Navigating Nonsense: Cultural Adaptation and Dubbing Strategies in Indonesian Localizations of Alice in Wonderland
The Cheshire Cat’s line: “We’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad.” becomes in Indonesian: “Semua di sini gila. Aku gila. Kamu juga gila.” (Literal: “Everyone here is crazy. I’m crazy. You’re also crazy.”) No structural change. However, the 2010 dub adds the colloquial particle “dong” after gila to emphasize playful madness, signaling Indonesian informal register: “Aku gila dong.” This pragmatic shift makes the character sound less threatening, more whimsical. alice in wonderland dubbing indonesia
The 1951 dub omits the character “Bill the Lizard” entirely in one scene where chimney-sweeping terminology is used. Instead, the dialogue refers simply to “kadal itu” (that lizard). Similarly, the 2010 dub replaces “treacle well” (unknown in Indonesian culinary context) with “sumur madu” (honey well), shifting from a molasses-based reference to a locally recognized sweetener. Aku gila
A notable gap: Indonesian lacks the layered class distinctions of Victorian England. The Duchess’s moralizing (“Speak roughly to your little boy”) loses its satirical edge when translated literally, as Indonesian parenting proverbs do not map neatly to Carroll’s parody of didactic verse. You’re also crazy