For starters, I love the french title of Alice in Wonderland because it just sounds so damn sexy. Anyways this beautifully crafted film directed by Tim Burton and starring a wonderful cast including an insane Johnny Depp, tyrannical Helena Boham Carter and wonderfully coy but powerful Anne Hathaway literally blew me away.
The world in which Tim Burton created was filled with stunning visuals, beautiful camera work and as always that cooky edge that he always seems to infuse into his pictures. From a former Film student's point of view, Tim Burton managed to really capture the innocence, and yet cruel aspects of the famous story. While keeping it light and funny for the younger audiences with the colours and humour of the characters, his use of very dark tones in lighting, and settings, as well as camera work gave a more adult audience that harsh edge in oder to convey the darkness and sometimes cruel undertones of the original text. The story itself did have that Tim burton edge to it, making everything seem to be amplified by a million, even Helena Bonham Carter's HEAD. Getting on with the task at hand the costumes. Colleen Atwood did it yet again, her costumes in this film are divine and represent each character so well, and her utilization of the historical references whether intentional or not also really got me quite excited. The two queens represented best this idea extremely well, and also were my favorite two costumes in the entire film.
The Red queen for me represented the apparent and almost blatant expression of evil,but also the epitome of insecurity and vulnerability. Out of anyone in the film, her charcater was portrayed (wonderfully by HBC) as a mess of insecurities, self-loathing and just jealousy. her costumes mirroring beautifully an Elizabethan type gown really seemed to borrow a lot more than just the costume. The Red Queen for me was the Tim Burton take ( Lewis Carroll inspired) depiction of Mary I "Bloody Mary". The jealousy, hatred, anger and just insecure nature, was reminiscent of the former queen's rule over England. Like her inspiration both queen's had issues with their sisters, and they're own standing within their courts. The Red Queen's costume and look mirrored that highly insexure and tyrranical nature, by having the costume So harsh and dark in color (mirroring that of Mary I) and having the pointy and harsh looking elizabethan collar made her entire look even that more tyrannical. Her make-up and Hair like her costume is harsh and blatantly over the top. With pencil thin eyebrows, heavy blue eyeshadow and a stark complexion that even snow white would fear, her make-up resembled that of many a Disney villounesses of yesteryeary like Cruella DeVil, Ursula and Malefecient. This extreme look matched with her extreme Personality, added all together with the Elisabethan look, breathed a very human life into the most insecure character of the film (even more so than the Rabbit).
IN STARK contrast the White Queen supposedly is supposed to be the antithesis to her tyrranical sister. Everything seems light and frivelous and pretty. But like her sister, she has an underlying wish and hunger for power. This was translated into one of the most indulgent, pretty and power driven era of the Rococo period. Where excess, power and frills and bowes were apparent and certain power hungry queen, Marie-antoinette mirrored had a quest for the same things. The White queen's actions are pretty, are etheral and are everything you'd want in the GOOD side, however she's not totally good. Rather than have a wish for peace within wonderland, her desire for the crown back, really is so she can hold the power of the throne and to regain her place at the top. in some ways her actions are like Marie-antoinette in her flippant ways, all the while knowing what she wants and striving for it, because like her RED sister, she wants what she wants and nothing and no one will stand in her way, but in her case she won't take the head off of anyone standing in her way!
Alice in Wonderland, is truly a well put together film, and really stood up to the hype that came with its release. I enjoyed watching it and hope to see it soon enough again.
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