This Alice in Wonderland Adaptation Was More Like a Modern Folk Horror

Regarded in modern times as one of the best-animated films produced by Walt Disney Productions, the 1951 theatrical release of Alice in Wonderland was surprisingly picked apart by critics and moviegoers alike. Whether it was the New York Times who criticized the pacing, Variety calling out the missing ingredients of heart or warmth, or Lewis Caroll fans pointing at the House of Mouse for muzzling the author’s beloved creation, the time-honored rendition didn’t have an initial stellar run at the box office.

Only after the film premiered once again on the big screen (over 20 years later in 1974) did it find immense success and grow into the franchise it is today. While most Disney enthusiasts already know all about this behind-the-scenes story about the animation’s rocky release, there was a much earlier feature film adaptation of Carroll’s masterpiece (the first one, actually) that has no problem capturing the attention of movie lovers – then and now. The only problem is that the 1915 silent film version of Alice in Wonderland leans more toward a folk horror interpretation than anything else.

The Costumes, Creepiness, and Characters of Alice in Wonderland

We’re not dealing with anything on the level of 2019’s Midsommar, but director W.W. Young (a writer and child psychologist) certainly shows off costumes that could be considered nightmare fuel and film scenes that embody pure creepiness. Filmed on a lush private estate in Long Island, New York, anybody can see that Young went into this with the best intentions by combining scenes from the original novel with those found in the sequel, Through The Looking Glass.

Also, instead of focusing on the Mad Hatter and the March Hare, more time is devoted to lesser-known characters like the Griffin and the Mock Turtle (who are not featured in Disney’s later rendition). The animal convention and subsequent caucus race are also given ample time. In saying all of this, what exactly makes W.W. Young’s retelling of Alice in Wonderland a creepy classic?

Alice in Wonderland (1915) Features Several Unsettling Scenes

The absence of sound helps to transform one of the earliest scenes. When Alice (played by actress Viola Savoy) falls asleep in her sister’s lap and awakens in Wonderland, a white rabbit motions her to come forward and follow him. While this may sound quite usual, the actor who dons the rabbit’s costume doesn’t try to remind audiences that this is a child’s tale.

Except for his hand waving (and one eye that slowly blinks), the white rabbit doesn’t do anything else. On top of that, Alice’s subconscious projection – a darkened shadow of herself that rises from her sleeping body – is what follows the rabbit at first. In order to achieve this visual, the rest of the frame (including Alice’s sister) had to be frozen. In that beginning sequence, viewers are already met with a question – is this a fairy tale or a fearful dream?

While some costumes in the movie look like they came out of a grade school wardrobe, others are well crafted and presented. The walruses that come out of the ocean in suits, as well as the iconic playing cards, look like they could still be implemented in today’s productions. In another odd scene (cut from the ’51 version), the cook for the duchess is featured along with the baby. As authentic as this scene is from the original book, something is unsettling about seeing a human baby (with no abnormalities) who is crying, being spanked and manhandled by these larger-than-life costumed characters. Alice then rescues the baby just for it to turn into a pig and run away. Young definitely picked the weirdest scenes to highlight within a live-action space.

The Silent Characters in Alice in Wonderland Help the Creepiness

The visual premise of this movie revolves around Alice encountering many characters while traversing Wonderland. Since it is a silent film, much of the emphasis relies on the bodily actions of the actors and actresses. That said, the dedication to these roles sometimes comes off as bizarre and unnerving. Alice stands in one spot for a long time while a human in a caterpillar suit squirms his way to her without using his arms. The same goes for a lizard earlier on in the film. These lengthy, awkward scenes break the spell for the viewer by exposing a sort of pseudo-reality – a young girl talking to adults who have hypnotized themselves into thinking they are animals. That’s the most horrifying part.

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We shouldn’t forget about the slow-moving sequence where giant lobsters slowly make their way out of the ocean in order to attend the mock turtle’s Quadrille. For fans of Stephen King, they are more akin to lobstrosities than anything else. With W.W. Young’s Alice in Wonderland available on YouTube for free in many different forms (recently restored in 4K, too), this is certainly a good look into a children’s film that resembles folk horror. You might want to skip the beginning, though – Alice picks up a poor rabbit by its ears. Maybe she is going crazy after all.