Thursday, March 10, 2011

Alice in Wonderland Through the Decades

Alice in Wonderland (1951)

This animated cartoon version of the classical story depicts the characters in a playful, colorful manner that appeals to young children. The Chesire cat recites parts of "The Jabberwocky" with a cheerful tone. The movie incorporates the poem into the actual dialogue between the Chesire cat and Alice. The random moments where the cat disconnects his head from his body or where parts of his body randomly disappear seems mind-boogling. The vibrant colors of the setting and the characters is evident of the 1960s psychedelic movement. This movie has often been linked to the state of mind of an individual on LSD or how a pot head views the world when he/she is high. 





Alice in Wonderland (1983) 


On the contrary of the cartoon version, the recital of "The Jabberowocky" in this film is serious and slightly creepy. The two versions of the movie convey different emotions from the audience. One main difference is that Alice recites the poem in the 1983 version, while the Chesire cat recites the poem in the 1951 version. The clip begins with the camera giving a full view shot of Alice sitting in a royal, red throne. The camera continues to zoom into her face throughout the entire scene. Since Alice speaks directly to the audience, she breaks the fourth wall that exists between the audience and the actor. 






Alice in Wonderland (2010)


Unlike the above clips, the Mad Hatter recites the lines of Jabberwocky with a mini version of Alice on his shoulder. He is walking through a dark and eerie forest, which mirrors the setting of "The Jabberwocky." The music in the background creates a suspenseful and dramatic environment. 

The different versions of "The Jabberwocky" recital in Alice in Wonderland most definitely correspond to the time period the movie was made in. 

Citation

Cartoon version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1UdpSCTtmU&feature=related
1983: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rpCUZXLuck&NR=1&feature=fvwp
2010: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RghazFvtSTI&NR=1

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