How Coraline goes from Prey to Predator
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 26 ต.ค. 2022
- As you may know, there are a lot of different bugs that are symbolized within the film. This bug theory got me thinking. If Coraline is just another victim for the Other Mother, Aka Beldam, to prey on. Then how does Coraline break the cycle and survive when the other children didn’t? How does Coraline go from Prey to Predator? Today we explore the film to find out how she becomes a predator in the eyes of The Beldam.
This is just my opinion. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, so if I got something wrong, or you have something to point out please do so in a constructive way. We’re here because we’re all passionate about this show. Be kind and willing to listen. You never know what you might learn!
Bug Theory Video: • The Coraline Bug Theory
MUSIC
Main Music
Let the Mystery Unfold by geoffharvey
Editing Music
Swinging Web by SergeQuadrado
CHANNEL INTRODUCTION
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The dragonfly motifs associated with Coraline are interesting, given that dragonflies are predatory insects. In the bug world, I'd say that a dragonfly would be a much larger threat than a spider. Most spiders are passive trappers that lie in wait for their prey to wander into their domains. Dragonflies, however, are keen-eyed hunters that actively patrol their surroundings in search for potential victims. They are incredibly nimble fliers, which allows them to outmaneuver most other insects, even those that are actively fleeing from them. It's a very fitting symbol for a character so adventurous, headstrong, and confrontational.
I know from experience that a dragonfly can and will try to bite you if you manage to catch it. They are nonvenomous, but they bite hard enough to draw blood. They're little badasses and honestly deserve more recognition for the role they play in controlling pests like mosquitoes. 10/10 bug, highly recommend
Also, the insects in the shower are silverfish! They're harmless, but they multiply fast and can eat stuff like paper and fabric if they can get to it. Some people think they're gross but I think they're kinda neat. 6.5/10 bug, recommended only for people who really like bugs
I greatly appreciate the Entomology and character symbolism lesson! 9.5/10 comment, Keep it up!
@Mick Matt I learned so much from this comment! Thank you for sharing your insight on all things bugs! With this knowledge, both The Beldam and Coraline personalities are pretty similar to the insect they represent. As you said, The Beldam "wait for her prey to wander into her domain." Whereas Coraline "actively patrols her surroundings." Man, this movie is so clever!
Honestly didn't know that dragonflies were that dangerous. I guess you really do learn something new every day! Thanks for informing me about what a silverfish is as well! Have you ever considered making a channel about random bug facts? You are very informative about this subject and it seems like you really enjoy talking about it as well!
@Cherry 🍒 I know right! I learned so much!
my cat ate a dragonfly once, while it was still struggling :v
I think it would have been neat if Coraline had a wasp pin instead, because wasps actively kill black widows specifically.
what sets coraline apart from the other kids was that she was willing to throw hands at any given point. She is the embodyment of disrespect your surroundings. She passes judgment very quickly on things and decides "yup, I hate this" and then DOES SOMETHING about it (the bugs in the shower, the snap dragons in the garden, etc). As soon as she gets a wif of something suspicious, she tries to bail. The other kids grew up in eras where kids were seen not heard, were proabably very isolated due to the underdevelopment of the surrounding areas and weren't very socilized with the violent/aggressive concepts kids today have, which wouldnt have made any of them as outgoing or in-your-face as Coraline is. The Beldam wasnt ready to take on a post-internet kid.
That makes a lot of sense! I never thought about how different Coraline's childhood was compared to the other victims in terms of the time period. Thanks for pointing that out! I would agree that Coraline's mentality is a lot different than the others. It would be interesting to see The Beldam go up against children today. I wonder if she would even succeed in getting their attention?
Probably not cuz we might call her a boomer
PLEASE 'embodyment of disrespect your surroundings' HAD ME DEAD
XD I love how this is worded
Coraline be out there throwin hands
Where even is the lie
@@beanbrain6162 she would be in her mid 30's now and I like to think shes out there hunting down other bad creatures like the Beldam
Fun fact: due to their wings and ability to fly backwards, dragonflies often can escape spider webs, and have even been known to hunt spiders
Dang, Dragonflies are so cool!
@@CinemaOverAnalyzed I read a webtoon called "Jungle Juice" and that webtoon perfectly explained how OP cockroaches and dragonflies can be when their defense mechanisms are shared with a human
@@saycandace1341 Bro, I read that and yeah, let's just say that shit's bomb as hell.
@@saycandace1341 ayyy i did aswell
Robber Flies also hunt spiders, they're some of the few insects who frequently prey on creatures larger than them. The Robber Fly achieves this by using the incredibly fast reflexes flies have to catch them out of the air and entrap them in its extremely long legs, injecting them with a paralytic venom until they collapse.
I like the idea that the reason why the Other Father and Wybie protected Coraline despite being made by the Beldam, is because when she made them, she created them to be like a father and friend to Coraline. Thus, causing them to rebel against the Beldum to protect her as such. And the reason why the other April, Miriam and Mr. B don't do the same is because they weren't made to care about her, they were made just to entertain her.
That makes sense! Having Other Father and Other Wybie helping Coraline could have been the equivalent of the hint that she gives about the lost souls.
P.S. Your user handle made me laugh because of how relatable it is...haha!
I also wonder whether they were made to be projections of what victims would want and expect. Perhaps the other kids only desired happiness and fun and safety and reassurance. So that's what they got.
However, since Coraline is so suspicious and critical and headstrong, wouldn't she want others to be that way as well, especially if it confirmed her own suspicions and/or helped her out?
Edit: Plus it seems Coraline is very eager to see others as individuals, she really goes out of her way to talk to people and get to know them. Nobody is just a background character to her. So other father and other Wybie wouldn't be either.
if you think about it, the sisters warned coraline in the real world, and then the other sisters also warned her albeit in a different manner. the other world characters are made to mirror the real world characters
They were made to entertain her, so that she would saty for longer and began to like the world. Making other Wybie was just so he would come with Coraline to the shows so she would stay longer. However, by the end of the movie, things around Coraline change based on the mood of the Belldam. So does the sisters and other characters. So at this point they weren't trying to entertain Coraline and get her to stay. Instead trying to capture her for the Belldam. If they acted the same as they did in the beggining of the movie, the Belldam could've snuck up kn her and capture her.
That was honestly what i thought. She planted a seed for rebellion and didnt even realize it
Fun fact : The other father also hid an important message in his song at the start, saying that Coraline is their "doll" and their "eyes will be all on coraline" so I think they all were concious from the start.
Thank you for the fun fact! The only thing that makes me question the integrity of the song is that the piano is playing him. Just like The Beldam does. The Beldam loves playing games and putting on a show for Coraline. Creating three different performances for her to watch. The Other Father's Song, The Circus, and The Siren of the Sea. In both songs, the lyrics play an important part, stating what she's really up to. However, I can see this as a power move coming from the Other Mother. Because we all know how much she loves to flaunt how clever she is. In all honesty, I can see it both ways as a warning or as a power move. It's an interesting concept that I may make a video on at some point!
@@CinemaOverAnalyzed I see, but my question is if she also created the characters that helped Coraline in her World and they apparently have free will, why can't other things too? She sure can and does control a lot of her creations by the end, but at the start she only says them how to act. Wybie for example doesn't smile all the time how she told him to, so instead of controlling wybie to make him "all happy" she had to pin a smile on him. By the very end he still helps Coraline, but the Other Father gets controlled, why though? So it could be that by the beginning the piano was also self conscious as well as the theater performance, but later were controlled by the Other Mother? In that case it appears as if she only controls what she can see, so if she could spy on Coraline with a doll, there could be something she placed around her World to spy on Coraline and control the beings around her...but why wouldn't she stop the performances then? Did she play another game with Coraline, where she would let the creations give her hints and if she wouldn't catch them, the bell dame would know for sure this kid isn't smart enough to leave her tempting world?
Those are all great questions! I don't know if I can answer all of them without more thorough research, but this is just me thinking out loud here. In the beginning, The Other Mother has all the control. Programming them to do and say what she wants. Having the Other Father sing a song for Coraline. Having Other Wybie take her to the Circus. In those two scenes, both are pretty complacent with The Beldam. Before Other Wybie and Coraline go to Mice Circus, she starts questioning the world around her. Other Wybie smiles and directs them to go to Mr. B's apartment. I see The Other Mother's creation more as Cyborgs than puppets. I don't think that the Beldam is sitting there pulling their strings. I do think she's programmed each one on a set track. It's kind of like how the cyborgs from Westworld operate. As Coraline keeps coming into this world, The Beldam becomes weaker. Not being able to outreach her influences to her creation. By the third visit, The Beldam is already significantly weaker than the previous ones. Thinking more about her needs than anything else. On this visit Other Wybie starts to frown more, The Other Father speaks his mind more. Not because she's programmed them to do so, but because they have deviated from the norm. Just like the cyborgs in Westworld. Gaining consciousness here and understanding that they must protect Coraline.
I do like your take on The Other Mother having spies keeping watch on her! If she already has a doll watching her in the real world. Why wouldn't she have spies looking after her when she's not on the scene? Anyways that's just me thinking out loud.
@@CinemaOverAnalyzed very cool theory! Makes sense that she becomes weaker every visit, afterall she didn't eat in a very long time and also put a lot of Power into this world, which drained her power even more!
It's still a work in progress, but I'll keep researching...haha! I hope you have a lovely Halloween!
One thing about the Ghost Children compared to Coraline is that their situations probably weren’t as cut and dry as hers was. The Ghost Kids all lived during different eras, and could have faced a number of issues that would affect their decision to stay in the Other World.
Being completely real for a second, Coraline is a very fortunate kid, at least compared to some; she seems lower middle class, her parents are a bit negligent but ultimately do love her, and she has a stable home. The movie demonstrates Coraline’s family during a period of great financial stress and in the aftermath of an accident that injured her mother (which is why she wears the neck brace and is so grouchy, because medication is expensive). Coraline’s life is far from perfect, but the problems she faces aside from the Other World are mostly the temporary stress of having your life upended. After she and her family adjust, she’ll probably get used to her surroundings and get into the motions of things again.
The Ghost Kids could have been suffering an array of issues; war, poverty, food insecurity, racism, classism. Considering that Wybie’s grandmother is an elderly black woman, it’s likely that her and her sister faced racism from that era too. That might have been at least part of why her sister found the Other World so enticing; it was seemingly free of all of the strife and suffering from the real world.
Coraline fought back so strongly because, at the end of the day, she was really just bored and wanted an adventure, but was tipped off once the initial excitement wore down. For the Ghost Kids, the Beldam may have seemed like a saving grace. Coraline had a home and family to fight for, but the Ghost Kids might not have.
That makes the Beldam even more sinister. She wasn’t only targeting spoiled kids looking for some fun, but vulnerable children who wanted to escape, just like predators in real life.
And the other children seem significantly younger than Coraline I think, which might play a role too as children are easier manipulated
Not going to lie after reading this...I kind of want a prequel where we follow the kids that weren't so lucky!
100%, and as for The grandma’s sister, it could’ve been during the depression as well, and recovering from the Great Depression depending on when this movie was set
That on top of the horrid racism back then would be a shit ton of issues
@@CinemaOverAnalyzed that seems kinda overboard, unless u get to watch their story after the events of coraline
Also back then children were forced to mature much more quickly which entices them more to have the ability to act like a child unlike Coraline who just wants to have fun and relax like a child
I think you're misunderstanding the purpose of the Beldam's fingertapping; it's not out of impatience, but anticipation. The Beldam loves games, something that is emphasized in both the movie and book. While the two scenes of her tapping her fingers do mirror each other, what triggers it is specifically the prospect of playing a game being brought up. The Beldam offers to play a game with Coraline, and as soon as Coraline suggests hide and seek, the fingertapping stops and doesn't come back, even though Coraline continues to question and they never even get to the game. In the second scene, the fingertapping starts when the Beldam asks Coraline what game they will be playing, and stops as soon as Coraline says what they'll be playing; in this scene, if the fingertapping was one of impatience, you would expect the Beldam to do it when Coraline refuses to agree until she's given a clue.
The Beldam enjoying games is important to her character, because it's her major weakness; the book explains it better as, when the cat catches one of the rats, it starts playing with it while the rat squeaks and screeches in pain. Coraline asks the cat to stop, saying that it's torturing the rat, and the cat obliges by breaking the rat's neck, making a snide remark that some people would consider how a cat plays with its prey to be merciful, since sometimes the prey does manage to get away, ending by asking Coraline how often she lets her food escape. The Beldam's obsession with games leads to her playing with her prey, and like the cat said, sometimes the prey manages to get away.
I remember reading this book back in the 6th grade, the same year the movie came out. It scared me so much that I never read it again. Know that I'm a lot old, and maybe a little brave I would like to reread it. Just to truly understand The Beldam's motivation even more. That is a big point of her character that I forget about. Thanks for letting me know about it =)
@@CinemaOverAnalyzed Understandable; the book and movie are both terrifying
I still have no idea why I chose to do a book report about it way back when...haha!
Yeah, the cat in the movie even says that Coraline should challenge her to a game, that even though she wouldn't play fair, she wouldn't refuse.
Something I'm not surprised most people wouldn't pick up on also is that the Beldam is most likely a kind of fae creature, the darker kind we call Unseely not the "Lets frolic turn that man's face into a donkey's because its funny" kind. And some of what she does makes sense if you think of her as a Fae; even the most 'evil' of fae enjoy games of most types because we tend to be pretty dull in their eyes, especially darker fae who believe a game is always rigged in their favor (and they usually set it up to be). The Beldam likes the prospect of this game because it acts like a hunt for them, and all her other creations are just extensions of her web for Coraline to get trapped in, with the final confrontation being her actively trying to grab her.
Fae of all kinds will offer gifts and deals simply because it fancies them, but the unseely fae are always hiding their intentions or purposefully not bringing them up until you specifically ask "Why?" And usually they still don't want to or are upset when you just flat ask them (which we see that the Beldam doesn't like when Coraline starts asking too many questions).
also interesting to consider that in the book Coraline's final defeat of the Beldam is a very purposful trap. She realises the Beldam will want the key and her hand got through, so she takes the key and a picnic blanket to the well, sets the key on the blanket and pretends to have a tea party, so when the hand comes for the key it ends up falling in. I think it's interesting how by the end Coraline isn't just reacting to the Beldam attacking, she's set a trap of her own
I still don't understand why they didn't go with this ending for the movie? Coraline is a (excuse my language) BADASS here!
@@CinemaOverAnalyzed sadly I think they wanted to give Wyborne more to do and some redemption from calling Coraline crazy earlier in the film, possibly to save time too, still it's def a change I didn't like since seeing her be cunning by the end mattered
@@unicornclutter Idk i think it mostly highlighted the idea that Coraline is being guided by a “good force” and “bad force”. Throughout the movie Coraline is being constantly helped, by both the cat, Spink and Forcible, and Wybie. She has help, although her parents don’t really help her. It’s emphasizing the point of bonds in the story, and the support Coraline gets. I think it’s an interesting change to Coraline’s story, although i generally prefer the book Coraline’s plot. In the book Coraline is more helpless, because she has less guidance, and has to rely on her own wits more often to escape the Beldam. Both show how she’s incredibly independent and very adept at problem solving, goes to show how badass she is. Or maybe she’s just incredibly lucky
Where does the well lead to? I forgot
@@Okarabouzouklisthe other world I'm pretty sure
I never really connected Other Miriam's siren song act to a warning before, but now I can't unsee it, especially after remembering that it was Miriam in the real world who accurately read Coraline's tea leaves as a dangerous hand. It might not have been intentional, but having Other Miriam subtly trying to warn Coraline through an act while her real world counterpart explicitly said that she's in danger is pretty interesting to think about
The Siren song scene is one of those that no one chats about. Just because of how odd it is...haha! I'm still on the fence if she is really warning Coraline or not here. But Other Miriam and April's performance does feel important in some way. If it wasn't, why have Coraline visited them then? It's going to take some more research to truly figure it out.
@@CinemaOverAnalyzed maybe like how sirens call their prey by pretending to be something they’re not? like how they’re always luring sailors in with a sweet sounding voice and then killing them
If I remember right the other lady said the tea leaves were a great large beast which wasn’t wrong either as the bedlam was a large beast
@@pucamisc pretty sure the “great large beast” was a giraffe
it was April who read her tea leaves and saw it as a dangerous hand not Miriam
I watched a video essay a while back about how Yellow is horror movie shorthand for Victim, because its a color that stands out and makes you look at it regardless of the drab tone of the surroundings, and blood shows best on it. Something worth checking out, regarding the Georgie and Coraline yellow rain jacket thing
That sounds really interesting! I'm going to have to watch that! Thanks for letting me know about it!
For anyone interested, it was "Why Yellow Dominates the Horror Genre" by abitfrank
Thank you for the title! I'm going to add that to my watch later playlist!
reading this comment and laughing at my pfp lol
@Lynn Thomas It was an interesting video! The uses of yellow draw your eye to it, but also, makes you yield. With each character who wears it, there is a sense of mystery. When we first see, Six, Coraline, or Georgie we don't know that much about them. Making you feel on alert of what their motivations are. Whereas with a color like blue, or red you can already guess where a character lean-to. Blue is more of a trustworthy color. This is why so many Superheroes tend to where it. Where red is look more as bad or dangerous. Just like the villains who wear it. That leaves yellow as sort of a balance between the other two primary colors. Making the characters that wear it fall more in neutral alignment. Also, Coraline, Six, and Georgie possess that same type of curiosity. Coraline is eager to look around the Pink Palace. Six wakes up and starts exploring her surroundings. Georgie adventures out into the rain. That may not be what yellow represents but each one of the characters has this in common. I found that pretty interesting!
In visual media, the color yellow symbolizes a sense of youth as well. In Coraline, Little Nightmares and It each character face off against monsters that want to eat them. Whether that be to stay in control, to stay beautiful, or just to regain their energy. Each monster is eager to take the youth away for themselves.
I didn't even think about the use of paper boats in horror movies either! That was cool to learn about as well!
Sorry for the long-winded reply, but that did make me think about the color yellow in a very different way. So thanks again =)
I feel like one of the reasons Coraline goes through this prey to predator is because she is established in who she is and has a very strong resolve to say the least. Yes she does change so that she does appreciate what she does have already. But she's headstrong, takes no bull not even from her parents, and has a voice. Remember what the ghost children said...: "We let her sew the buttons in our eyes." Coraline fought because she didn't give up. She had what the other children didn't which was a very strong sense of who she is as a female protagonist. Also lets look at this socially...compared to Coraline, the three dead children probably did not have an easy life. If we take in that each of the candy jars in Miss Spink and Miss Forcible's predates either the year of each missing child or the decade they were in...we can say that they had it bad. Coraline didn't have it as bad. Also Coraline challenges Authority when it seems flawed and sus: Example: "You and Dad get paid to write about plants and you hate gardening." "You are not my mother..." The other kids didnt have that willpower or rather lived in society's where the child listens to adults and to never question them. Thats why I feel Coraline made that shift from prey to predator.
Those are very good points! She showcases perseverance, courage, and a strong sense of self. That helps her from falling victim to The Beldam's control. Also, I never connected the candy jars to the missing child before. That makes so much sense why (one) they would have the magic stone...(two) they read her fortune and tell her to be careful.
You should hear my theory video
Very true
Exactly she's confident
Other people have pointed out Coraline isn't Other Mother's usual prey (young meek children), but I think it's fascinating WHY Other Mother had to go after Coraline.
Wybie's grandmother watches him like a hawk and she's refused to rent to any families with children. She's had the Bedlam starving and cut off for ~50 years. We're shown the Bedlam's powers are weakening (small world, Other Father decaying) and she says she'll die if Coraline leaves her. Her normal tactics (lure, flatter, then bully) don't work on Coraline because she's a naturally headstrong and suspicious child. Desperate predators sometimes get killed attacking large prey and that's exactly what happened here. Wybie's gran got revenge for her sister, even though it took her entire life to do it and her idiot grandson almost screwed it up.
I actually love that line of thought though?! Like hell yeah granny, you go girl!
It gets even better when you factor in the idea that ideas are cemented in a child’s mindset over time, which while it usually can be seen having detrimental effects, here it could also be used to save a lot of lives. Wybie hasn’t been allowed near that specific place his entire life; he’s, whether subconsciously or consciously, marked it as dangerous in his mind. Even if he hadn’t had gotten more involved with Coraline’s predicament, it’s very unlikely that he’d think to question why his grandmother enforced the ‘no kids’ policy, and would’ve simply continued it when he inherited the property simply under the understanding of ‘well she must’ve had a reason for it’. Meaning even once his grandmother died, Wybie would’ve probably continued starving the Beldam without even knowing, which arguably makes it even more badass. Granny playin the long con there!!
Yeah
Fun fact: There was a big hint that something unfortunate was going to happen to Coraline early in the movie. At the beginning, when she went to look into the well, the reason why Wybie stepped back was because there was a ring of mushrooms around it; also known as a Fairy Ring. Finding one can lead to good luck but as soon as you step into it, according to some folklores, the consequences can range from minor to very severe and even deadly. That's another thing you'd expect her to know as a gardening lover's child but I digress. It was another early on omen of her fate in the movie.
I once read a theory that said Other Father and Other Wybie are different from the Other neighbours because the two were made to be Coraline’s friends while the rest were solely for entertainment, and it makes sense to me. The Beldam proves to be impatient and not one to waste more effort than she can coast on. She would give her toys such simple orders and wind them up.
I can see that! To me, the Other Father and Other Wybie remind me more of the cyborgs from Westworld or Detroit Become Human and how over time they gain consciousness.
Or Glamrock Freddy Fazbear who wants to help Gregory escape from the Mega Pizzaplex amusement facility and pizzeria, while protecting him from the other corrupted robots and brainwashed security guard.
@@CinemaOverAnalyzed in the original book the other father actively defies the Beldam and protects Coraline, which only ends up in the Beldam locking him in the cellar while he decomposes, and even then while being feed upon and basically rotting from the inside out, the other father still tries to help Coraline giving her clues and tips, and is not until the Beldam puppeteers him and makes him tear his own tongue that he stops helping Coraline, and even then, he blinds himself so the Beldam can't use him to hurt Coraline.
Jeez... May have to read the book now
@@fabra1122 It's a very worthwhile read, totally recommend.
1:11 there’s also six from little nightmares. The difference being that the monsters are more animalistic and six becomes the monster that feeds on other monsters, while George becomes prey that’s feasted on and Coraline is the prey that survives leaving the predator to starve.
That is true! I haven't played that game in some time! It would be interesting to look at the parallels between the monsters from Little Nightmares, Coraline, and It.
Coraline is the weird (and full of courage) kind of girl, that instead of running away in fear from the centipedes, she decides to crush as many as she can with her bare hands
I could never 😂
I guess my question is...Did she ever really wash her hands after squashing all those bugs? Haha!
Dayum
Yeah
My theory regarding the other Father and other Wybie, and why they would help Coraline-- The Beldam created them to love Coraline. And they did. So they helped and protected her as best they could.
That makes sense! Thanks for sharing your thoughts =)
That's exactly what happens in the original book, while Wibbie doesn't exist, the other father basically does whatever is in his power, actively defying the Beldam, to help and protect Coraline, to the point of sacrificing himself so Coraline can escape the first time and blinding himself after the Beldam starts to puppeteer him, so she couldn't find Coraline
Beldam: * Makes puppets that are supposed to love Coraline *
Other Father and Other Wybie: * Love Coraline *
Beldam: * Surprised pikachu face *
8:40 with the siren imagery, sirens actually, supposedly, sung about what their victim desired. That could be anything from returning home, seeing someone long dead, or even finding that perfect loaf of garlic bread. The Other Mother lured Coraline in by indulging her with everything she wanted and desired, trying to pull her in so that when the time came to strike, Coraline would have nowhere to go.
The random detail of garlic bread makes me laugh. Thank you for that! Besides that aspect, I agree The Beldam is a true siren!
One of my favorite, very subtle foreshadowing events in this movie is the fact that, during their performance, Other Spink and Forcible are quoting the "What A Piece of Work is Man" monologue from Hamlet.
The key part is, they avoid saying the final line of it:
"And yet, to me, what is this quintessence of dust? No, man delights not me."
We later see Other Wybie is literally composed of dust under his gloves!
I've read Hamlet but never connected the dots there. That's such a great detail!
I never noticed this but the lightning strike in the window is the same shape of the tea leaves in the fortune reading scene. Both are hands reaching out to grab her
I didn't even know that was a thing until you pointed it out! MAN, THIS MOVIE HAS SO MANY SECRETS!
I would also say that another advantage Coraline has is her age, which i think goes along with your theory of her being independent and free thinking. The children before Coraline all seem much younger than her which would make them more susceptible to manipulation. Wybie's grandmother hadnt let people with children rent out the pink palace for decades. So when Coraline came, the Beldam was desperate for food and tried her same old tactics. But they inevitable failed because of her inpatients and innability to adapt
So one thing I always thought might be the reason For why Coraline was able to realize the Beldam was bad news was The Beldam rushed with her. I got the feeling she had the luxury of more time with the previous children, but I think with Coraline it had been so long since she fed she was running on a limited pool of energy. Thanks to Wybie's grandmother refusing to allow children into the pink palace it had been over 50years since she managed to feed.
After the other world turns hostile The other Mr B comments on how he doesn't have enough energy to be a copy of Mr. B anymore which is why it turned into a rat. So with the Beldam starving she offered the buttons way to soon and it broke the illusion over Coraline's mind.
That's an interesting point! She's pushing her into the house. One more thing to add from this scene...the lighting changes from kind and welling. Like in the previous nights. To more haunting and creepy. Kind of like how the lighting is in budget horror movie back in the day.
What I genuinely really like about her character development is how it realistically portrays how once something happens in a situation that majorly impacts it, you tend to see things you once saw in one light in a different light.
Love how they portrayed that once she knew the world was no longer truly this amazing wonderland just for her and she knew what the Beldam’s true intentions were, she responds to things in the world she once saw as astonishing and beautiful as empty and repulsive. Like how when she went to the Other Father’s garden for the first ghost eye, she saw the plants that were in it. When she saw them the first time she came to the garden, she was having the time of her life, she was excited and bewildered and had so much joy. But once she re-entered the garden for the game, she looked at those same exact plants with a look of revulsion and an audible “ugh”, like she was gagging at the meer sight of them.
Once she knew everything was a farce, she looked at everything she once saw as a miracle in her empty world as something just as empty, and I love that.
The ghost children weren't "greedy and selfish;" they were *lonely and needy* . Coraline may have been less susceptible to the Beldam because _her_ neglect only dated from the date of whatever accident gave her mother a neck brace; before that, Coraline had a better relationship with them, so she "needed" the Beldam's attention less. Also, Coraline is feisty and snarky...something children in previous generations were discouraged from being.
The centipede killing is a good observation. A lot of people's first instinct would be to turn around and run if they saw that many, possibly even if they had bug spray or a shoe. Coraline's first instinct is to go at them immediately with her bare hands.
There's a bit in the movie Coraline that litterally NOBODY talks about!!
The third time Coraline goes to the Other Mothers house, when she's crawing through the door there's a shot of the whole room. If you look at the third/biggest window you can see a figure walking past the window. This figure looks like Coraline in the clothes the Other Mother gives her (the ones with the stars) But this "Coraline" walking past the window has button eyes
honestly it scared the hell out of me and my cousin when we first saw it xD
I'm going to have to rewatch this movie RIGHT NOW to see this detail! I can't believe I never notice that before!
@@CinemaOverAnalyzed yes, and i don't know if you've noticed but in the book, the cat states that the Beldam is like a spider, luring her prey into her web. You make a connection regarding this, like the dress, but i don't believe you said that it happened outright
Oh hell no I gotta see this.
Time stamp?
@@elliewilliams1137 i think at 44:23
My theory is that each creation of the bedlam is the ghost children’s bodies just changed to look like the people in coraline’s life. Remember, the bedlam cannot create, only change (and other stuff). Also, there are 3 ghost children, the little boy and 2 girls, these are the other father and the preforming ladies (Mr. Bobinsky is just a bunch of rats as we saw and Wylie wasn’t in the book) i think this theory is from CZ’s world
That is a very interesting theory! Now, it has been a long while since I read the book. I'm going to have to reread it with this in mind because that makes a lot of sense.
I think there is a little bit of that “soul sand” in every character the baldam has created. The ones Coraline has a greater bond to have more “soul sand”, like wybie and and the other father thats why they tried to help coraline even when they were about to die. Bobinsky for example doesnt have an emotional bond with Coraline in both worlds, therefore he doesn’t require as much “soul sand”
@@CinemaOverAnalyzed Okay! Thanks for replying!
@@abiss201 Maybe….?
6:58, I don't think the other father was possessed at all, I think he was acting friendly because the beldam was watching, but he actually gave her a subtle coded message in the song
Both Other Father and Other Wybie remind more of Westworld Cyborgs. How over time they deviate from the norm.
@@CinemaOverAnalyzed the father wasn't possesed in what he says the beldam controls every item in the House and she controls him playing the piano for Coraline to entertain her but when he had to go after her he said sorry and talked about how he didn't want to
Funny thing... dragonflies are predators as well...
It makes perfect sense for her to be the one to escape.
Spiders can eat dragonflies, should they get stuck in their webs, but dragonflies are just as capable of killing spiders.
I guess this movie answer my question as to who would win in a fight a dragonfly or spider...haha!
Yup
April and Miriam's performance after unzipping their old lady suits is "What a piece of work is man" from Hamlet. The entire speech is Hamlet reflecting on the human condition, at first admirably and then disparagingly. The lines the sisters recite are where the admirable aspects of the human condition are remarked in the original speech. They essentially are telling Coraline that, humans are capable of greatness and in this context, able to overcome any obstacle. It's fitting that Miriam is the one to start the recitation, as throughout the movie she has always taken, or expressed taking action, particularly in how to surmount an obstacle. Though Miriam is wrong with the tea leaf prediction, she does provide a solution to what she thinks it is saying, getting a stepladder for the giraffe-like man she thinks is coming for Coraline. She also ends up correct on the stone's purpose in finding lost things, and knows the exact candy bowl containing the stone. She also recognizes the hurdles they face in getting to the theater by walking after the parents vanish. Miriam is a character that recognizes obstacles and takes action to surmount them and provide solutions where possible. April on the other hand is a character that focuses more on general guidance and knowledge, but not giving anything concrete in terms of actionable advice.
That's my best interpretation of April and Miriam's performance and rolls in the story
This is super insightful and well put, thank you!!
Thank you for this thorough explanation! That fits well with the Siren song because both do worry Coraline about the dangers of The Beldam, but get caught up in their argument. Like the real April and Miriam do with the prediction and stone!
You said this so beautifully!
the first time i watched Coraline, i was terrified. Now when i look back, i realize it's an amazing movie with so many impressively hidden details that showcase the characters and story plot in general. also, it's still terrifying.
It is so amazing how well-crafted this movie is! There are so many details and the animation is beautiful!
@@CinemaOverAnalyzed 100% agree!
I think the finger tapping is more so of a show that the Beldam likes games. The first time it happens, the Beldam says she wants to play a game. The second time it happens is when Coraline challenges her to a game. And she did that because the cat told her that she has a thing for games, that she wouldn't play fair, but wouldn't refuse.
You're right...The Beldam does love her games! I guess my question is can it be both? She's irritated with Coraline to get to the point, so they can play the game.
@@CinemaOverAnalyzed I agree more with Mathilde in your comment section, saying it's of anticipation or excitement.
The other fathers song says "She's a peach, she's a doll she's a pal of mine" Meaning he sided with Coraline from pretty much the start, i mean calling her a peach is his way of warning, she's food. The whole song is foreshadowing, and it's not the other mother coming up with the lyrics, as he says "making up a song about Coraline" another one of his warnings is "she's as cute as a button in the eyes of everyone who ever laid their eyes on Coraline" seen as the song is the first time we see the other father we can concur that he always had free will, and so does other Wybie etc
Interesting! Got any theories about the siren of the sea song?
@@CinemaOverAnalyzed i had not paid attention ngl soooo i stole a comment from the official soundtrack on ye "The two sirens represent the Beldam's world and the Real World. The play is showing the real world trying to warn Coraline about the Other World through Other Spink and Forcible, which then fails because the Beldam might've caught on and stopped it.
Mermaid: Other World- The original Greek picture does not have the mermaid nor the half fish. In other words, she's inaccurate - Did I hear a banshee? Aka, the banshee being reality, warning Coraline that a death is about to happen in a house. In this case, it's the Other House, where Coraline evades death
Venus: Real World- this scene is more accurate, minus Mrs. Forcible'a...look...- You smell like the fishes! You smell fishy. You're Suspicious.-You're sea green with envy! The other mother wants Coraline from the real world."
My theory is that Coraline is a pretty skeptical kid, even as she is being charmed by the Beldam. And since the Beldam uses the thoughts and desires of the children against them, it would make sense that the creations made from her skeptical mind would contain just a tiny bit of that skepticism.
It would be why the Other Sisters would hint towards Coraline's world not being real, as well as Other Father and Other Wylie. You can see from the time she comes in that she doesn't quite trust the world 100%. The prior kids were probably less skeptical, and saw no issues with trading their eyes for buttons.
Also as the cat pointed out, the Beldam can't create anything, she can only use what is available. My guess is she can't "mind control" her victims, just read their brains and reproduce their fantasies.
So if the stuff you have to work from a skeptical child...the Other Mother chose her victim poorly.
gotta say I am much preferring YOUR theory here as opposed to the ones out there about how Coraline DIDN'T escape.
Wait what theories are those I’ve never heard those before 😭
@Andrea Proxy I've seen those theories floating around. I guess I don't see enough evidence as to why Coraline would still be in The Beldam's world? I also, really like looking closer at character growth!
@Canyou Not Yes, there are a lot of different theories about her not leaving. Here are some of them if you would like to go check them out:
Coraline Never Left The Other World | RhiAnimations by RhiAnimations
Did Coraline really escape? (Coraline Theory) by BigOEntertainment
Just for fun! Here's a deep dive into the whole plot of Coraline:
CORALINE THEORY: Literally Every Mystery Solved by The Theorizer
I hope this helps =)
@@CinemaOverAnalyzed omg thank u I’ll look into these
I've seen those. Interesting, but not my favorite. Though I can't deny the evidence is compelling.
The camera angles are also so telling. When we see Coraline in the beginning of the movie, a lot of the time the camera is looking down on her. It makes her look small. Same with a lot of the wider shots that have her look small while in the spaces of her house or the garden. However, as time goes on and Coraline begins to fight back, the camera starts looking down on her less and less, with that angle only reserved for when the Beldam is in the picture intimidating and looking down on Coraline!
Oh, people have been making comparisons of IT and the Beldam for a while now; some people theorize or headcanon that they are the same species, or at least a closely related one, as they both have reality bending powers, target children, wants their victims to feel specific emotions (IT fear, the Beldam love), have feeding cycles, and are even both related to spiders; the Beldam is compared to a spider in the book, has the look of one as her true form in the movie, and ITs true form, while incomprehensible to humans, is always spider-like.
An interesting headcanon could be that the Beldam is a child of IT, as in the story, IT lays eggs near the end, but while most if not all of them are destroyed, IT could have laid eggs during any of the other cycles. The Beldam being a child of IT could explain some of the differences: her ability to manipulate reality is weaker because she hasn't existed for that many cycles (she's only had 3 victims before Coraline, and we can see that she loses power as Coraline saves the children, which would indicate that the Beldam grows stronger the more children she has), she only needs to feed on one child per cycle because she needs less food to sustain herself, and whereas IT liked the taste of fear, comparing it to salting the meat, the Beldam prefers the taste of love. If you wonder about the pocket dimension that the Beldam resides in, it's heavily implied, basically confirmed, in the book that the Beldam didn't create that place; she just found it and it was an ideal place for her to take up residence, the same way that IT utilizes the sewers of Derry.
I just thought it was a funny coincidence...haha! I didn't know just how similar The Beldam and IT's abilities were! That's so CRAZY! Thanks for sharing this information it was really helpful =)
@@CinemaOverAnalyzed This coincidence/theory reminds me of that one theory on how both IT and Mary Poppins (yes, THE Mary Poppins) are actually members of the same species.
The only thing that distinguish her from IT is that while IT feeds on fear, Mary feeds on joy and probably the sense of wonders. Whereas the former use a very brutal form of scare tactics to harvest his foods, Mary instead gets them by helping those in needs and then float away satisfied without killing anyone or anything.
A small detail in Coraline is that when the other mother traps Coraline in the cocoon she says "be a good daughter, then I'll let u out" which references how Coraline becomes a better daughter and treats other better at the end of the film when she's finally let out by the beldam (or forced herself out)
somewhat unrelated, but since it was mentioned a lot i just want to talk about how amazing and subtly obvious the foreshadowing it.
the tapping of other mothers fingers when she talks about a “game” early in the movie. The fact that Coralines suggestion is Hide and Seek, and the game is technically played at the end with her parents and the eyes being seeked out by Coraline. And then the tapping of her fingers at the end of the movie, having the cat say that the beldam has a thing for games, which also makes me think that the finger tapping isn’t impatience but more excitement, but it’s possible that its both: her impatiently wanting to get to a game which excites her. I like the theory that the Other Father was actually originally a pumpkin that Other Mother animated to become a father like figure for Coraline, since he turns into a pumpkin like creature only when other mothers powers are wearing out. the foreshadowing of this is the fact that Other Mother calls Other Father ‘pumpkin’ many times throughout the movie. Also as mentioned the clothing shift into the other mother to an outfit that is very bug like. Even in the beginning of the movie we see the bug cabinet being moved into the house, which is in other mothers room at the end of the movie. Any the animators and writers here really knew was they were doing :)
It's not unrelated at all! I don't think I've ever seen a movie that uses so much foreshadowing in such clever ways! Trying a remarkable film! Even if I watched this film 50 times in a row I still don't think I would pick up on all the subtly this movie has to offer...haha!
seeing another coraline analysis/theory video literally made my heart sing, and right in time for Halloween, too! but it made my DAY to hear new and interesting takes on it that were very well done/delivered and thought out. Thank you for making and posting this video 🙂
Thank you for clicking on the video! Coraline is a masterpiece that I don't think we'll ever stop talking about. There are just so many hidden details about it! Hope you have a lovely Halloween!
this might sound obvious but i like how in the april/miriam singing scene, the costumes don’t have buttons as eyes, but the more “beautiful” versions of them do. it shows how much attention the other mother put into the other world, as it’s insinuating that buttons = better than no buttons
Coralline was brought in by a tribe of Yautjas. As she grew older, she was trained in the arts of their ancient traditional ways (mostly by slaying Xenomorphs), to be granted the title of intergalactic space hunter. Having been honored by the Yautja as a member of their people by slaying an Alien Empress, Coraline then returned to Earth to claim the Other Mother’s skull as a trophy!…
…That’s what popped up in my head when I read the title to this video.
Not going to lie...I would totally watch this movie if it ever came out...haha!
@@CinemaOverAnalyzed The untold story we never knew we needed.
Until now.
I’m glad that people are still talking about the majesty that is Coraline! Loved the video, and Happy Halloween!😁
I think that's why I love it some much! Each person that watches it can find something new to say about it. I truly wish more movies were like this! I hope you have a wonderful Halloween as well =)
The movie Coraline has always fascinated me as a kid. It’s such a creative yet creepy kind of backstory to the movie and Coraline herself is honestly such a smart and adventurous character, if I was her, no way in heck would I go through that door. Though Wybie is my absolute favorite character I would give lots of credit to Coraline and the person who came up with her character for making the whole movie so awesome. The Beldam always gave me the creeps when I was little and I watched this movie, but it’s also kinda interesting about her turning into a spider as she is an evil character at the same time. When you think about it, it makes sense since she’s a spider and she had caught Coraline in her web. And since spiders have prey and that’s how they catch flies and other insects, instead since she’s evil that’s how she caught Coraline. But with the other father I think he was honestly just trying to help Coraline because he knows that the other mother is evil.
My personal theory on why the other "people" protect Coraline is because that's their purpose in the trap. They're supposed to be helpful and supportive. It's like a painting, once you do it you can't change it but you can destroy it and remake it however you want (which is why instead of being remade instantly she just destroyed the other people).
That's an interesting way of thinking about it! Thanks for sharing!
Can you please make a video about divatox from Power Rangers Turbo?
Every year I rewatch this movie and then I become obsessed again and rewatch the making of documentaries and I also watch any videos related to the film on YT whether it is theories or analysis video like this
I guess I watched so many that the YT algorithm eventually recommended this video and I’m glad as it was fantastic and deserves more views
Coraline is truly a masterpiece! Each person that watches it can find something new to say about it. I find that so fascinating! I didn't know where were documentaries on the making of this film! That's so cool! I'm going to have to go watch those right now!
I'm glad you enjoy the video and I hope you have a wonderful time watching more Coraline videos around TH-cam. I've seen a lot of new Coraline-related content popping up recently, so there are a lot of new videos to explore!
@@CinemaOverAnalyzed I have the Blu-Ray of the film so that’s where I watched the in depth documentaries although there are some shorter BTS stuff on the Laika YT channel
I'll check out their TH-cam Channel thanks! It will be cool to see other behind the scene content of their other film as well!
The whole movie is about growing up and understanding responsibility, independence, support, and self-control. It's not surprising that the creations grow too.
This was an incredibly good take and really well executed video, I'm surprised you're so underrated! :D
Thank you for the kind words! I have a lot of fun making these videos and it's nice to see people enjoy them! I hope you have a lovely Halloween my friend =)
@@CinemaOverAnalyzed awe, I'm glad you're doing what makes you happy! Have a lovely and safe halloween c:
7:34 The real father's monkey slippers are blue, whereas the other father's monkey slippers are orange
I didn't notice that! My eye normally is drawn to the Michigan State sweatshirt. I never really paid close attention to his shoes! Thanks for sharing this fun little detail!
@@CinemaOverAnalyzed the real father actually said it, I believe the dialogue went as follows (it was the morning after her first visit btw)
Coroline (talking about the other father): "... and he had orange monkey slippers"
Real father: "don't be silly, my monkey slippers are blue"
Real mother: "if the real Charlie Jones wants to finish his section of the catalog, he needs to get back to work asap"
When you mentioned that the other children gave into selfishness, made me think, in the past the pink Palace would’ve been one entire home, a mansion, it wouldn’t have been split up into different sections, which means these children probably came from very privileged families and were frankly rich, so they would’ve already been somewhat spoiled, so the idea of the other mother spoiling them further probably helped with that temptation, they would be prone to it, Coraline however does not come from a rich family, you can tell that in the film that they are struggling financially, and I think that’s why she was less prone to selfishness, it was nice at first in the other world because it was new and enticing for her, and her main issue was not getting enough attention from her parents, she was seeking love more than she was seeking physical things, but since she wasn’t raised the way the other kids were she was less susceptible to the temptations
this isn't very deep but considering the color theory in the movie, its cool how coraline's clothes go from orange to, in the other world, blue, but her dad mentions in the real world that his monkey slippers (his flip flops) are blue, but his monkey slippers in the other world are orange. also, we see in a family photo where coraline has brown hair as a younger child that her blue hair color isn't natural, she purposely added it, so I wonder if the blue itself represents anything :))
That's such a fun detail! I'm normally looking at the Michigan State sweatshirt that I forget about his flip-flops all together!
It's actually a common misconception that silverfish (the creatures in the shower) are juvenile house centipedes, however they are a different species entirely, being insects rather than a type of centipede.
My theory as to why the other mother's creations turn against her is because her power is strengthened by eating the children and using their eyes in her world. So, with the children's souls being used to make her world, the world tries it's best to go against her. She's too powerful for them to against toe to toe, but they can passively help
As you were explaining that orange and blue are opposite colors, blue represents imagination, open spaces, and freedom. On the other hand orange represents optimism and energy. I honestly understand why she would wear orange, she is very energetic and adventurous. But once she goes into the other world she wears blue, that entire world is just to lure her with her freedom and imagination of everything shes ever wanted. Orange also represents hope as in there is still hope for her in the real world. As long as she doesnt get lured into the other realm she still has hope.
I’m happy people still talk about this movie!
Okay, this is a super interesting video and very underrated! This showed up on my FYP and I’m so glad! I’ve never been interested in watching coralline but now I am, maybe I’ll watch it on Halloween hehe~💕
Keep it up! You’ve got talent!
I'm glad I could help shed some light on this film! Coraline is a wonderfully crafted movie. In both, it's story-telling and animation. Both Dakota Fanning, the voice of Coraline, and Teri Hatcher, the voice of The Beldam, do an exceptional job. If you do end up watching it, I would love to hear your thoughts! Have a wonderful Halloween!
Really cool analysis. I just wanted to mention that the bugs Coraline kills in the shower are actually silverfish. Nasty things
Thank you! I've never seen one of these creatures before. Where are they native to?
@@CinemaOverAnalyzed I know they like hot humid climates in the American south, but I don't know specifically. They also like natural fibers
You guys are so informative! I've learned so much about Silverfish from this comment section!
@@CinemaOverAnalyzedI live in south eastern Australia, and they are rampant if you leave messes around (especially in things like clothes and towels)
Another detail I noticed is that while her CLOTHES are opposites and she gives in by going from orange to blue, her hair was ALWAYS blue to begin with, almost symbolizing what was to come. NOT MANY PEOPLE KNOW that Coraline DYED HER HAIR. In her parents bedroom, there is an old family picture, where Coraline's hair is BROWN. Also, maybe that represents that she always had the fighting spirit inside her.
Orange represents youthfulness, adventure, and creativity.
Blue represents commitment, responsibility, and peace.
The Beldam’s creations always have had sentience. The Other Father’s song is a direct warning to Coraline with it’s lyrics, he made the song to warn her of what was going to happen. It’s only as the Beldam’s power starts to fade since she hasn’t eaten a child in so long do the creations start to lose their subtlety. They start breaking free from her control as Coraline did
I hope you all have a Happy Halloween!
We don't celebrate haloween here, but I really enjoy reseeing Coroline in a spooky atmosphere
one of the most underrated YT channel ever
@@bdariamihaela Well I hope you have a wonderful Monday the 31st =)
@@notadeadbydaylightplayer6101 Thank you! That means a lot =)
I love Coroline, and I just want to give you a thank you for talking about coroline even still, other people talk about this too but I absolutely love new content for this gem of a movie, again I say: Thank you, and additionally you’ve got a new subscriber out of me 😋☺️
She reminds me of Six from Little Nightmares. The raincoat, the fact that both Coroline and Six are the only children to actual make it out alive in these strange worlds, and they’re both about that action 🥊
I assume the reason why the other father was so loving towards coraline was mainly because the beldam programmed him to be a loving and caring father who truly looks out for coraline ; something that coraline doesn’t exactly see in her real father during the start of the movie. But this ended up backfiring on the beldam because even though she could force the other father to hurt coraline, he himself was made to be caring and genuine and hence was willing to risk his life for her despite his true purpose of creation.
In a way, the other mother used manipulation to lure her in the trap, since everything at first was amazing and she loved it, right? well, then the other mother cuts it off, she can only stay under one condition, the other mother sews buttons in her eyes. Luckily Coraline knew not to do that. You do see this method in love sometimes. pure manipulation. say that somebody would treat somebody like a prince/princess but then stopped right after they got addicted. this way, they basically imply that "if you don't date/marry etc. me, you won't get that bit of sensation you got before. commonly leading to a toxic or co-dependent relationship.
Her manipulation tactic remind me a little bit of Mothe Gothel as well. It's a shame that love can be so manipulating. What makes it worse is movie like Twilight praise this type of relationship.
When i first watched Coraline, the thing that scared me the most wasn't the Beldam, wasn't the Beldam's version of the lady's downstairs, not the circus but the ghostly child with a long mouth. Elongation or disproportion of body parts is scary, imagine the False Sheperd in the Mandela Catalogue. The reason he's scary is mostly because of his figure. The long always opened mouth always smiling, the never blinking eyes. Everything is horrifying, but I love it. The way that writers and designers can play on a human's natural instinct against us is interesting.
I just realized... Coraline takes the doll everywhere in the house therefore showing the Beldam a full view of the rooms inside. The Beldam could've shaped her world in a way Coraline would like it. And Coraline wearing the clothes given by the Beldam was also a way for the Beldam to see what she does after "coming back to her real home" lol. Also I think the Beldam was once just like Coraline and she learned witchcraft because the ancient tunnel being forced her to do that, probably why the cat or who she calls Vermin could be her loved one(child or lover). And at the end, Coraline never escaped and killing the Beldam just made her the next prey of the ancient tunnel being.
One last thing I think the other mother feeds on attention rather than children's eyes, she gives them attention so they keep coming back for her and when they realize her wish to sew buttons in their eyes she traps them in her world by eating the eyes so they keep giving her attention , positively or negatively, it doesn't matter.
I hope this makes sense 💙🧡
The color thing comes up in dialogue too - her father tells her to count everything that's blue and when she tells him about the other father wearing orange slippers he says "orange? My monkey slippers are blue!" Always wondered what the significance of that was
It is rare to see such great analysis of a film on youtube nowadays. You had a clear point which you explained well and I now feel like I have a greater understanding of the movie and it's themes.
Thank you! Just going my best!
this video reminds me that i need to watch more from Laika studios. this video is a banger, and so are the Laika movies i’ve seen so far. they’re such a cool studio, i need to watch more from them.
Before I made this video, I kind of forget just how amazing Laika Studios was. The animation is so fluid that you forget its stop motion. Especially, when it comes to the clever transitions from scene to scene! Such an amazing studio! I would agree I do need to watch more films from them.
@@CinemaOverAnalyzed yeah, it’s crazy how talented they are. movies like kubo and coraline were absolutely gorgeous, and still had amazing writing. one of the rare cases in movies where i can’t majorly fault them, i love it. gonna go watch coraline rn
I've never watched Kubo and the two-string, but the animation looks fantastic! I'll add it to my list of movies that I have to watch. Anyway, have a lovely time watching Coraline!
The theatre scene idea:
Coraline is lifted into the air and is tossed around, having fun, until getting stuck up high. She falls and April and Merriam catch her, ending the show.
Now let's relate this to the beldam... Coraline is brought into a world of enchantment, having more fun than she's had since the move. However, as her stay gets longer, she is put into a position of getting stuck, and the beldam wants her to fall right into her arms (or her web), and taking her soul, ending the beldam's charade.
So, the other April and other Merriam were hinting at the beldam's true motives within their 'wonder' as the beldam calls it
I see so it was a foreshadowing of the events ahead! With Coraline falling in a literal web at the end of the movie...VERY CLEVER!
Great Video! Very underrated channel 🎃
Thank you! Just doing my best to make fun content! Hope you have a lovely Halloween!
I love the movie’s eerie sense of glee and happiness that’s just not quite right. It’s like you feel happy but it doesn’t feel quite correct. As the colour fades we finally realise why it was wrong and what is going on.
I think the defiance other Wybie and Other Father have is almost like Other Mother created and sculptured a blank thing but Coraline gave it flavour and personality which made them brave enough to stand up for themselves.
I would agree with that. The music, especially in the dinner scene with the Other Parents, has a sense of curiosity and worry all at the same time. That really nails that element for sure!
That interesting way of putting it. Almost like Caroline nurtured them into standing up to the Other Mother.
one thing I saw was during the performance by other Miriam and sphynx is that when they were performing, they were moving like a spider making its web being graceful and able to prevent from falling. Another thing is that when Coraline comes back knowing the other mother's intentions the other Miriam and ms.sphnx is that they were in the rapper like a fly in a spider's trap forced to stay there and not move until they are free by the spider, also like a puppet forced to move or stay whenever the ventriloquist says so. When other mr.B is trying to get her to stay he glides gracefully knowing all the little spots and secrets like a spider knowing all of its web and being quiet and careful not to make a sound so it can catch it's prey.
I would say Coraline is perceptive, she may not have clocked the poison oak, but the label on the light switch was hanging off and she couldn’t read it. Also she does ask Wybie to elaborate on why his grandma doesn’t let kids stay there but he just doesn’t elaborate.
Had to subscribe because when you blow up I want to be able to say I’ve been here since the beginning lol
That means a lot! Maybe one day that will happen. In the meantime, I'm going to keep working hard to make videos! Have a lovely Halloween!
Hello! I would like to say that Six from Little Nightmares also wears a yellow raincoat and falls victim to a person called "The Lady". The Lady is a power hungry women who (I'm not positive on this but is hinted around the game) feasts on either the souls of children, or the children themselves, just like Coraline and Georgie (Who you mentioned before). Also, great video!
The yellow jacket has always been a symbol of being noticed, in the eye so to speak.
But something I notice the most is Coralines blue hair, having moved to a new place… blue is an unnatural color, very rarely seen in nature. She is quite literally an invasive species.
Look at her hair, it is dyed blue. So if blue means prey we can assume that she wants to be seen as prey cause she made it Look like that. Dragonflys also trick ther prey into being distracted by their own colorful shining body so maybe coraline was a predator from the beginning??
I realized , to go back to the other world Coraline has to use the door.
Instead the first time she sleeps.
She could've been trapped in such a loop of a world due to her sleeping in the beldam's domain.
The bedlam (other mother) could've put her in such a loop Example Being as her parents are gone when she "returns" .
When she "saves" her mother and father. They act much more "friendly" and nice to Coraline .
(also in the books The beldam tries to convince coraline that her real parents "hate her" and she should stay with her.) So MAybe
I love how sometimes the ones made or born to be evil or help it turns out to be some of the most kind and pure hearted of them all
I like how the other father is riding a praying mantis, If I remember correctly the females eat the male mantis' head after breeding. Like how other mother is in control of the other father or how the other mother used him (to be an other father-figure to Caroline) before he did his part, and he was useless to the Beldam thus getting rid of him and he turned to stone which actually reminds me how a spider wraps it's prey in it's web.
The song the other father sings is also a warning, “she’s a peach, she’s a doll … cute as a button in the eyes”.
The song is foreshadowing...and a bop! You love to see it!
I watched the bug theory and I figured that the movie already implied that? I thought everyone knew this, and they idea that coralline went through her character development.
Yes, it is implied, but I had a lot of fun looking back at this film, nonetheless!
@@CinemaOverAnalyzed well I enjoyed watching (:
Along with Georgie and Coraline, Six from little nightmares is also a child in a yellow raincoat who is at odds with a tall witch who controls the world around them.
Love this analysis! There’s definitely a lot of running motifs/visuals in this movie. The creators put a lot of thought into this, even down to the details.
the book was so different. if you read the book and analyze it the whole story is more scary but makes sense
The last time I picked up the book was in the 6th grade for a book report. It scared the scary pants off of me! Now, I kind of want to read it again because for the life of me can't remember what's different...haha!
I have a theory that she never really left the other worlds until the end of the movie where she crawls back through the tunnel.
That is an interesting theory! So in this theory did The Beldam have the key the whole time? Does Coraline enter The Beldam's world the same way?
@@CinemaOverAnalyzed I believe that she never left the Beldams World. If anything the beldams actually made a replica of Coraline’s real world to make it more repulsive and get her to compare her life and convince her to sell into her eyes. Never actually believes the fake world until she travels back through the tunnel physically.
I looove watching video essays like this, and yours is another great one! Glad I stumbled upon it, keep up the good work 👍
This is amazing I love that this came up on my recommendation. This is probably the best thing to pop up on my recommendation in a Really LONG time, so thanks for that. I love phycological and analytical stuff like this AND I LOVE CORALINE so you’re pretty awesome for making this vid. You even pointed out some stuff like the colors that I didn’t even know about, which is really saying something because I know a lot about this movie lol.
Minor note: The "centipedes" are actually silverfish.
Yes, thank you! In this comment section alone I've learned so much about a silverfish...haha!
Since the beldam can't eat I think she is losing power through the movie that's why her creations turn against her and why she actually turns into the spider cause she doesn't have enough power to keep the illusion up
That's what I was thinking as well my fried =)
So further dividing the 'Real World' from the 'Other World' is the set design itself, wherein the RW sets were built with forced perspective and were made shallower than the OW sets, giving the OW a fuller look.
Complimenting this is the 3D presentation, and if you haven't seen Coraline in 3D, it is definitely worth the watch. The 3D in the RW is very flat, almost no depth at all, but in the OW, it is very deep, and there are lots of moments with objects popping out the screen. Subconciously, this gets the audience yearning for the OW as well, as it provides the more interesting views in the movie (This goes along with the more dynamic camera movements as well). While the flat 3D of the RW is seen as boring at the start, with the OW 3D being exciting, it changes over the course of the movie to represent comfort and safety in the RW, where the mundane is not so bad, to intensity and danger in the OW. This movie was designed and shot in 3D from the ground up so it goes a long way with the presentation and story.
One of my favorite shots in the movie is of the Other Mother leaning into the mirror room, and we see her from Coraline's perspective ("You can come out when you have learned to be a better daughter.") Obviously in the 2D version we can see she is getting into Coraline's face, but the 3D takes that a step further as her whole body is protruding out of the screen towards the audience, including the viewer in on the punishment as well.
That's so fricken cool! I love learning about how films were made! I didn't know about Coraline 3D I'm going to have to check that out!
Actually, now ya got me thinking. Why DID Wybie's Grandma allow the Jones family to move in, when Wybie specifically says she DOESN'T rent to people with kids? And why does Wybie get so nervous about his Grandma calling for him?
When Coraline says she thinks she heard someone calling him, he immediately stands up from petting the Cat. Rigid and seemingly nervous as he avoids turning around and making eye contact with Coraline. He dismisses her quickly, as if he's trying to convince her that she didn't hear his Grandma.
You'd assume it's because she might have strictly told him to stay away from Coraline because she lives in the apartment, which also ties into the first question, but the fact is that he gets so nervous.
He could just go home and not tell his Grandma that he was with Coraline, but when he heard her the second time, he got even more nervous and immediately went home. The whole situation seemed like he was STALLING until he heard her himself and couldn't fool Coraline.
But why would he be stalling? Why would he be stalling to go home? It almost appears that he's AFRAID to go home for some reason.
Could the Beldam and Wybie's Grandma be in kahoots!? Maybe it's to keep Wybie from being taken? Or maybe she made a deal with the Beldam long ago in order to escape? I don't know...all I know is Wybie's Grandma has got some explaining to do!
I have a theory about the part of the “theatre” in the movie, you can see they start out boring and become more live, they show actions like leaving Coraline on the headlights for her to fall and catch her, falling to her demise feeling unsafe, and falling into the bedlam’s web showing the presses of once again, starting boring and becoming lively
adding onto the idea that the Other Father playing piano was scripted, he said "oh I don't play the piano, the piano plays me!"
a similar thing happened with him and the mantis-robot. He wasn't in control.
And another thing about Other Mother being a Redback Spider
it's kinda normal for redback mates for the female to consume the male after mating,
usually killing their partner
might symbolize how Other Mother used Other Father maybe?
That's a really interesting fact that I didn't know! That does make a lot of sense!
I think it is also important to point out how different but also similar the book is from the movie. I watched the movie many times but the first time I read the book, I realized how different they were. In the book, Coraline didn't have anyone in the Other World to help her except the cat. Unlike in the movie where Coraline begins by liking the other world, in the book Coraline senses something wrong with the Other world almost immediately. Both the Other Father and the Other circus ladies songs (in the movie) also hint as the upcoming climax.
Another important detail is that Wybie is not in the books. There are also no dolls in the books (except for that one scene at the end) meaning that Wybie's grandmother's sister or whoever was not one of the children. I think the movie producers included Wybie as someone Coraline could interact with and communicate her feelings to.
One more detail that I found interesting was the empty flat. I don't know if it was shown in the movie but in the book there is one important scene there. The scene where the dough thing (Other Father) attacks Coraline. Before he attacked her, he actually told her about how the other mother used him and just threw him away after she had used him to successfully grasp Coraline. This scene was not only disturbing (and sad) but it also showed how when the Beldam had finished grasping Coraline, her world just collapsed.
Both the book and the movie have so much in common and also so many differences.
Fun fact:I dont remember really when but one night when wybie didnt get in to the house he was sad and the other mother forced him to smile by showing a smile and wybie smiled.The other day wybie had lil things holding his mouth to smile.
Here is my theory for the other Father (can’t say for other Wybie but it can be applied to it):
I feel like they do have a conscious to an extent since in the beginning when we first met the other father, I feel like he was controlled by the other mother/Beldam but maybe around the half way mark, he was able to have his own conscious after he grew attached to Coraline (similar to Other Wybie) so he tried to help as much as he could before his demise which could explain why he gave up one of the ghost children’s soul/eyes
I can see that! As The Beldam get weaker the other father become more aware!
The scene of Other April and Miriam performing actually is significant for another reason too, as you’ve noticed! It’s in the song-or rather, the words they sing; they’ve turned one of Hamlet’s most iconic monologues from Shakespeare, into a song and the interesting thing here is two things: first, the monologue in spite of its supposedly uplifting and extolling words about humans, is actually all SARCASM. Hamlet never intended these words to be sincere, but sardonic. Second, their song actually ends before the key words that reveal this passage was all in bitter jest-the version Other April and Miriam sing omits the final line: ‘And yet to me what is this quintessence of dust?’ Dust,,,, as in what all the Other Copies are made of?
Dunno why theres a lot of coraline content recently but im absolutely living for it
Haha, probably because of Halloween! It's nice to see this movie getting the recognition it deserves though!
This is really interesting! The video is really well edited too! You're super underrated!
Well, thank you! Editing takes a long time, but I have a lot of fun working on these videos =)