The Depiction Of Psychological Disorders In Alice In Wonderland

She is not comfortable in her own skin, this causes a series of symptoms that, seen from psychology, could have a clinical diagnosis in which it is established that Alice is being affected by her current situation. Now, it is important to know that the film does have those details that make Alice's diagnosis visible but it is very important to recognize in the same way that the director's style, the dialogue, and even decisions such as colors, costumes and setting play an important role for the clear understanding of this event in the life of the main character.

The intention for this investigation is to clarify the way in which Alice shows important emotions and/or symptoms that can one way or another hint the viewer with what Alice is really seeing and also living and see to what extent is the portrayal of mental disorders effective in Tim Burton’s version of “Alice in Wonderland”.

Tim Burton and Linda Woolverton

Timothy Walter Burton, mostly known as Tim Burton is an American film director, producer, writer and cartoonist born on August 25, 1958.

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He is one of the best-known directors and the main reason is his style and visual aesthetic people claim to be universal and immediately recognizable. Specifically in Alice in Wonderland Tim Burton makes a hybrid between his gothic style that almost all of his films. The characters, the settings, props and colours are exaggerated in a way to make it look cartoon-like and draw attention to the gothic approach.

Although multiple features shown in Alice in Wonderland are computer generated images they are still overemphasizing characteristics that resemble a big amount of Tim Burton’s audio visual works. There is a coincidence in Alice and other main characters Tim Burton worked with in terms of the twisted elements of the narrative and the version he can create of a dystopian Wonderland with the help of Linda Woolverton’s (Alice in Wonderland ’s screenwriter) adaptation. Dissimilar to Lewis Caroll’s version, Burton’s Wonderland is not the mischievous and gleaming place, however, the style used to develop and frame a fantastical and peculiar context is conspicuous. Burton displays garish and even tasteless elements from “Underland” through details that are shown during the movie like curled and twisted trees, colours in the Queen of Hearts palace, and details in the Mad Hatter’s tea party details in the setting. These gives a suggestion of the difference between the version Lewis Carroll published and the movie, also the fact that mental disorders are much more visible and compatible with the approach Tim Burton provides with his style and aesthetic.

Despite the variety of critiques and reviews received once Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland was released about the use of computer generated images, animation and special effects and how they somehow hide and take away the prominence of the enchantment and joy of the story. All of this and the work of the screenwriter Linda Woolverton, the one that puts all this magic into words and actions so that professional actors can display the work that both Burton and Woolverton accomplished together. This cinematographic background is of the utmost importance for the understanding of the way in which the director's election had an immense impact on the representation of mental disorders in the film.

Responsibility of Film Production and Psychology Working Together in This Cinematographic Piece

Movies are a form of visual communication that apply moving pictures and sounds to tell stories, they are found as a way of entertainment though they have the capability to hide messages and not necessarily through the characters dialogue. Movies can play up with emotions in a way so subtle yet so powerful that the viewer does not even realize, at least not while the movie is playing. The way each shot is arranged is key, because whether it is the dress Alice wears to Lord Ascot’s garden party or Cheshire Cat’s fur colour choice, colours, shapes and setting can totally control and influence our conscious and subconscious levels.

It is clear that colours do mean different things, being a reason why they are used in a many ways, as a form of symbolism to manipulate hidden ideas, thoughts or themes.

In Alice in Wonderland, there is a strong relationship between cinematography style and the psychological processes through which the main character, Alice, is going through. It is to be known that the true path of the portrayal of mental disorders and the extensive analysis is not explicitly the cinematographic within this movie, although it is what is to be expected since it has a significant influence as well as the psychological knowledge with which a type of diagnosis to alice considering the behavior she presents during the movie. Notwithstanding the fact that the analysis and interpretation is given through the script of the movie that contains action direction and dialogue, it is important and additionally crucial the process by which Tim Burton of the screenwriter's Linda Woolverton’s hand position the plot of the film to center all the themes with nuances that are only seen through the psychological analysis that is given by those aspects that the personages present in the film, that is why this text “Alice in Wonderland” that is being analyzed and evaluated has to be observed from the eyes of those details that only psychology and cinematography give.

Psychological Disorders

Psychological disorder makes reference to what is known as mental disorders or psychiatric disorders. These are behavioural and psychological symptoms that influence the daily life in various aspects of life. As it was mentioned before, Alice is discovering herself and that is cause for discomfort, this comes to light because of the fear of either growing up because of Hamish’s proposal or for fear of letting her family down since they are all expecting her to get married. In general, because of the coming of age Alice has to face and the way this is driving her into insanity.