Hitchcoc
This short piece, the first ever film adaptation of the Lewis Carroll story, has some nice costumes and clever visuals. Since it is only eight minutes, there is little time to develop anything. We have the scenes with the mushrooms and the drink that make Alice small, then big. We have the baby turning into a pig. We meet the White Rabbit, the Mad Hatter and the March Hare. a full deck of playing cards, and the Queen of Hearts. If you know the story, this is fine. Otherwise it is practice for future cinema. The piece I viewed was restored from badly damaged film. The beginning is nearly unwatchable, but as we get farther in, it gets better.
Rodrigo Amaro
This is the first film adaptation of Lewis Carroll's classic book "Alice in Wonderland" and it was released more than 100 years ago (I'm not joking, just do the math!). It is a impressive film, with a strange sense of narration (conidering that even back in 1903, to watch this movie you really had to know Alice's story because it is very confusing, I got lost in some parts, trying to understand what was going on) and interesting editing effects, wonderful transition moments, one scene cuts and dissolves into another, brilliant effects.You can find this short film on the net, YouTube but unfortunately the remaining copies are too grainy, sometimes it's almost impossible to watch it. But everything is there: Alice, the rabbit (that guy dressed as rabbit scared me for some awkward reason), the Mad Hatter, the cards and many others. It was a very ambitious movie during its time, and now might look a home made movie from the early days of films. It's good anyway. 6/10
cgyford
British film pioneer Cecil M. Hepworth ("Rescued by Rover" & "The Egg-Laying Man") teamed-up with fellow film pioneer Percy Stow for the first big screen adaptation of the classic children's book by Lewis Carroll which has since been innumerably remade.Alice (May Clark) follows the White Rabbit down the rabbit-hole to Wonderland where she shrinks and grows, gets directed to the Mad Hatter's Tea-Party by the Duchess's Cheshire Cat and disrupts the Royal Procession in a series of entertaining early effects.Production secretary May Clark never entirely seems at ease in the role and is outclassed by the professionalism of co-stars Cecil M. Hepworth, Mrs. Hepworth, their cat and first British film star Blair the dog ("Rescued by Rover").The film-makers have done a surprisingly successful job of brining the original illustrations by Sir John Tenniel to life with some truly pioneering effects and although much was lost when the original reels were melted down by the receivers there is still plenty to enjoy."Until she remembers the magic fan."
tedg
Spoilers herein.I suppose we should be amazed at seeing any film that is 100 years old. But this has no appeal or interest either as a film, or as an Alice. Don't bother the search it out unless you are a collector.Ted's Evaluation -- 1 of 4: You can find something better to do with this part of your life.
AD
