Czech surrealist filmmaker Jan Svankmajer, who gained a reputation for his short subjects, makes his feature-film debut with Neco z Alenky, a grotesque look into the darkest, wildest recesses of a child's mind. A surreal adaptation of Lewis Carroll's children's classic Alice in Wonderland, the film stars Kristyna Kohoutová as Alice, the only human character in the film. The other roles, which are voiced by Alice, are filled by an odd menagerie of animated clay, puppets, and meat. After falling asleep beside a stream, Alice follows a stuffed rabbit into a magical world where she encounters several grotesque-looking characters, including a caterpillar and The Mad Hatter. Also released under the title Alice, Neco Z Alenky was nominated for the International Fantasy Film Award at the 1989 Fantasporto Film Festival. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
Review
Inspired by (but not a straight adaptation of) Lewis Carroll's classic Wonderland story, Alice is a dark, haunting, disturbing, and utterly brilliant film -- and one that is definitely not for children. The first full-length film by the irreplaceable Czeck animator/director Jan Svankmajer, Alice is filled with stunning visuals -- although, as with most of Svankmajer's work, these visuals do not always produce delight in the viewer; indeed, some of his images are revolting, but even those exert a strong fascination. Heavily steeped in surrealism -- from the film's self-narration to its dingily dazzling array of images -- Alice is as true an evocation of a dream as ever captured on film. As with many dreams, there's a heavy element of the sinister and the morbid running throughout, as the Mad Hatter comes across as genuinely insane, an innocent jar of jam reveals itself to contain nails, and Alice finds herself switching back and forth between her real self and a doll version of the same. Alice is not perfect; Svankmajer occasionally lingers too long on a sequence, and there are certainly many who will not buy into his vision. But on the whole, it is a unique and inspired cinematic experience. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
Cast
Kristina Kohoutova - Alice
Camilla Power - Alice [English version]
Credit
Bedrich Glaser - Animator, Jan Svankmajer - Director, Marie Zemanova - Editor, Jiri Blaha - Production Designer, Eva Svankmajerova - Production Designer, Svatopluk Maly - Cinematographer, Peter Fueter - Producer, Jan Svankmajer - Set Designer, Eva Svankmajerova - Set Designer, Ivo Spalj - Sound/Sound Designer, Jan Svankmajer - Screenwriter, Lewis Carroll - Book Author
