With the new Alice in Wonderland film set to be released in cutting edge 3D it has got me thinking about the humble beginnings of the topsy-turvy tale. Lewis Carroll himself did wonders with a camera; his beautiful photographs of the real Alice (Liddell) are hidden treasures that give a glimpse into childhood unrivalled by the most modern of methods.
Carroll's incredible imagination has made him a muse across the arts since the stories conception, with 'wonderland' coming to encompass the most awe-inspiring glimpses into the imaginations of innumerable creatives. Yet his tales haven't always been viewed through such an innocent lens, and Tim Burton has likewise chosen to take a more sinister look through the Alice lens. Many readings would have it that the folly the book plays with proportion is an expression of a nightmare of frustarted adolesence. A psychological reading would would suggest that childish innocence is lost down the rabbit hole as Alice fails to control the changing proportions of her body and looses her sense of self. There are then the rumours surrounding Carroll himself and his Jacko-esque fascination with pre-adolescents. Yet, the tale holds an ubiquitous grasp on childhood memories, and the magnificent imgination of Lewis Carroll makes the story an unrivalled classic. The beauty of his photographs and the escapist nature of the Alice stories is undeniable and so I think I will give Burton's film a miss and indulge in a re-reading of the classic and the beautiful simplicity of the illustrations.
