Coraline And The Magic Door: The Pursuit Of Perfection
When we think of cartoons, we think of children and cartoons. Sometimes, however, animated cinema goes further and manages to captivate the adult audience. Coraline and the magic door (2009) is a clear example of this. It is a cartoon that has even caused terror among some children and a stir among adults. Perhaps it is not a cartoon suitable for all children, but it is intended for those who already have such a kaleidoscope of maturity that allows them to appreciate its magic.
Due to its mysterious texture and enveloping aesthetics, Coraline and the magic door is too complex and frightening for the little ones. The animation made with the step one technique reminds us of some Tim Burton films such as Nightmare Before Christmas or The Corpse Bride , although it differs greatly from the director’s works.
Henry Selick in the footsteps of Tim Burton
The particular Burtonian and Gothic aesthetic has its own why. It is no coincidence that when looking at this cartoon we think of a Tim Burton production. Coraline and the Magic Door director Henry Selick was Tim Burton’s right hand man for a long time. In addition, although it may seem impossible, he was the one who directed Nightmare Before Christmas . The original idea arose from a poem written by Tim Burton, but the direction was entrusted to Selick, leaving Burton as producer.
Both directors fed on common influences, joint works and gave that special and distinctive touch to animation in step one.
Coraline and the magic door is an authentic gift to stimulate our most childish imagination. The story reminds us a lot of others like The Wizard of Oz or Alice in Wonderland. Little girls who immerse themselves in bizarre adventures, during which they will face their greatest fears until they reach maturity, wisdom.
Coraline is a child and her parents, being too absorbed in their work, have very little time for her. For this reason he is very bored. Like Alice, she will discover a new secret world, a wonderful world that will get darker and darker.
The other dimension
Coraline has just moved with her parents into an old house divided into apartments. Away from the city and friendless, she feels bored and lonely. He would like to be anywhere else but there. His parents, despite working on a botany catalog, have completely abandoned the garden of the house. They are too busy and can barely fix the old house, which is not welcoming at all.
The neighbors are Mr. Bobinsky, an acrobat who trains dancing mice; Mrs Spink and Mrs Forcible, two strange retired actresses obsessed with dogs; Wybie, the grandson of the hostess, a child of Coraline’s age who talks too much for her liking. It is Wybie who gives Coraline a strange rag doll dressed like her.
In addition to these quirky characters who Coraline doesn’t like at all, there’s a neglected black cat, which Wybie takes care of. We will soon discover, however, that it is not just a feline. One night Coraline, led by some mice, discovers something extraordinary: a small secret door that leads to what appears to be an improved version of her life.
In this “Other Dimension”, Coraline arrives at an exact copy of her home, but more colorful, with a beautiful garden and two parents completely dedicated to their daughter. From the food to the neighbors, everything seems to be better as soon as you walk through the small door. In this new and improved dimension, everything has its own alter ego, an exact copy that has two buttons instead of eyes. Everyone, except Coraline and the cat.
A dream life?
This trait doesn’t seem to matter to Coraline, who finally has the life she always dreamed of. One of the characters that most catch our attention is Wybie or “the other Wybie”, as in this dimension “the other mother” has taken it upon herself to improve him to be the perfect playmate for Coraline. In fact, Wybie cannot speak, but he is the most revealing character as he seems to show a certain fear of “the other mother”.
Inside “the other dimension”, the cat is still the same, has no buttons and goes through the door with Coraline. Once she crosses the threshold, however, she demonstrates to Coraline that she can speak and he will become a kind of spiritual guide for her. An indispensable help that will take care of orienting it and warning it of the dangers.
Everything seems perfect “in the other dimension” until Coraline discovers that the trapped souls of the other children live there. Children who lived a long time ago and among whom is Wybie’s grandmother’s sister. Why all these buttons? How did “the other mother” manage to catch Coraline?
The cartoon acquires a darker tone as we learn about the evil intentions of “the other mother”. We will therefore understand that the beauty of this “other dimension” is nothing more than a deception, a trap to frame girls like Coraline.
What does Coraline and the magic door teach us?
Coraline and the magic door is full of metaphors that try to dismantle the superficiality of appearances, showing that not all that glitters is gold. Coraline’s doll is a puppet “of the other mother”. A tool that he uses to spy on the girl and to know all her secrets. “The eyes are the mirror of the soul” and by taking them away from the children “the other mother” is able to capture their soul for eternity.
The black cat acts as a driver of Coraline’s most spiritual part, of her true feelings and will show her that this “other dimension” is not as perfect as it seems.
Wybie’s real name is Wyborne, a play on words that alludes to why born . He lives with his grandmother and we know nothing about his parents, which makes us think that his childhood was probably not the easiest. These two characters who initially generated rejection in Coraline will become the key to escape and defeat “the other mother”.
Coraline despises Wybie and the cat for her looks. The same happens with his eccentric neighbors, whom he considers boring and very strange. It is clear that none of these characters are perfect; they can’t even call her by her real name, in fact they all think her name is Caroline. On the other hand, however, the perfection of the other dimension is nothing but a dangerous temptation.
A lesson for everyone
When Coraline discovers that her real parents are in danger and that “the other mother” has only been using her, her true feelings will awaken. She will begin to accept people as they are, discovering that she is not perfect either. She will overcome her fears and fight to save her real family, thus demonstrating “to the other mother” that love goes beyond appearances.
Coraline and the magic door is not only a lesson for children, but also for all parents who are too rigid and for families so busy that they dedicate very little time to their children. In this world where time is never enough, we sometimes neglect the most important things and people and forget core values. Thus Coraline and the magic door turns out to be a cartoon that, in addition to its fascinating aesthetics, manages to capture the adult audience.
