the creation of Heartless. It was produced by Whitestone Motion Pictures who I hope release more adaptations in this style.
Nation
Do you think more adaptations should be like the one above? Let us know what you think in the comments down below!