Directed by: Sam Raimi
Starring: James Franco, Rachel Weisz, Michelle Williams, Mila Kunis, Zach Braff
Continuity mistake: After Oz tells Finley he'll get a nice big pile of bananas, Finley tosses down Oz's bag and goes on a rant about monkey stereotypes. When he first throws down the bag, he is close to the middle of the yellow brick road. It cuts to a close up and he is suddenly standing right next to the edge of the road. (00:46:25)
Continuity mistake: At the beginning of the movie, Oz gives his new assistant a gift, and leans in for a kiss. Both of them are seen to tilt their heads to their right for the kiss. The scene cuts to a wider shot, just before Frank barges in, and their heads are tilted to the left.
Chosen answer: I believe you are taking a very modern-day perspective. In today's era of technology, scientific advancement, and general skepticism about everything, we are pretty jaded and cynical about things like magic and paranormal phenomena. At that time and place, audiences were far more willing to accept the possibility of true magic and sorcery, and weren't as prone to disbelieving what their eyes told them. A "con" (short for "confidence") man is one who attempts to gain the trust of another, subsequently using deception, fraud, and/or trickery for their own personal gain. I don't think it's unfair to label Oz this way, particularly at the beginning of the film.
Michael Albert