If you believe that the Alice in Wonderland fable is a delightful children's story and you want to CONTINUE to believe that then you really should not see this Czechoslavakian film.
This is Alice when she ate too much of those mushrooms the caterpillar was pushing.
This is a very, VERY dark version of the Alice story where the characters bleed often; but it is only sawdust. Where there is a preoccupation with sharp objects -- many many scissors, broken glass, pins and saws.
Though this film does remain faithful to the "Alice" story it is as far removed from it as Carroll's story is from reality.
Carroll's lush garden becomes a sterile field. Alice's fall through the rabbit hole is a ride in a creaky and dirty elevator; and the imagery does not stop there.
Kristyna Kohoutova, who plays the title role and is the only "real" person in this film, is doll-like and fragile (when Alice becomes small an actual doll is used). I must admit that I wonder what filming this did to her -- this is nightmarish and frightening and she was only a child. But other child actors have played such horrific roles and not been permanently marked -- or have they?
I would recommend this film -- but prepare to forget all your notions of a lovely little fairy tale.
This is Alice when she ate too much of those mushrooms the caterpillar was pushing.
This is a very, VERY dark version of the Alice story where the characters bleed often; but it is only sawdust. Where there is a preoccupation with sharp objects -- many many scissors, broken glass, pins and saws.
Though this film does remain faithful to the "Alice" story it is as far removed from it as Carroll's story is from reality.
Carroll's lush garden becomes a sterile field. Alice's fall through the rabbit hole is a ride in a creaky and dirty elevator; and the imagery does not stop there.
Kristyna Kohoutova, who plays the title role and is the only "real" person in this film, is doll-like and fragile (when Alice becomes small an actual doll is used). I must admit that I wonder what filming this did to her -- this is nightmarish and frightening and she was only a child. But other child actors have played such horrific roles and not been permanently marked -- or have they?
I would recommend this film -- but prepare to forget all your notions of a lovely little fairy tale.