Through the Looking-Glass: A Ranking of Films Reflecting Lewis Carroll's Alice Books
This is a companion list to Down the Rabbit Hole: A Ranking of Films (Under)Grounded in Lewis Carroll's Alice Books, a ranking of films that are, more or less, straightforward adaptations, paratextual reworkings, parodies and sequels based in the text of Lewis Carroll's two Alice books, "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" and "Through the Looking-Glass." Contrariwise, this list ranks films that significantly reflect or reference the books--either by blatant quotation, interesting development of those allusions, or both--but are largely about things other than Wonderland and Looking-Glass World.
Links to my reviews of the films provided below.
You may comment on my mirror-image ranking at Letterboxd, including checking any titles I tagged as "alice-books" but didn't include in my lists and suggest any title I may've missed even if it does upend the happy accident that my lists initially reflect each other in their numbers of entries of 24 and 42, respectively: https://boxd.it/8FNq8
(My average rating of ranked films: 6.2 stars)
Links to my reviews of the films provided below.
You may comment on my mirror-image ranking at Letterboxd, including checking any titles I tagged as "alice-books" but didn't include in my lists and suggest any title I may've missed even if it does upend the happy accident that my lists initially reflect each other in their numbers of entries of 24 and 42, respectively: https://boxd.it/8FNq8
(My average rating of ranked films: 6.2 stars)
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- RegistaJacques RivetteStelleJuliet BertoDominique LabourierBulle OgierUna coppia di giovani donne misteriosamente legate trova la propria vita quotidiana ostacolata da uno strano melodramma da boudoir che si svolge in una realtà parallela allucinatoria.Allusions to the White Rabbit with the two leads taking turns following each other as the other drops items, tarot cards, a spectating cat, an otherworldly house, a little girl, as well as to the boating, for an episodic and reflexive film by French New Wave filmmaker Jacques Rivette in a vein comparable to the books.
My Review - RegistiLana WachowskiLilly WachowskiStelleKeanu ReevesLaurence FishburneCarrie-Anne MossGrazie a misteriosi ribelli, un hacker scopre la vera natura della sua realtà e il suo ruolo nella guerra contro i suoi controllori.Morpheus explicitly references "Alice in Wonderland," while Trinity tells Neo to follow the White Rabbit (a tattoo, in this case), among less-obvious allusions, both stylistic and psychedelic, for a narrative from the Wachowskis that is also about two worlds: one real and another a dream.
My Review - RegistaGeorge DunningStellePaul McCartneyGeorge HarrisonRingo StarrI Beatles accettano di accompagnare il Capitano Fred nel suo sottomarino giallo e di andare a Pepperland per liberarlo dai Blue Meanies che odiano la musica.Psychedelic limited animation featuring The Beatles, some of whose songs also allude to the Alice books. There are many sly Carrollian hints between the two worlds of this one, including a character who briefly transforms into an obvious image of the White Rabbit.
My Review - RegistaYorgos LanthimosStelleOlivia ColmanEmma StoneRachel WeiszAll'inizio del XVIII secolo in Inghilterra, una fragile regina Anna (Colman) occupa il trono e la sua amica intima Lady Sarah (Weisz) governa il paese al suo posto. Quando arriva una nuova serva Abigail (Stone), il suo fascino piace a Sarah.Best Picture nominee from the idiosyncratic Yorgos Lanthimos, its Alice allusions are debatable, but there are rabbits and a mad queen in this fish-eye view of a liberally interpreted historical court of Queen Anne.
My Review - RegistaChristiane CegavskeA handmade stop-motion fairy tale for adults that tells the tale of the struggle between the aristocratic White Mice and the rustic Creatures Who Dwell Under the Oak over the doll of their heart's desire.More debatable allusions, this time from a stop-motion animated fairy tale 13 years in the making. There are caterpillars with psychedelic effects, though, along with an Alice-like doll, chattering flowers, anthropomorphic animals, and a woodland setting, among other things. Plus, cards are played beside a raven--recalling the Hatter's famous riddle.
My Review - RegistaHayao MiyazakiStelleDaveigh ChaseSuzanne PleshetteMiyu IrinoDopo essersi trasferita con la sua famiglia nei sobborghi di una città, una bambina di dieci anni scopre un modo dominato da dei, streghe e spiriti, in cui gli uomani vengono trasformati in animali.More slight inspirations from the Alice books for an original fairy tale, this time from famous animator Hayao Miyazaki of Studio Ghibli in the Oscar-winning Best Animated Feature. Again, we have two reflexive worlds, identity crises, plus there seem to be allusions here to the chapter "Pig and Pepper," with parents turning pigs and a witch with a baby seemingly inspired by the illustrations of John Tenniel.
My Review - RegistaJan SvankmajerLewis Carroll's poem is read and followed by a free-form animated depiction of images and toys from childhood, repeatedly overturned by a live cat.
- RegistaMay el-ToukhyStelleTrine DyrholmGustav LindhMagnus KrepperUna donna mette a rischio la sua carriera e la sua famiglia quando seduce il suo figliastro adolescente ed è costretta a prendere una decisione irreversibile con conseguenze fatali.The English interpretation of this Danish title, "Queen of Hearts," rather gives the "Alice in Wonderland" theme away. There's a great stylistic looking-glass motif, plus the titular queen has twin daughters whom she reads to at least one of Carroll's books.
My Review - RegistaJordan PeeleStelleLupita Nyong'oWinston DukeElisabeth MossUna famiglia si reca alla casa di vacanza al mare, ma la loro tranquillità viene sconvolta dall'arrivo di ospiti indesiderati.Jordan Peele's sophomore horror movie is replete with mirror images, both literal and reflexive doppelgängers. Plus, there are rabbits, which besides working with the biblical Easter theme, may do double service as underground allusions to "Alice in Wonderland."
My Review - RegistiWalt DisneyHugh HarmanCarman MaxwellStelleVirginia DavisWalt DisneyHugh HarmanAlice visita uno studio di animazione, dove gli animatori le mostrano varie scene sui loro tavoli da disegno, che poi prendono vita per sfilare e ballare con Alice.Walt Disney's first effort in his decades-spanning interest in cinematic transmutations of Carroll's books transports a little (live-action) girl named Alice to a dreamworld, "Cartoonland," reflexive of the animation studio she visits.
My Review - RegistaRobert ClampettStelleMel BlancBilly BletcherRobert ClampettPorky Pig goes on a hunt to catch the surreally elusive last Do-Do bird.
- RegistaClaude ChabrolStelleSylvia KristelCharles VanelFernand LedouxAlice leaves husband, car breaks down, spends night at manor. Next day car fixed but owners missing, she's trapped in walled estate, increasingly worried by strange discoveries.Another one from the French New Wave, Claude Chabrol includes a protagonist named Alice Carroll for an explicit reference, while the rest of the picture includes an otherworldly haunted house through the looking-glass of her broken car window. Plus, there's a mysterious door and some interesting, if misogynistic, stuff is done with the cinematic gaze.
My Review - RegistaHenry SelickStelleDakota FanningTeri HatcherJohn HodgmanUn'avventurosa bambina di 11 anni scopre un mondo che sembra essere una versione idilliaca della sua vita, ma che nasconde sinistri segreti.Full of obvious if not always explicit references to "Alice in Wonderland" from a book that is also Carrollian. Stop-motion animation about a little girl who, like Alice, also travels to a reflexive dreamworld via a tunnel and through a door. Features one of the better variations of the Cheshire Cat.
My Review - RegistiRichard GlatzerWash WestmorelandStelleJulianne MooreAlec BaldwinKristen StewartI legami tra una professoressa di linguistica e la sua famiglia vengono messi alla prova quando le viene diagnosticata la malattia di Alzheimer.Julianne Moore finally won an Oscar for her portrayal of this Alice, who likewise faces an identity crisis (in this case, brought on by Alzheimer's Disease). Meanwhile, her daughter played by Kristen Stewart provides the reflexivity of an actress-playing-an-actress. I also suspect there's a sly allusion here to Carroll's Caterpillar with a butterfly necklace.
My Review - RegistaDaniel BarnzStelleElle FanningPatricia ClarksonFelicity HuffmanPhoebe è una bimba affetta dalla sindrome di Tourette che viene scelta come protagonista nella recita scolastica di Alice nel Paese delle Meraviglie, ma lo stress ne peggiora la condotta e si rintana in un mondo immaginario.From the title forward, this one is full of blatant Carrollian references, including the little girl playing in an "Alice in Wonderland" play, along with a mother writing a book about the Alice books, and the girl faces a crisis in distinguishing reality and dreamworld.
My Review - RegistaRoland WestStelleLon ChaneyGertrude OlmsteadHallam CooleyUn docile impiegato che è anche un detective dilettante indaga su alcuni avvenimenti molto strani in un remoto ospedale psichiatrico.Debatable allusions to the Alice books in the old-dark-house silent film, although the ones to Shakespeare's "The Tempest" are bit more obvious with the mad doctor and an assistant named Caliban, as is the "Watson" and Arthur Conan Doyle "Sherlock Holmes" parody, but characters do enter a (literal) mad house through a mirror and by falling down a sort of rabbit hole.
My Review - RegistaHoward S. MossMary and Gretel meet a fairy who promises them long life as long as they don't cut certain flowers. If not, the price is the head of them.A drunken White Rabbit makes an early appearance along with other fairy-tale characters in this charming early stop-motion animation.
My Review - RegistaAtom EgoyanStelleKevin BaconColin FirthAlison LohmanKaren O'Connor, giovane giornalista nota per le sue biografie delle celebrità, vuole scoprire la verità su un incidente che ha influenzato le vite e le carriere di una coppia del mondo dello spettacolo: Vince Collins e Lanny Morris.Explicit reference with the "Alice in Wonderland" play-within-play, which underscores a highly reflexive noir complete with a lesbian sex scene between the two Alices--one of the scenes that may've got the movie its controversial NC-17 rating.
My Review - RegistaFederico FelliniStelleGiulietta MasinaSandra MiloMario PisuVisioni, ricordi e misticismo aiutano una donna sulla quarantina a trovare la forza di lasciare il marito che la tradisce.Fellini film with slight allusions to "Alice in Wonderland," including childhood trauma and dreams, mirrors and reflections, madness, a small door and a butterfly tattoo.
My Review - RegistaWoody AllenStelleMia FarrowWilliam HurtJoe MantegnaUna casalinga borghese e viziata di Manhattan riconsidera la sua vita dopo aver visitato un guaritore di Chinatown.Woody Allen's reworking of the above Fellini film, the protagonist takes on a more explicit reference to Carroll's text with the "Alice" name. Plus, there's all the ingested transmogrification, including Cheshire Cat-like invisibility, along with a sort of mad tea party, spiral-induced hypnotic dreaming and Caterpillar-like hookah smoking, for a reflexive plot regarding the Alice taking control of her own story.
My Review - RegistiStephen QuayTimothy QuayThe story of Alice in Wonderland, explored in the stop-motion world of the Quay brothers.The connection to the Alice books in this one are explicit and thorough, so much so that, come to think of it, may make it more deserving of inclusion in my other ranking. Brief stop-motion animation from the brothers Quay, there's the typical conflation of the two books with allusions to the mad tea party from Wonderland beside Alice's reflection trapped in a looking-glass nightmare.
My Review - RegistaVince CollinsLike 'Alice in Wonderland' - but surreal, sexual and utterly horrifying.Another one more for adults rather than children despite being a short cartoon, what with the obvious "Alice in Wonderland" allusions making rabbit holes out of vaginas. Exploits the transmogrification of the books well for a comparable animated style.
My Review - RegistaAleksandr RouStelleOlga YukinaTatyana YukinaTatyana BaryshevaOlya and Yalo save the people of the looking glass from lies.Here's a kid's film, however, although it's exploited for Soviet propaganda. An original fairy tale, it seems to borrow its mirror-motif reflexivity quite well from the Alice books.
My Review - RegistaTerry GilliamStelleJeff BridgesJennifer TillyJodelle FerlandA causa delle azioni dei suoi irresponsabili genitori, una giovane ragazza viene lasciata sola in una decrepita tenuta di campagna e sopravvive nella sua fantastica immaginazione.The better and more mature feature from Terry Gilliam on this list, from a book that's also Carrollian, it likewise feature a little girl creating a dreamworld to cope with the adult world. Plus, the "Alice in Wonderland" book is explicitly referenced as the book-within-the-book.
My Review
