Back when I
was just a little kid, I was obsessed with Disney animation, with just about
every classic on home video, and my feelings for them were mostly universal.
However, there were some I liked less then others, and the one Disney classic
that I remember liking the least as a child was the 1951 classic “Alice
in Wonderland”. I certainly didn’t hate the movie, but I found it
frustrating to watch, and back then I just didn’t understand it at all. Things
have certainly changed over time, as I’ve gotten older, and I’ve read the original
Lewis Carroll novels, which puts me in a focused mindset on how to view the
film. Also, after watching Tim Burton’s 2010 “Alice in Wonderland” ... which
I found very mediocre and forgettable … it’s gotten me interested to look back
at the original Disney classic through a different perspective. Will it be
superior to what I remembered as a kid, or will my feelings on the film remain
the same … lets jump down the rabbit whole and find out.
As the movie begins, we get one of those classic old-Disney opening credit sequences, set to a theme song, and paired with still phots serving as a backdrop. I for one miss these original opening title sequences, as they always felt like a teaser trailer for what you'll be seeing, and who we're going to meet on the journey to come. We quickly meet the young
Alice, who … unlike most other leads … doesn’t have any real dreams or
ambitions, she just wants to escape from the familiar for a little while. She has
a song called “In a World of my Own”,
which is her figurative “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”, and the song puts you in
a mind-set of traditional Disney charms … right down to her singing to a blue
bird. Things change when Alice spots The White Rabbit, who oddly enough is dressed
in a coat, and is apparently late for something important. With her curiosity
peaked, she follows The White Rabbit down his hole, and finds herself lost in a
strange and peculiar world, with even more oddball characters, and zero logic to
anything. Determined to catch-up to The White Rabbit, she sets off on a journey
through wonderland, only to have one strange encounter after another. In essence,
the film is less about narrative, and is more like a twisted road trip, as you go
from one oddball sequence to another goofy highlight, with Alice acting as our
figurative avatar along the way. It’s the kind of premise that will have varying
effects on viewers … as some may be open to just experiencing something different
… while others may want a layered story with deeper characters.
On the one hand, no mater what the movie,
I always go in for the experience first … so a movie that’s nothing but an experience
should be right up my ally. However, I also feel that I’ve experienced movies
with a similar premise, which still had more substance to offer. “The Wizard
of Oz” for example is one of my all-time favorite movies, as it was more than
just a simple diversion in a fantasy setting, it was also a story about growing-up,
while discovering the magic that’s right there at home, and as Dorthey matures,
the audience in turn gains something of substance.
Alice by contrast doesn’t really
gain anything from this experience, as she simply slips into this world, comes
back out, and the audience in turn doesn’t really have much to take away from this.
On the flip side of this, something like Tim Burton's “Alice in Wonderland”
had such a generic story, and stock characters that it made me appreciate the
animated film for at least being something wholly unique and even memorable in its
own right. It certainly gave me a meaningful lesson warning me about “stranger
danger”, which stuck with me through my whole childhood. Yeah … there’s a
curious detour in which we hear the tale of a family of cute little Oysters,
who all get leeward away from home by a nasty character called The Walrus ... and
they all get eaten. That messed me up as a kid, and I have to give credit to
Disney for not changing things to a happy outcome. As such, the moral stuck
with me, and I was always cautious to be around strangers. Every time I had an encounter
with someone I was unsure of, I always imagined the wicked grin of The Walrus
behind their face.
Thematically this is one of the darkest
Disney movies, and was frustrating to watch as a kid. Unlike Dorthey, Alice doesn’t
have any friends to comfort her on the journey, and every time you think Alice
will finally experience something positive, it always turns out wrong. The talking
flowers for example are introduced singing “Golden
Afternoon”, which is this beautifully detailed and colorful sequence,
but the second it ends, the plants turn on Alice, call her names, and treat her
like garbage.
There’s the famous tea party scene in which Alice meets The Mad
Hatter and The March Hare. This scene again starts as something positive, with
these charming little teapots whistling, and there’s a catchy little “Un-Birthday Song”, but the longer she stays at
the table, the more frustrating it gets, as the two simply ramble like loons,
and poor Alice isn’t allowed to drink a simple cup of tea. The characters of
Tweedledee & Tweedledum are the closest Alice gets to a friendly encounter,
and as a kid, I so wanted them to be the figurative friendly companions to go
with her on the journey. The most unsettling part of all is when Alice gets
lost in the woods, and has a big cry, as she fears she’ll never get home again.
This in a nut-shell is why I didn’t like this movie when I was a kid, as it
just seemed so joyless when compared to other Disney offerings. However, I’ve
come to respect the films atmosphere and tone as being consistent with the spirit
of the novel. On that note, despite leaving out a number of sequences and
characters from the book, this movie captures the tone and spirit of the novel
better than most other adaptions.
Just
as a side note, “Alice in Wonderland” holds the record for the most songs
contained in one animated Disney feature, with fourteen total. However, the
songs themselves are so short, that they’ve never left too big an impression on
me ... although, “Painting the Roses Red”
is still kind of catchy. As far as animation is concerned, this is all around one
of Disney’s best-looking 2D pictures. Not only are the designs creative, but for
a film that came out in the early 1950’s, the artistry on display has aged
incredibly well. Some of my favorite designs are all the odd forest creatures
Alice encounters when she gets lost in the woods. Also, the animation reflects
the dark tone of the movie with its bright Disney presentation. The backdrops
are mostly black and empty, while everything in the foreground is bright and colorful,
which allows the imagery to leap off the screen. One of my favorite animation
highlights is a sequence with an army of playing cards, and still to this day,
the visuals during their little dance are fascinating to watch. My favorite scene
of the whole movie … by far, is when Alice first descends down the rabbit hole.
This sequence is rich with atmosphere, absorbing imagery, and it captures a haunting
sense of euphoria … like your descending into a mysterious dream world.
Most of the characters do leave a memorable
impression, and have a charming appeal on their own. Even some of the smaller characters
like The Doormouse and the bird named DoDo have a distinct charm that stick
with me.
The character of Alice may be simple on the surface, but the
inflections through her body movements, facial expressions and a solid vocal
performance from child star Kathryn Beaumont help breath so much life and charm
into the character. Still to this day, Alice remains one of the best child characters
from Disney’s animated line-up. It’s no wonder that Kathryn Beaumont would go
on to voice Wendy in Disney’s "Peter Pan" after this. Ed Wynn was another great reoccurring
talent for Disney at the time, and I don’t think any other character is more affiliated
with him then The Made Hater. The Caterpillar, despite being one of the biggest
jerks in the film, in another really fun character to watch, with his smokey
breath, and fast spoken dialogue. Of course, my favorite character of all is the
mysterious and mischievous Cheshire Cat. Unlike the others, Cheshire Cat seems
fully aware of just how insane he is, and has fun with it. He’s like the wild
card of the bunch, always leading Alice down a different path, and usually to
his own selfish delight. Sterling Holloway was yet another reoccurring vocal
talent for Disney, and I think his portrayal of Cheshire Cat is his best by
far. He’s crazy, he’s unpredictable, he has a zany attitude, and as a result he’s
just a tone of fun to watch.
As we reach the third act, Alice’s determination
to go home drives her to ask for aid from The Queen of Hearts … big mistake.
While
just as crazy as the other characters, the Queen is also the most dangerous,
as her short temper with people can get them axed-off ... which is kind of dark
by Disney standards. For all the evil witches and malevolent Queens to come
from Disney, none scared me more as a kid then The Queen of Hearts. While the
others may have looked more threatening, I always felt the heroes at least had
the ability to fight back, or had someone at their side. Alice by contrast is alone,
completely at the mercy of this unhinged psychopath, and is facing some high
stakes. With that said, looking back as an adult, I forgot just how funny this
character is. She’s like an overblown child, governed by her unstable emotions,
and only wants things to go her way. It’s hilarious to see her act comb and
collected in one moment, only to freak out and loose her temper in the next. I
love character’s that just can’t control themselves, and The Queen of Hearts implosive
nature makes her equal parts threatening and hysterical. The movie builds to a
climactic court room scene in which Alice is put on trial, and its a brilliant sequence
all around, with all the characters coming together, and some great interplay. As
things escalate, the land seems to unravel around her, and locations seem to merge
together, making for a trippy finale.
When all is said and done, “Alice in
Wonderland” is a wild ride, with some colorful, imaginative highlights and
a lovable lead character guiding us through the journey … but I still can’t
bring myself to call this a favorite among Disney’s collected works. Even
Disney himself wasn’t the biggest fan of the movie, claiming it lacked the
heart of his early works. Still, the film has become a classic over time, and
fans of the source material seem to view it as the best representation ... certainly the most famous. For me,
while I enjoy the movie fine, I can’t help but see it looming in the shadow of
other films that feature a similar premise, but gave me more. Personally, my
favorite movie to utilize this formula is a spooky little animated picture from
2009 called “Coraline”. While the concept was very similar, with a girl
venturing into a dark, twisted fantasy world, I also felt it did a better job
balancing its scary content with some uplifting moments, a deeper character journey,
a heartfelt ending, and it just felt like the more satisfying experience ... at
least in my opinion. Still, “Alice in Wonderland” has its place in the realms
of memorable animated ventures, and while it’s not an absolute favorite, I’ve
certainly come to admire the movie more than when I was a kid.
Thanks for reading my review of Disney’s
1951 animated classic “Alice in Wonderland” … and continue to enjoy the movies you Love!
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