There have been so many film versions of
Alice and yet, for me, none of them ever completely capture the genius of Carroll’s books. Perhaps the perfect
Alice film is a Snark? Or like the White Knight's pudding – it’ll never be made.
I have read some quite convincing arguments that the books don’t lend themselves very comfortably to a straight adaptation in cinema and I have to agree that there is something to that argument. But I live in hope.
I was prompted to re-watch the
Alice films that I have on dvd after having read much about the upcoming Mr.Manson and the Mr.Burton films (a trailer for the latter is now out -
www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VHRz1S_kYI&e/ and the draft script is widely avaiable on the internet). I am not against taking
Alice in a different direction
on principle but I think it will take a stout heart for any Carroll fan to sit through either of the above films. I find the Burton film particularly disappointing as I was so excited that it could be so wonderful. In reality, it appears to be a merciless and misguided destruction of Wonderland, Carroll's characters and dialogue and all that made Carroll's books so special by both the Disney screenwriter and Mr.Burton's options on depicting the characters. I couldn't help but notice Mr.Burton distancing the film from Carroll's books - see
screencrave.com/2009-07-24/comic-con-tim-burton-interview-for-alice-in-wonderland/.
Anyway, my
favourite film versions, in no particular order, would be –
1. The Disney 1950s Animated Version – another unforgivably tasteless and merciless destruction of Carroll’s story and dialogue by Disney, but animated so beautifully and with a real love of the characters that the whole thing is redeemed.
2.
Through the Looking Glass with Kate Beckinsale dreaming that she is Alice. Apart from the start and end of the film, which are presumably inserted to justify the 25 year old Miss Beckinsale being Alice, this film sticks to Carroll’s book more than any other. It’s visually delightful (no, I don’t just mean Miss Beckinsale), with the exception of some of the character costumes. I get the impression that it attempts to provoke a surreal dreamy atmosphere but doesn’t
quite get there which means it looks a little stilted at times. But I do like it... it's more of a something lovely to watch when you don't want to try too hard. Ian Holm is wonderful as the White Knight and his rendition of
A Sitting on a Gate is splendid. There is an odd production choice to include
The Wasp in the Wig chapter at the expense of the
Lion and the Unicorn.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrlPudlkI0Y3. Jan Svankmaker’s
Alice. Well, I imagine this is a case of love it or hate it. Surreal puppetry in the extreme. It appeals to me.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIB-LnoCNBM4. Lou Bunin’s
Alice.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IKMvgkzUJg. I love this. Another puppety film. I don’t go along with the “the Books were dark” idea, but I can accept that adaptations taking such a view have merit. I find this slightly creepy and sinister, but in a way that was entirely unintentional, I suspect. I think this shows the way that Burton should have gone with
Alice, in my ever so humble amateur opinion – a puppety film with the claustrophobic dreamy twisty-bending of reality (and the humour) along the lines of Mr.Burton's
Vincent or
Corpse Bride.
5.
Alice 1915
www.archive.org/details/AliceinWonderland1915 Silent and beautifully made. The imagery is incredibly close to Tenniel’s drawings.
6. There is a Soviet Russian cartoon film version of both
Adventures in Wonderland and
Looking Glass.
www.kinopoisk.ru/level/13/film/43457/page/2/ . The films are beautiful animations. The DVD is a little odd as there is an option for “English” but rather than subtitles or actors’ voiceovers, the “English” option is more like a translation – so you can hear the original Russian and then a voice translating it for you – very odd. That besides, I really like these films; I need to watch a few more times, but think they will become firm favourites for me.
7. Hallmark’s Alice (Tina Majorino). For me, this yoyos from the heady heights of wonder (Martin Short’s Hatter and Miranda Richardson’s Queen of Hearts) to the depths of unendurable awfulness (the Cat and Caucus Race). It gets into my favourites on the basis of the good bits being so good and because it is my daughter’s favourite (11 yrs, and an obsessive fan of Carroll).... we simply FF through the Cat/Caucus Race parts.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vwi9Yn2aF4My
least favourite Alice films would be –
1. Hello Kitty Alice in Wonderland – I understand that this is for small children, but you should never let your children watch this. Even for a children’s version that is obvoiusly more "Hello Kitty" than "Alice", it is an appaulling misjudgement. Consider the following dialogue that completely and utterly misses the point....
Hello Kitty Alice (to the Cheshire Cat): “I would like to find a way out”
Cat: “Then does it matter where the way out leads you?”
Hello Kitty Alice: “I just want to go back home if possible”
Cat: “Well, anything is possible of you put your mind to it you know”
(note: does that last line remind anyone of an equally misjudged, in terms of story/dialogue, film due out in 2010)?
2. 1933
Alice www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehDY64su3mw and
3. 1985
Alice www.youtube.com/watch?v=mp8kJTZf_QI.
These two films are sufficient and complete reason enough that Americans should be discouraged from making Alice films.
4. 1903
Alice www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMEtJDNYVi4. Its amazing to think that this was made within 5 years of Carroll’s death. And there are some lovely bits in it such as the child-playing-cards. I'm not enough of a film buff to know whether this is a well-made or clever film for its time. It’s quite odd seeing the Cat portrayed by a real cat. But Alice herself is just so awful (to me) that it spoils it. This film is an extra on the Jonathan Miller's
Alice film DVD.
5.
Alice in Wonderland - Whats the Matter with Hatter?. This is a children’s cartoon film so I don’t think I can be too critical. Why they chose to portray Tweedledum and Tweedledee as moose I can’t fathom, and a coherent zestful enthusiastic Hatter that takes a liking to Alice (sound familiar?) is just not good. The answer to "Whats the matter with Hatter?" is obvious for all to see. But it is the American accents and dialogue that make this hard to take – with Alice uttering phrases such as “Totally awesome!”. Eek! The computer graphics aren’t too good and are reminiscent of cheap computer game. Alice has a dog called
Jabberwocky which I quite liked. I feel a bit mean now... I suppose its harmless enough. If a big budget
Alice film, say by Disney, made such a mockery of the story, then that would be quite a different matter.
6.
Alice with Fiona Fullerton as Alice. I hate this. The feel is just all wrong and the costumes are really bad. It feels to me that it’s trying to capture the look and feel of
Wizard of Oz. And too much breaking into inane singing and dancing for my taste.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6tgKCkYepQ7. 1983
Alice with Kate Burton as Alice. I love the way the sets in this film are like Tenniel's pictures. It reminds me a little of wonderful sets in
The Cabinet of Dr Caligari which were also all false and created an amazing effect. But there is just something very wrong with the pace and delivery of the dialogue, and some of the choices made. For example, if you have Richard Burton, with his beautiful speaking voice, playing the White Knight (and therefore all set to recite “A Sitting on A Gate” to his real life daughter playing Alice (a sad moving poem as the White Knight, in his twilight years, bids goodbye to Alice) – only an idiot could waste the potential there - but NO! They actually have him
sing it and have a pantomime horse dance to it! Arghhh!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=cH14glXzfSEThey are my 7 favourite and 7 worst
Alices.
In a category of its own, I would also add Jonathan Miller’s
Alice. I vary between loving and hating this. There are parts that are complete inspiration and parts that are almost unbearable. To me, the choice of Ravi Shankar for the soundtrack is its worst crime.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrTfEk2P9nw