Coraline: In Search Of Perfection

When we think of animated films, we think of bright children’s eyes and children’s films. However, there are films that are not just about animation and that can also captivate an adult audience in front of the big screen. Coraline,  from 2009, is a good example of such a film. Because it was originally a children’s film, but it caused fear among some children and a sensation among adults. Maybe it’s not just any children’s film, but a film for adult children who appreciate its magic.

Both the mysterious plot and the associated film aesthetics make the film seem too complex and terrifying for certain age groups. The stop-motion animation is very reminiscent of some of Tim Burton’s films, such as Nightmare Before Christmas  or Corpse Bride .  Yet while one might assume that he directed the film, the reality has little to nothing to do with it.

This peculiar Gothic aesthetic so characteristic of Burton is no accident. It’s no coincidence that we think of other Burton films when we look at Coraline   : Coraline director   Henry Selick has long been Burton’s right-hand man. And while it seems incredible to us, he was the director of the mythical film Nighmare Before Christmas, and not Burton. The fact is that the original idea for Nightmare Before Christmas came  from a poem by Burton, but Selick directed, making Burton the producer. It is therefore not surprising that both directors have been influenced by their work together and that they have given stop-motion animation that special and characteristic touch.

Coraline   is truly a visual gift, a gift to our childish imagination. The story reminds us strongly of others, like The Wizard of Oz   or Alice in Wonderland ; to girls who immerse themselves in a bizarre adventure, where they encounter their greatest fears and achieve maturity and wisdom.

Coraline is a girl whose parents are too absorbed in their work, hardly have time for them, and whose new environment is simply too boring for them. Like Alice, she will discover a secret world, a wonderful world that is gradually getting darker and darker.

Coraline dives into another world

Coraline has just moved into an old house with her parents, far away from the city, which is why she has hardly any friends here. She feels bored and alone there. She wishes she was in a different place. Her parents completely neglect the garden, even though they are working on a garden catalog. You’re too busy and barely able to whip the old house up, which doesn’t exactly make it a cozier place. Exactly the opposite is the case.

Neighbors include Mr. Bobinsky, a Russian acrobat who trains rats, Mrs. Spink and Mrs. Forcible, two strange retired actresses who are obsessed with dogs, and Wybie, the homeowner’s grandson, who is as old as Coraline and is too talkative for her taste. Wybie gives Coraline a strange rag doll dressed just like her.

Aside from these eccentric characters, who Coraline doesn’t like that much, there’s a cat, a neglected-looking black cat, that Wybie cares for, although we’ll soon find out that she’s much more than just a cat. One night Coraline discovers something really extraordinary with the help of some mice: a secret door that leads to a seemingly better version of her life.

In this “other world” Coraline arrives at an exact copy of her house, which is more colorful, with a nicer garden, and in which parents live who concentrate fully on their daughter. From the food to the neighbors everything seems to be better behind that little door. In this new world everyone has their alter ego, an almost exact copy of real people who have buttons instead of eyes. All but Coraline and the cat.

Coraline doesn’t seem to care too much about this trait, because her life is finally the way she always dreamed it would be. One of the characters that gets our most attention is Wybie, or rather “the other Wybie”. Because there the “other mother” was responsible for conditioning him as the perfect companion for Coraline. Wybie cannot speak, but is the most insightful character as he seems to have a certain fear of the “other mother”.

In the “other world” the cat stays as it is. She has no buttons and she walks through the door with Coraline. However, as soon as it slips through the door, the cat Coraline shows her ability to speak and becomes a kind of spiritual guide for her, an essential aid who will be responsible for guiding her and warning of danger.

Everything seems to be perfect in the “other world” until Coraline discovers that it is inhabited by the captive souls of other children, children who lived long ago, including the sister of Wybie’s grandmother. Why do they all have buttons for eyes? How could the “other mother” capture Coraline?

The soundtrack and scenes turn gloomy as soon as we learn of the evil intentions of the “other mother” while at the same time discovering that the beauty of the “other world” is nothing more than an illusion, a trap to attract girls like Coraline catch.

What can we learn from Coraline?

The film Coraline   is full of metaphors that try to break the superficiality of appearances to show us that not everything is what it seems. Coraline’s puppet is nothing more than a puppet of the “other mother”; a tool with which she spies on the girl and learns all her secrets. “The eyes are the mirror of the soul” – and through the eyes of the children the “other mother” is able to capture her souls for all eternity.

So we learn that the black cat, the spiritual guide of Coraline, shows her with her true feelings that this “other world” is not as perfect as it seems. Wybie’s real name is Wyborne, a play on words that alludes to “why was born”. He lives with his grandmother and we don’t know anything about his parents, which leads us to believe that his childhood probably wasn’t easy. These two characters, who initially provoked rejection in Coraline, will be the key to escape and to victory over “the other mother”.

Coraline despises Wybie and the cat for their looks, as does their eccentric neighbors who she thinks are boring and strange. Truly, none of these characters are perfect. They are not even able to call her by name and everyone thinks her name is Caroline. But the perfection that houses the “other world” is nothing more than a dangerous illusion.

When Coraline discovers that her real parents are in danger and that the “other mother” did nothing but use them, they awaken true feelings in her. She learns to accept people for who they are and realizes that she, too, is not perfect. Coraline will overcome her fears and fight to save her loved ones and show the “other mother” that love goes beyond external appearances.

Coraline   serves not only as a lesson for children, but also for parents who are too strict and for all these too busy families who have little time for their children. In a world where we have little time, we sometimes neglect what is really important and forget about basic values. Coraline  is therefore a film that, in addition to its fascinating aesthetics, manages to inspire adult audiences as well.

“It is said that even the proudest spirit of love will bow down.”

Coraline