Alice Through the Looking Glass – impressions after watching
Tim Burton ‘s Alice in Wonderland has grossed over a billion dollars at the box office. It received mixed reviews from critics and audiences, but took its place in the history of cinema. In such a scenario, the assumption of the imminent release of the sequel was quite reasonable. But the development of the script began only two years after the premiere of the original, and Alice Through the Looking Glass appeared in all its glory only in 2016.
Burton ceded the director’s chair to James Bobin and remained in the film as a producer. Also, the creators managed to keep the entire cast, which, for sure, turned out to be a difficult task, given such a long break. The screenwriter of the first film, Linda Wolverton, also remained in place, and this left the hope of preserving the general atmosphere and a strong connection between the two “Alice”. And in many ways it turned out that way, however, with some reservations.
The plot of the sequel tells its own story and at the same time explains some details from the past of the characters. Thus, when viewing, the viewer, willingly or unwillingly, will certainly scroll through the memory passages from the original and discover new meanings.
Alice the Traveler
During her absence from the frame, the main character managed to travel the whole world. She appears before us as the captain of a ship that once belonged to her father. The scene of fleeing pirates in bad weather tells us a lot about Alice and the changes that happened to her.
A team of experienced sailors fully trusts the young female leader, which, adjusted for the era, looks a little less fantastic than a talking rabbit in a frock coat. This means that during the wanderings Miss Kingsley was able to prove herself sufficiently and prove her right to lead the crew.
Here, once again, Alice’s ability to think outside the box and take risks is shown when there is no other way out. The creators emphasize: the young rebel remained the same in terms of character, but gained experience and respect.
Public morals
Alice’s visit to the home of Hamish Ascot, who has inherited the title and work of her father, provides food for thought in every scene.
First, here achievements at sea are not counted by anyone. To the audience, Kingsley is an unintelligent pretty young lady, and even with quirks. Against the background of prim gentlemen and ladies, the heroine looks like a militant champion of women’s rights, who does not find support. Secondly, she is opposed to the mother, even in small things. It seemed that a certain compromise between the two had been reached at the end of the previous film.
Now the debate about traditions, role in society and other things comes alive with renewed vigor. A generational conflict is created, where no one is ready to give in. And thirdly, the meeting with Absol takes place in a moment of deep sadness, as in the first part of the film. Alice is at a crossroads, just like her engagement to Hamish. Then, as a reprieve, a rabbit hole appears, now a mystical mirror. By helping others again, Kingsley must draw conclusions about herself.
Acquaintance with Time
Taking into account the “position” held, Mr. Vremya could appear before us more serious. But do not forget, in what an unusual place Alice is, therefore, the characters are appropriate here. The key moment of the conversation of the heroes is the phrase thrown to their new acquaintances: “The past cannot be changed, but lessons can be learned from it.” She will significantly influence the development of events, although Kingsley did not initially pay any attention to this saying. In fact, the rules of the game are being set here and now. And they will be followed by all who are involved in the process of saving the Hatter’s family.
The analogy of time and water
Several times Alice crosses the boundaries of time inside the Chronosphere. And each time it looks like a swift travel among the waves in bad weather. That is, we are referred to the recent past of the heroine who roamed the oceans. She has already conquered one element, and now she must conquer another, complex and unusual.
Tea time
Another link, now with the first film, is the tea-drinking scene, where Mr. Vremya is present. The Hatter deliberately misleads the guest about Alice’s appearance. While he waits, Tarrant himself, the March hare and Sonya the mouse recall all the jokes that can be made about time. “As a reward” for such a blatant impudence, he sends them an original curse – until Alice appears, the company will not leave the table and they will always have tea time without a minute. So we get an explanation of the behavior of the insane trinity in the original.
The rise of the Red Queen
Through flashbacks and the adventures of heroes in the past, we are shown how Iracibeta became evil. Several scenes are devoted to the disclosure of the character at once, but, unfortunately, they are not very convincing.
If you go in chronological order:
- Mirana accidentally framed her sister and did not confess to what she had done. The initial event looks tense, does not give clear prerequisites for further actions of the heroes, and at the same time casts a shadow on the ideal White Queen.
- Iratsibeta fled from the castle and hit her head, as a result of which it increased in size. Too much is left to chance here. But we understand where the villainess’s dislike for roses, and even for whites, came from.
- At the time of fitting the crown, the eldest of the princesses disgraced herself and lost the title of heiress. The hatter family is renowned for its craftsmanship. Zanik The cylinder itself says how important the measurements are. But he makes the crown too small for Iratsibeta’s huge head. A very strange oversight that launched a further (sad for him and his family) chain of events.
Red queen after losing the throne
The approach to the character remains controversial in the future. Iratsibeta assures that she needs love. Time gives her all sorts of signs of attention, but she forgets about her desire for a bright feeling. Perhaps too obsessed with revenge, so she does not notice the obvious. But not only the tyrant is blind. For some reason, Mirana does not see her sister in exile gaining strength, creating “edible” servants and getting closer to the most powerful creature in the wizarding world.
The main miscalculation of the script seems to be the moment of reconciliation of the queens. The apology of one is unquestioningly accepted by the other, and the conflict is settled. A very strange turn, given the many victims of Irazibeta, and especially the head of the king (apparently the father of the sisters) floating in shallow water in the first film. Here the meaning, obviously, lies in the ideals of Carroll, which he laid in his fairy tale. However, the lead to the conclusions should have been worked out better.
Another transformation
After returning, Alice puts the interests of the mother at the time of signing the contract above her own. And the elder Kingsley does the same, only for the benefit of her daughter. As the heroine’s father used to say: “With you remains forever, only what you gave.” That is, by donating, you get much more in return …
PS The sequel came out much more complex and controversial than “Alice in Wonderland”. But it is all the more interesting to understand its explicit and hidden meanings.
