RUTHERFORD AT THE MOVIES: 'Alice'
Falls Through an Emerald City, Feminist Rabbit Hole?
By Tony Rutherford
Huntingtonnews.net Entertainment Editor
Huntington, WV (HNN) – We’re off to see the Mad Hatter and White Queen in a 3D “Alice in Wonderland” Tim Burton vision that stuns visually and contains more parallels to “Oz” than “Wonderland.”
Briefly, Dorothy is whisked to “Oz” during a tornado at which time the film goes from black/white to Technicolor. The population of Oz has little munshikens sp, a cowardly lion, a tin woodsman, a scarecrow, a good and a bad witch, and red magic slippers implanted on Dorothy (Judy Garland). Each character has a ‘wish,’ which translates to low self esteem. They believe one trait/object (heart, courage, etc.) will empower.
Tim (“Batman,” “Nightmare Before Christmas,” “Edward Scissorhands”) Burton has a rep for turning routine fairy tales and legends into imaginations that accent the symbolism inherent in most of these famous children’s tales. By aiming for the metaphoric perspectives, Burton ensures that parents embrace the film as much or more than young people.
When the now 19-year-old Alice (played by Mia Wasikowska ) slides down a rabbit hole and drinks a shrinking potion, she’s running from saying ‘yes’ to an arranged marriage. During her carriage ride to the engagement party, the young woman horrifies her mom by boasting of foregoing her corset (and did I hear panty hose too?).
Framed by English traditionalism, the teen statement and gesture to mom has within five seconds epitomized her as a stubborn, almost empowered ‘lady’ of distinction. Mom (and others) sabotage her single-minded independence by reminding that with dad’s death she should capitalize on her soon to be gone beauty and not end up a spinster like her aunt.
Pointing to a hopping rabbit (like Jimmy Stewart kept seeing “Harvey”) , Alice impolitely excuses herself from the gazebo prior to saying ‘yes,’ ‘no’ or ‘maybe’ to the man requesting her hand. Conveniently her think time turns into a slide into the miniature world of Underland / Wonderland.
Burton does Disney well, escaping eloquently (and invisibly ) a side effect of Alice’s shrinking additive --- her clothing. Instead of simply having her flowing dress shrink, he keeps the lady fully clad, even by holding an arm around her shoulder so an oversize garment does not plummet.
Johnny Depp becomes both a mad muse and a man with a creative craft (hat making). He more than once covers Alice’s size variance to prevent embarrassment (and stepping across a Disney taboo). Capitalizing on his knack for patented quirky craziness, the Hatter ‘adopts’ the ingénue visitor knowing fully the jabberwocky (dragon) slaying prophesy.
Depp and Wasikowska enhance three dimensional fashion displays, particularly the feminine delicate, vivid patterned dresses. (Humm, that happen to fit after eating a growth cookie?) and Depp’s flamboyant attire with or without the magic hat.
Burton’s animated revisualization of favorites has tended toward modified wooden stick figures, but live action and CGI flawlessly blend triumphantly as every aspect --- background to the zinging red hat --- fulfill and advance duel hybrids of beyond ‘cartoon’ (remember, the then groundbreaking, “Roger Rabbit”) and always meeting challenges of the put the glasses on medium, be it ferocious animals, dreamy castles, or chess board battle.
The rabbit hole ‘dream’ contains empowerment issues aplenty, as Alice the budding rebel stretches tip toeing emotional growth in scene after scene. And, Burton’s sleight of hand never, never slips too realistic accumulated to offend the ultimate fantasy barrier --- suspension of disbelief, even as the traditionally stronger of the species continually and willingly accept third in command behind the queens and animals.
Mesmerized by the vision and intrigued by the ‘Oz” similarities, Burton’s “Alice” whisks young and old down an adventuresome slide into the world where no matter how hard she pinches herself, Alice can’t awaken --- and neither will you want her to be whisked back up the rabbit tunnel and into England.
1/2 out of