BIRGIT COMPTON'S
ALICE IN WONDERLAND - Page Three
ALICE IN WONDERLAND - Page Three
The main problem with the film, (aside from the singing and dancing, obviously), the the grotty transfural of the film to
DVD. They seem to have found the most dark, murky and scratched film they could and then made of dubious copy of
that. Alice spends far to long stumbling around in muddy brown gloom and scratches, pops and dirt abound all over the
screen. Apparent the VHS version is preferable, but we'd probably have worn the pause button out by now. Having
said all that, the film is still the best we Alice we have until someone gets round to making the definitive version. I don't hold
out too much hope of the promise forthcoming version featuring some American brat whose name escapes me. She is
blonde, which is a good thing, but still about four years too young and not pretty enough. Let's hope at least the
costume department does the business.
For a full and incredibly detailed list of all the Alice films ever made for cinema or TV, go along to :
http://www.alice-in-wonderland.fsnet.co.uk/film_tv_intro.htm
DVD. They seem to have found the most dark, murky and scratched film they could and then made of dubious copy of
that. Alice spends far to long stumbling around in muddy brown gloom and scratches, pops and dirt abound all over the
screen. Apparent the VHS version is preferable, but we'd probably have worn the pause button out by now. Having
said all that, the film is still the best we Alice we have until someone gets round to making the definitive version. I don't hold
out too much hope of the promise forthcoming version featuring some American brat whose name escapes me. She is
blonde, which is a good thing, but still about four years too young and not pretty enough. Let's hope at least the
costume department does the business.
For a full and incredibly detailed list of all the Alice films ever made for cinema or TV, go along to :
http://www.alice-in-wonderland.fsnet.co.uk/film_tv_intro.htm
To date, the best cinema interpretation of Lewis Carol's famous work :
"Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" has without doubt been the
1972 musical version featuring the delightfully fragrant Fiona Fullerton in the title role.
At least when I say 'without doubt the best cinema interpretation', I'm assuming that
everyone is basing this judgement on the same two criteria for this selection, namely :
"Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" has without doubt been the
1972 musical version featuring the delightfully fragrant Fiona Fullerton in the title role.
At least when I say 'without doubt the best cinema interpretation', I'm assuming that
everyone is basing this judgement on the same two criteria for this selection, namely :
(a) how pretty the girl playing Alice is, and (b) how much we like the classic Alice costume that she wears throughout.
Obviously if we were basing our judgement on the acting, story, especially the singing or the scenery, then this
production would bomb like so many others. However, when we look solely at Alice and her dress, this comes out tops
for us.
Obviously if we were basing our judgement on the acting, story, especially the singing or the scenery, then this
production would bomb like so many others. However, when we look solely at Alice and her dress, this comes out tops
for us.
The film opens, as does the book, with a rowing boat trip on the river on a beautiful English summer's day (yes, they do
exist), followed by a picnic on the banks, for Alice, her sisters and two lecherous old blokes, one of which is, of course,
Charles Dodgson, who goes on to relate the story to Alice. For the opening scenes Alice wears her pale blue dress
minus it's traditional pinafore, which affords us a close look at the dress itself, pale blue as post Disney tradition
dictates, and with white Peter Pan collar, but unique this dress fastens up the front with matching pale blue fabric
covered buttons. A splendid touch. On her feet Alice of course wears black, flat, Mary Janes and white stockings and
underneath the dress, some frilled white pantaloons and a crinoline , which we catch fleeting glimpses of throughout the
film, during what might loosely be called the 'action sequences'.
exist), followed by a picnic on the banks, for Alice, her sisters and two lecherous old blokes, one of which is, of course,
Charles Dodgson, who goes on to relate the story to Alice. For the opening scenes Alice wears her pale blue dress
minus it's traditional pinafore, which affords us a close look at the dress itself, pale blue as post Disney tradition
dictates, and with white Peter Pan collar, but unique this dress fastens up the front with matching pale blue fabric
covered buttons. A splendid touch. On her feet Alice of course wears black, flat, Mary Janes and white stockings and
underneath the dress, some frilled white pantaloons and a crinoline , which we catch fleeting glimpses of throughout the
film, during what might loosely be called the 'action sequences'.
Alice soon dons a white pinafore for the picnic. Her pinafore is of the traditional Victorian design, with frilled
shoulders and hem, but is edged with two rows of pale pink ribbon at shoulders and hem and has a pale pink matching
waist sash, tied at the back with a bow. An original and rather pleasing touch. The story unfolds somewhat predictably
for regular Alice fans. Alice falls asleep, starts dreaming, sees white rabbit, white rabbit is late, she chases rabbit, falls
down hole, ends up in corridor with numerous doors, opens small door with key, can't fit through door, puts key back on
table, drinks contents of mystery bottle, shrinks, will now fit through door, but unfortunately left key on table which she
can no longer reach. You know the gist. At this point things get interesting as soon Alice is blubbing tears fit to bust,
so much so that the corridor floods and she finds herself quite literally swimming in tears. We alway had a thing about
young ladies swimming in their clothes and so Alice is soon happily splashing around with even her shoes still on.
Excellent !
shoulders and hem, but is edged with two rows of pale pink ribbon at shoulders and hem and has a pale pink matching
waist sash, tied at the back with a bow. An original and rather pleasing touch. The story unfolds somewhat predictably
for regular Alice fans. Alice falls asleep, starts dreaming, sees white rabbit, white rabbit is late, she chases rabbit, falls
down hole, ends up in corridor with numerous doors, opens small door with key, can't fit through door, puts key back on
table, drinks contents of mystery bottle, shrinks, will now fit through door, but unfortunately left key on table which she
can no longer reach. You know the gist. At this point things get interesting as soon Alice is blubbing tears fit to bust,
so much so that the corridor floods and she finds herself quite literally swimming in tears. We alway had a thing about
young ladies swimming in their clothes and so Alice is soon happily splashing around with even her shoes still on.
Excellent !
The story plods on with much unnecessary singing and dancing through the standard sequence of encounters,
Tweedle dee, Tweedle dum, dope smoking caterpillar thing, you know the drill by now. In all these Fiona / Alice beams,
swings her long dark brown hair about and swishes her skirts in an enthusiastic manner. Probably the best scene is where
she gets stuck in the white rabbit's house on account of unwisely drinking the contents of another bottle. We get
probably the best look at her dress in this scene and not just because she is now so large that she is compelled to hang
one arm out the window. The croquet scene with the playing cards also stands up to being watching closely, (on the
strength of Alice / Fiona's performance alone, obviously). The court room scene is probably the worse and drags on
interminably.
Tweedle dee, Tweedle dum, dope smoking caterpillar thing, you know the drill by now. In all these Fiona / Alice beams,
swings her long dark brown hair about and swishes her skirts in an enthusiastic manner. Probably the best scene is where
she gets stuck in the white rabbit's house on account of unwisely drinking the contents of another bottle. We get
probably the best look at her dress in this scene and not just because she is now so large that she is compelled to hang
one arm out the window. The croquet scene with the playing cards also stands up to being watching closely, (on the
strength of Alice / Fiona's performance alone, obviously). The court room scene is probably the worse and drags on
interminably.
 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |