♦ Fuego ♦ Posted March 9, 2016 Share Posted March 9, 2016 I like to see how various people interpret Alice. Some prefer to take a comedic bent, others prefer the more surreal or frightening aspects. Alice by Jan Švankmajer I just watched a Czech version of Alice that starts by saying it is "a film for children...perhaps", but clearly would leave them with dark and disturbing dreams. It combines a live child actress with stop-motion animation, and some very unusual imagery. The white rabbit is a taxidermy display with a terrified expression and large sharp teeth, and a penchant for sharp scissors. The director Jan Švankmajer combines common shop items like squares, sawdust, compass, and tacks with things like skeletal bird remains and fruit jelly, in strange settings and claustrophobic experiences. Alice seems to take it all in stride, as if she realizes that all that she sees is from her own imagination. I like the more surreal versions of Alice, and this is one of the oddest I've seen. But it doesn't really tell the whole story, and several characters are left out except maybe in concept. The Tim Burton one I liked quite a bit of the recent big screen version by Tim Burton, probably the White Queen the most due to her slightly crazed way and the white goth look. Alice herself was ok, but didn't really engage me as a viewer. I like the empowerment of Alice in facing fears and controlling tactics of others. I've seen others on TV, some British, some American. I love Lewis Carroll's bending of logic and verse, so hearing it used well is a treat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fweethawt Posted March 9, 2016 Share Posted March 9, 2016 The only ones I saw were the Disney and Tim Burton versions. Anything gathered from those still leaves me up in the air as far as what the story is actually about. I did catch on to Burton's 'Woman Becomes Her Own Person' theme. But Disney's was just an acid trip without the acid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
♦ Fuego ♦ Posted March 9, 2016 Author Share Posted March 9, 2016 Have you read the books? The language style is a bit old and very British, but some of it is very clever and funny. Books always give a better understanding of the story than films, like with Harry Potter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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