"The Wednesday Play" Alice in Wonderland (1966)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Jonathan Miller

Writer:

Lewis Carroll (novel)

TV Series:

"The Wednesday Play" (1964)

Original Air Date:

28 December 1966

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Plot Keywords:

Caterpillar | Nurse | Tea Party | Rabbit | Duck

Cast

Anne-Marie Mallik	...	Alice
Freda Dowie	...	Nurse
Jo Maxwell Muller	...	Alice's Sister (as Jo Maxwell-Muller)
Wilfrid Brambell	...	White Rabbit
Alan Bennett	...	Mouse
Finlay Currie	...	Dodo
Geoffrey Dunn	...	Lory
Mark Allington	...	Duck
Nicholas Evans	...	Eaglet
Julian Jebb	...	Young Crab
Michael Redgrave	...	Caterpillar (as Sir Michael Redgrave)
John Bird	...	Frog Footman
Anthony Trent	...	Fish Footman / 2nd Gardener (as Tony Trent)
Leo McKern	...	Duchess
Avril Elgar	...	Peppercook

Runtime:

72 min (25 fps)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Colour:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Company:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: When the Mock Turtle is singing, the sound does not match up with his lip movements.

Movie Connections:

Version of Alice in Wonderland (1995) (V)

Jonathan Miller's Alice in Wonderland is a masterpiece.

There have been several films that attempted to bring the viewer into the dream of Lewis Carroll's Alice.. but none have succeeded like Jonathan Miller's 1966 BBC Alice in Wonderland. A legendary cast.. without costumes.. improvises Lewis Carroll's work with an unsettling brilliance. The result is a film that casts a new light.. or shadow.. on a story beloved by millions. A dark environment both in aesthetics and passion.. Jonathan Miller recreates Alice's dream into a nightmare. One that doesn't allow the viewer to get comfortable unless they can accept the evil undercurrent that moves the story forward.. or backwards. The film is cast with many legends of the screen and stage.. all of whom provide performances worthy of the legend accolade. The character of Alice is represented differently than in traditional adaptations. She seems almost removed from the "reality" taking place before her.. even at times when she is involved in the "reality" as much as the characters of her dream-world. Jonathan Miller's Alice in Wonderland for BBC television is a must-see for anyone who enjoyed Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass or anyone who enjoys low budget films that are improvised into timeless masterpieces.