Alice had never been in a court of justice before, but she had read about them in books.
|
Transformations in this production, while few in number, tend to be states of mind, rather than physical effects. As all the characters are real people, the need to have Alice grow smaller or larger is un-necessary, although the suggestion of 'something extraordinary'  happening is achieved by using a variable zoom lens coupled with the camera moving forwards at the same time. This effect, pioneered by Alfred Hithcock in such films as "Vertigo", makes the character in the foreground distort but appear to stay in the same place, while background images seem to recede and grow smaller.
There's also a clever sequence where Alice watches the trial beside a mirror in which her reflection can be seen - an impossibly angled reflection which seems to have a life of it's own.
"That proves his guilt," says the king.
"Stuff and nonesense," says Alice.
The reflection just shifts restlessly, looking around as if bored. The point of view moves to the Queen.
"Hold your tongue," she says, looking with everyone else towards where Alice is standing. "I won't," says another Alice, standing just behind her.
The effect is heightened by these unreal shifts in physical space and achieves an unsettling feeling by using suggestion, rather than excessive camera tricks.
|
he trial scene provides perhaps more meaningful symbolism than any other section of the production.
