Curious Light

Curioser and curiouser, in fact, as light falls on the pages of Dodgson's classic. This is the act of looking, rather than the looking glass, all light and shadow across the textured text.

In the programme notes it suggests that "an elusive stay is revisited", makes reference to the act of illumination. Punning, there, text a barely visible component as soft focus and burst of over-exposure, creeping movements of incomprehensible brightness. Silently intermediating, camera falling upon an illustration of a description in words; the rabbit, in close-up, in close-up. There are unnatural angles, bursts of colour, the rough corners of the text catch the light, that jagged skin-tearing track of the guillotine. No heads here to off with, nor hands nor eyes nor sound - just the light, the page, the passage of time.

Charlotte Price's hand-processed film shows labour, effort, intent, but one wonders if once everyone has been returned to their seats anyone is any better off. There are flickers of brilliance in a literal sense, but figuratively and critically we are looking closely at looking closely at something. A work as oft-filmed as Alice asks for something new, but it is not here. We peer intently, waiting for revelation, insight. There is only colour and movement, a lack of focus. It is abruptly over. All these, indicative.