Alice (1982 film)
| Alicja | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Jacek Bromski Jerzy Gruza |
| Written by | Jacek Bromski Jerzy Gruza Judy Raines Susannah York |
| Based on | Alice's Adventures in Wonderland 1865 novel by Lewis Carroll |
| Starring | Sophie Barjac Jean-Pierre Cassel Susannah York Paul Nicholas Jack Wild Tracy Hyde Dominic Guard |
| Cinematography | Alec Mills Witold Sobociński |
| Edited by | Bill Blunden |
| Music by | Henri Seroka; Lulu |
| Distributed by | Zjednoczenie Rozpowszechniania Filmów |
Release date |
|
Running time | 96 minutes |
| Country | Poland |
| Languages | Polish English |
Alice (a.k.a. Alicja) is a 1982 musical-fantasy film directed by Jacek Bromski. A Belgian and Polish co-production, it is a modern telling of Lewis Carroll's 1865 Alice's Adventures in Wonderland story and stars French actress Sophie Barjac in the title role. Jean-Pierre Cassel plays the jogger named Rabbit with whom Alice falls in love; Susannah York, Paul Nicholas, Jack Wild, Tracy Hyde, Peter Straker and Dominic Guard all have supporting roles.
The film features a musical score by Henri Seroka and lyrics by Gyllianna. Barjac's vocals were dubbed by the Scottish singer Lulu. The film is relatively obscure despite the participation of well-known talent.
Plot
The screenplay draws its inspiration loosely from Carroll's story, but begins with Alice witnessing a murder.[1]
Cast
- Sophie Barjac as Alice
- Jean-Pierre Cassel as Rabbit
- Susannah York as Queenie
- Paul Nicholas as Cheshire Cat / Caterpillar
- Lulu as Alice (singing voice)
- Tracy Hyde as Mona
- Jack Wild as Mock Turtle
- Dominic Guard as Gryphon
Music
All of the main cast have singing parts, with the exception of Barjac whose vocals were performed by Lulu. She is featured as a soloist on three songs: "Hello My Friend", "Love is the Answer", and "Maybe I'm In Love Again"; and in duet and ensemble performances of several other songs. The complete soundtrack was released as a double LP in Poland, with a selection of excerpts also released on cassette. [2]
Release
The film was internationally released as Alice or Alicja; and to German-speaking audiences under the title Alicja im Horrorland.[3] In 1986 it was released on VHS in the United States and Canada by Karl-Lorimar Home Video, and later on an English-language DVD in Poland with Polish and French subtitles, packaged with an accompanying soundtrack CD.
Reception
The film is considered a curiosity "worth seeking out" "(f)or anyone who’s a Lulu fan".[4] This version is also said to emphasize Carroll's obsessiveness.[5] Leonard Maltin found it "entertaining".[6] A retrospective review of the DVD version praised the music and choreography but is very negative about all the rest, the plot in particular, deemed non-existent.[7]
References
- ^ Connors, Martin; Craddock, Jim (1999). VideoHound's Golden Movie Retriever 1999. Visible Ink Press. ISBN 978-1-57859-041-4.
- ^ "Original Soundtrack From The Musical Film Alice". Discogs. Retrieved August 7, 2025.
- ^ online, CINEMA. "Alicja im Horrorland (1982) - Film | cinema.de". www.cinema.de (in German). Retrieved 2023-07-01.
- ^ "Alice in Wonderland through European eyes". euronews. 2023-01-13. Retrieved 2023-07-01.
- ^ Weiner, David J.; Gale, Thomson (1991). Video Hound's Golden Movie Retriever, 1991. Visible Ink. ISBN 978-0-8103-9404-9.
- ^ Maltin, Leonard (1997). Leonard Maltin's Movie and Video Guide 1998. Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated. ISBN 978-0-452-27914-8.
- ^ "Alicja (recenzja) - Film - POLTERGEIST". polter.pl (in Polish). 2008-12-11. Retrieved 2023-07-01.
External links
