Alice (1988 film)
- Kristyna Kohoutová: Alenka
- Camilla Power: Alice
Alice ( Original title: Neco z Alenky ) is a Czech surrealist fantasy film by Jan Švankmajer, which was co-produced by the Swiss Condor Films AG. It is based on Lewis Carroll's book Alice in Wonderland, in Švankmajer unique style. The film is a combination of live action and stop-motion animation. Alice was played by Kristyna Kohoutová and synchronized in the English version by Camilla Power.
January Švankmajer is oriented in the narrative of the original story of Alice in Wonderland. However, there are a variety of sequences that occur in isolation from the original story in the film. Also, individual characters, such as the Queen of Hearts, were converted. Just as in the original is not always clear whether the main character Alice is acting in an imaginary world or in reality.
Action
At the beginning of the film Alice appears in the children's room with a stuffed rabbit. This comes to life and breaks through the glass cabinet that will keep him out of the hands of children. Alice follows the rabbit on a rocky field. The chase ends in a desk drawer, which turns out to be the entrance to a cave. After Alice has observed the white rabbit in the act of spooning sawdust from a pot, it falls into the depth and ends up in Wonderland. The Wonderland itself is in the film a disturbing mixture of real elements, the time and space relationships but are completely incongruous and surreal.
At the end of the film Alice wakes up in her bedroom - and notes that the bunny is missing from the display case.
Production
Except Alice all characters were animated frame by frame through the stop-motion process, the stuffed white bunny, a sock with teeth and glass eyes or a lizard with skull.
Reviews
The film is considered a cult film. All 13 reviews from Rotten Tomatoes have given a good record. The film has a total of 7.8 out of 10 rating points.
The film was partially named after the premiere as visually grotesque, perverse or disturbing, but also a strangely alluring appeal it was conceded to him. Blessed was the figure of the stuffed white rabbit who constantly loses different from the original through a crack in the chest sawdust, he must take the spoonful to a matter through the whole story again and again.
Language versions
The film had on August 3, 1988 in the U.S. under the title Alice premiere. Many characters have been renamed and redesigned in the film, but have the same properties. For example, the March Hare was a clockwork toy rabbits.
Restoration and re-release
The Czech original version with English subtitles was on VHS and DVD so far not available. The British Film Institute BFI brought the original 2011 version on Blu -ray Disc and DVD as a restored original version on the market again.