I found the subject of Mulvey’s gaze interesting and prevalent in Burton’s adaptation. I would argue in the novel Alice is most often the subject of the gaze. When Alice first goes to the Queen’s garden, she is an observer. She notices the gardeners painting the roses and “thought this a very curious thing, and she went nearer to watch them” (60). Throughout the text, she watches other characters in Wonderland before actually interacting with them.
In Burton’s adaptation Alice also appeared to be the subject of the gaze. Particularly I think Alice is apparent as a subject with the translation of this same scene (with the Queen) to film, during which Alice is much too large for her surroundings. She towers over the Queen and her court, given no option other than to look down on everyone else in the shot. There is a lower angle shot that shows Alice looking down, which cuts to a shot looking over her shoulder at the Queen. When Alice is larger (or smaller) than normal, the camera angles/framing highlight her perspective within Wonderland. More obviously, she is shown to be a spectator in the opening sequence of the film while still in England. At her engagement party, she watches her sister’s husband kiss another woman where there is somewhat of a shot/counter-shot between her and the couple. The shots were constructed in a way so that while viewers weren’t necessarily put in Alice’s perspective, it was clear that she was doing a majority of the ‘watching.’