Alice im Wunderland

It takes some time getting used to silent movies. There's not a lot of text in this film, so the "over acting" according to today's standards, require some patience of the viewer. However, this is a well thought out version of the story, the scenes are played out with trick effects such as perspective, and remembering the year of production, it's very well made. The only thing that really bothered me was the treatment of animals, both real, such as the garden rabbit, and the (I assume) fake, such as the flamingo and hedgehog. Otherwise, a movie well worth watching, especially if you're a Lewis Carroll/Alice-fan. Time well spent.

Well, this is the oldest movie I've ever reviewed and probably the oldest one I ever WILL review. As the first version of "Alice In Wonderland" (at least in terms of a feature length film, well by most standards) it's still nice to see where it all started out. I admit that the costumes in this are quite impressive. Even looking at movies made in the 1920's, you can tell that their special effects got better as it went on. We make a lot of progress quickly! Anyway, I feel bad for not being more familiar with the original book. I can't tell if this version is more faithful or not.

The Mock Turtle looks probably the best. There were some really creepy masks the people wore, but luckily, they only appeared for a few scenes. I'm still confused as to why Alice said she never saw a grin without a cat. The Cheshire Cat still had his head in that shot! I'm not sure if it was all meant to be a dream. It's always nice to see a lot of classic elements show up. I wouldn't quite recommend this, because it doesn't really have anything that noteworthy. It's still pretty significant. It can certainly be hard to tell a lot of story in such a short running time. **1/2 out of ****.

As the longhaired must know by now, this German Count has a likeness for the non-conventional (for example, my dearest German fat heiresses) and a particular and aristocratic taste for bizarre beauty. With this in mind, then you even can comprehend why this Teutonic aristocrat loves this film so much; it's one of the most remarkable silent discoveries from the last visit to the Schloss cinema.

The film is "Alice In Wonderland", a beautiful (always at the top of this aristocrat's criteria…) and astounding film adaptation of the well-know oeuvre by Herr Lewis Carroll. This film was the third film adaptation of that novel and was directed by W. W. Young. For this German count, it is among the best that he has watched with or without a monocle in his eyes.

The film, starred by the youngster Viola Savoy, is a continuous show of incredible and amazing costumes (which would be perfect for an aristocratic fancy-dress ball…). The pageantry enhances the fantastic spirit of the novel and displays a marvelous, bizarre and unique world full of fantasy and imagination that can be enjoyed by youngsters or even serious aristocrats.

The film has not completely survived until modern days (and it's a shame, certainly). In spite of this, the audience will enjoy the animal characters depicted in the film, which include a bizarre Cheshire cat, an astounding caterpillar or a funny Queen Of Hearts. This last one, as it happens with many of the aristocracy, has a special hobby. Namely it's to cut off their subject's heads (this German Count doesn't understand why some of you are shocked when this aristocrat merely whips his servants…). There's a special gallery of characters from dreamland.

The film has few special or optical effects. But in this case they are not necessary. Thanks to the craftsmanship provided by the art designer that's shown in the film, we have proof that in those silent days that imagination and originality is the only thing that counts in order to achieve marvelous results.

Thanks to its imagination, costume designer, boldness and skillfulness Herr W. W. Young film direction, "Alice In Wonderland" it is, for this German Count, the best film adaptation of the Herr Carroll's novel. It's a special delicacy: an early silent film masterpiece that every silent film fan shouldn't miss.

And now, if you'll allow me, I must temporarily take my leave because this German Count has an appointment with that foolish heart Queen.

Herr Graf Ferdinand Von Galitzien http://ferdinandvongalitzien.blogspot.com/

The film I just watched runs about 51 minutes. Apparently some of the film was lost from the original. It could be chemistry or carelessness. Who knows. So we've lost some scenes. It does make the film a bit disjointed, but if you know your AIW plot, you can still enjoy it. What works here is the costuming. The creation of costumes to match the book characters works very well. Alice is flippant enough to be a bit obnoxious, which is what we want. For what starts out as a gentle little girl, can be quite formidable. I really like the appearance of the mock turtle. The use of close-ups would have helped because we don't get a full appreciation of these characters. Still and all, it was a marvelous film for such an early venture and most of it survived.

This early feature-length adaptation of the children's classic canters briskly through Lewis Carroll's book, progressing episode by episode from one well-remembered tableau to another and sticking satisfactorily faithfully to the events, imagery and strangeness of the original (the latter two elements through skillful costume design and by making liberal use of verbatim passages of Carroll's dialogue on the title cards).

A.A.Young's direction occasionally threatens to be more visually inventive than it ever actually is; and he rather loses control during the croquet game, when he plainly didn't know visually how to organise all those extras milling about the screen for its duration.

Although there are a few special effects, the decision to film most of the action out of doors in attractive rural settings and on the coast greatly enhances the charm of the piece. The more fantastic elements of the original are conveyed with the help of imaginatively designed settings and props like the oversized signpost to Wonderland and the enormous mushrooms among which we find the caterpillar smoking his hookah. It's to whoever designed the costumes that the greatest kudos are undoubtedly due. The costumes for the actors portraying the Duchess and the Mock Turtle deserve particular mention; while the lobsters emerging from the ocean to dance the Lobster Quadrille resemble something from a sixties sci-fi movie.

Rangy fifteen year-old Viola Savoy's Alice ambles through the far-fetched proceedings with appropriately nonchalant good humour.