The Malling of Gotham
The Preservation Diaries
By Susan Kathryn Hefti
Special to The Clyde Fitch Report
The mise-en-scène of Tim Burton’s new film, Alice in Wonderland, has the visceral pulse of a byzantine nightmare; ornate, cryptic and so darkly detailed it could only have sprung forth from the mind of a true creative genius. Circuitous paths spun by descending spiral staircases winding their way to cobblestone courtyards reminiscent of Gotham’s historic streets — now buried in shallow graves of blacktop just beneath our feet — echo the seductive curves of the spire-topped towers piercing the cold and inky sky. As “mad as a hatter” or “cute as a bunny,” this much is perfectly clear about Burton: bland has been universally and unapologetically banished from the celluloid worlds this filmmaker continues to construct.
So, despite the fact that some film critics have been reluctant to embrace the intricacies that flourish in Burton’s fantastic new adventure, Eric Felten, whose piece, “Banish the Bland: The Glass Box is So Last Century” ran in The Wall Street Journal last December, might want to beat a path to the nearest movie theater and plunk down his $15.50 (who knew 3-D actually meant three extra dollars for the disposable glasses?) to see the new adolescent version of Alice. For in Burton’s world, architectural details don’t just survive, they swagger. More >>