Alice In Wonderland-black and white? (1 Viewer)

[Nick Eden]

I am in the middle of watching Disney's "Alice In Wonderland" that has just been released, and there is a short sequence in the middle of the film where the picture becomes black and white for about 5 seconds.
It is about 48 minutes into the film and is to be found at the Mad Hatter's Tea Party sequence just as the White Rabbit's watch is about to be hit with a hammer.
Does anyone else's copy have this on it? Or should it be like this (it is years since I have seen the film)? Or am I going mad myself?

 

[Ken Martinez]

The black and white sequence you mentioned has always been in this film.

It's not unique to your dvd. I first noticed it when I had a VHS copy in the early 80's

 

[Sean Campbell]

I think it's just done for stylistic reasons. It's like that in tv broadcasts too, so it's certainly meant to be there

 

[Steve Christou]

I used to think it was a technical glitch on my vhs copy, and it's on the dvd too. Very strange, shame there's no commentary to tell us why it suddenly goes to b/w.
I could be wrong but it's probably the only bit of black & white animation in a disney animated movie.

 

[ScottR]

It's meant to be there to represent the "death" of the watch. The same thing happens during the "Sorceror's Apprentice" sequence of "Fantasia" when Mickey smashes the last broom.

 

[Steve Christou]

Oh yeah now you mention it, Fantasia had that similar thing, that must be it, black and white, the color of death.

 

[Nick Eden]

Thanks for the replies everyone.
I'm just surprised I've never seen it before.
It is a shame about a lack of commentary.

 

[Marty Christion]

I always thought he was "smashing" the color out of the film for a few seconds. It's definitely been there on the VHS and previous DVD release.

 

[Ernest Rister]

Yes, the "black and white" moment is intentional. Aside from being a figurative moment of "lifelessness", the moment tips a hat to the black-and-white "Alice Comedies" that first established Walt Disney, Friz Freleng, Hugh Harman, Rudolph Ising, and Ub Iwerks in Hollywood.

 

[MatthewLouwrens]

I grabbed my r4 sinmgle disc release and looked at it. Definitely there. Interesting - I didn't remember it.

 

[Ernest Rister]

Hell, in a movie filled to the brimmed with extraorindary visuals....you should not be blamed for forgetting about two or three seconds of footage where the film switches to black and white.

If you had forgotten about the Cheshire Cat, THEN you would have had justifiable reason to feel bad.