Views from the Balcony Seats
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April 9, 2010
Filed under Student Life
Disney transferred Lewis Carroll’s iconic Alice in Wonderland into a film that is—like the book—quirky, charming, and wonderfully insane. Chances are that most people who read the famous novel remember it fondly and downplay how dysfunctional it is. Tim Burton, however, relishes in Wonderland’s dysfunctional side, which forms the platform for this spiritual sequel.
The story itself very loosely follows the original tale, as it tells of young Alice ( Mia Wasikowska) constantly having dreams of Wonderland, which her father ensures her are just a sign that she is one of the great people of the world. But seeing as she is young, her father is nice, and time passes, he (rather predictably) disappears. Thirteen years later, Alice is at a party, where her imagination runs wild as a rich boy tries to propose to her (which, we learn, is actually the entire purpose of the party) and she runs away. Alice soon encounters the white rabbit, and chases him into his rabbit hole, eventually transporting her into Wonderland.
Now…here is where the story becomes much darker and more confusing. The Wonderland that Alice enters is superficially familiar, but it has aged over time and the Red Queen has taken over. Wonderland has fallen into a state of disrepair as the Red Queen rules tyrannically and irrationally over the land. Alice is recognized by the folks of Wonderland who proclaim her the Chosen One, and they expect her to slay the evil Jabberwocky to bring Wonderland back to peace. But to do this, Alice must obtain a mystical sword through the help of the Mad Hatter who has ties to the Red Queen. Then she must reunite the White Queen to be the Queen of Wonderland. As you can see, the plot is quite thick.
Burton’s Wonderland is darker, more dystopian, and more desolate than the world created by Carroll or portrayed in other, more traditional, adaptations. While some may view this as a positive trait, I myself see it as Tim Burton just…being Tim Burton, and not in a good way. Gone is the zany charm, crazy humor of Wonderland and the curious and innocent Alice. They have been replaced by a relentlessly depressing atmosphere as Alice is expected to get involved in battles, many of the characters seem criminally insane, and the Mad Hatter is clinically depressed. While some things appear exaggerated as was true with the original, such as the Red Queen having a bulbous cranium, it still does little to alleviate the oppressive atmosphere. This may be a cautionary tale about the perils of growing up, and I can’t help hearing Mary Martin’s Peter Pan belting out “I won’t grow up” in the background.
In terms of presentation and sound, the dark atmosphere is carried well and I would argue that the actors did their jobs well. Johnny Depp, a great actor in his own right, is absolutely riveting as the Mad Hatter. (His earlier role as Sweeney Todd may have helped to prepare him to play this externally composed but internally wildly crazy person.) The music is good as well, yet it still feels out of place, almost as though it was intended for a Lord of the Rings movie but was used for this one instead. While I feel that what Tim Burton effectively captured his own vision of Wonderland, he failed to capture the spirit of the Wonderland we all know and love.
I would not describe Alice in Wonderland as a “bad” movie, because it is not. But it is nonetheless disappointing. It has a lot of potential, but it is brought down by its severe shift in tone, out-of-place elements, and it just feels too much like the typical creepy Tim Burton movie. If you are a fan of Tim Burton’s works or would like to see a new take on a classic tale, then you should go see it. Everyone else, you are probably better off skipping Burton’s unusually depressing world. There is not much wonder in this Wonderland.
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