Vanja Kovac Introduction to Fantastic Literature doc./mr.sc.

Ljubica Matek April 28, 2011 Alice in Wonderland Burtons Adaptation of an Everlasting Story Tim Burton did a great job in adapting Lewis Carolls book Alice in Wonderland. Although the book and the movie are not completely the same, the influence and the core of the story is. The first thing that Burton changed in his adaptation is the time. While Carolls story is settled in Alices childhood, in the movie Alice is a nineteen year old girl, and she is coming back to the Wonderland of her childhood to save its inhabitants from the terror of Red Queen. The second thing changed is the number of characters. Tim Burton added new characters to make the story more interesting and to adapt it to the new time in which he settled it. So now there is a White Queen, Red Queens sister who wants to stop Red Queens government of terror in Wonderland, and for that needs Alice. The other important character that is added to the list is Jabberwocky, dragon like creature whom Alice is supposed to kill in order to defeat Red Queen and her army. Although the rest of the characters remain the same their personality is changed. Tim Burton likes gloomy and dark characters, so that aspect is added to the rest of them. The Mad Hatter, Alice, Caterpillar, White Rabbit, and Cheshire cat all have different personalities than in the book. In the book the whole atmosphere is cheerful, full of riddles, fun and in some aspect a little confused, and all the characters are like that too. But in the movie, that difference in time is showed, even the characters are older,

and darker, whit a lot more problems on their mind. The whole atmosphere is changed, colored with conflict and the terror of the Red Queen. Tim Burton took Carols Alice in Wonderland as an inspiration for creating his own story. Both stories, although settled in two different times begin the same, with Alice follow the white rabbit in the hole and after falling into that hole ends up in the new land, the Wonderland. After that she comes to the little doors that lead into the beautiful garden, and drinks shrinking poison to enter it, later she comes to the Mad Hatters tea party. Up to this moment the story of the movie and the story of the book are the same, but tea party in the movie brings change. In the Burtons Alice in Wonderland at that point a new plot is introduced, Alice is introduced to her mission and task, and the reason why she is in Wonderland again. On the tea party the Hatter shows her the scroll of events on which all events are marked, even those which had not taken place yet. On that scroll Alice is showed as their savior and the person who managed to murder Jabberwocky and return the power to the White Queen. Later on The Hatter is kidnapped by the Red Queen and Alice is going to rescue him, and to do that she has to pretend to be on her side and enter her castle. When the Hatter is rescued the final battle is ready to begin. The troops of Red Queen and the troops of the White Queen meet on a battle field where Alice for the first time faces Jabberwocky. The battle begins and after Alice chops Jabberwockys head the Red Queen looses her power and she is defeated. The citizens of the Wonderland are thankful to Alice for bringing back the peace and happiness into their land. She came back and saved them from the darkness and terror. As it is showed Burton used Carolls story as an inspiration. He changed most of the things, added and changed characters, changed the time of the story, the plot and the ending. The movie is real Tim Burton movie with its gloomy and dark

atmosphere and characters, typical plot development and even actors that feature it, and with that is completely opposite to Carolls happy and cheerful atmosphere presented in the book. The movie adaptation of Alice in Wonderland by Tim Burton is well made. The book is well interpreted and presented on the film. Although Burton changed and added things he remained truthful to the core and the heart of the story, and that is the character of Alice, confused young lady who is trying to escape reality and events that are happening in her life. Tim Burton did a great job, and managed to show Carolls story in a completely new light. He managed to bind modern elements with the everlasting story such as Alice in Wonderland is.