Coraline is a masterpiece of modern animation directed by Henry Selick. Initially, it was created by Neil Gaiman, and for the first time, this character and the whole universe appeared in the author’s children’s story with the same name back in 2002. Having moved to a new house, Coraline tries to live an ordinary life; parents are busy with their affairs and have little interaction with their daughter. One fine day, the girl discovers a door that leads her to an alternative life, where her parents surround her with care, and everything seems different (Selick). However, one day, Coraline realizes something is wrong with the “other parents,” when the girl is offered to replace her eyes with buttons. She decides to outwit the “other mother” to save the true parents and escape the fantasy world that has become a nightmare. The adequacy of the plot, courage, and common sense of the main character are the main reasons why the picture resonates with the audience.
The real world, where the real Jones family lives with their neighbors, is painted in gray and dull colors. In another one, everything is completely different: bright and tasty food for dinner, delicious popcorn with cotton candy in the circus, but something is still wrong. The fact is that in the reality, Coraline feels out of place, and no one cares about her and her desires.
It is noteworthy that people and their clothes in the real world stand out noticeably against a gray background. In an ideal world, the characters merge with the background or look lighter. This difference can be explained by the fact that the real parents of the girl, as well as their neighbors, are real people, not fictional. They all have dreams, desires, goals, and thoughts, unlike dolls, which only play their roles in the world of the witch. In an ideal world, only the scenery and background are ideal, but people are the true value in the present. The main lesson learned from a frightening fairy tale is that every seemingly ideal world, no matter how similar it looks to the true one, turns out to be only a clever fake.
Work Cited
Selick, Henry, director. Coraline. Pandemonium Films, 2009.