Coraline Key Question 2
Question: How does the filmmaker demonstrate the relationship between Coraline and her parents?
The filmmaker portrays Coraline’s relationship with her parents as tense, irritated and filled with neglect. Throughout the movie there is a coherent theme demonstrating the idea of Coraline wanting attention and time with her parents, however, her parents ‘don not have time’ for her. Yet, they still provide Coraline with everything else a ‘normal child’ would have access to i.e. food and water, a
The filmmaker utilizes different camera angles to highlight the theme of Coraline’s unhealthy relationship with her parents.
The film thrives on the low angle shot. The filmmaker uses it to depict Coraline as feeble while her mother towers over her. It magnifies the strength and control the mother has. It poses her mother as mean, emphasising that Coraline’s mother in a way bullies Coraline into obeying her.
Another camera angle thoroughly used during the course of the movie is the close up shot. This shot is then transitioned into a medium or even long shot. An ideal example of how this shot was used is in the second scene of the movie. While Coraline is explaining to her mother about a ‘near death’ encounter she had with a well, the movie is being filmed using a close up shot. Though, when her mother replies with an irritated “that’s nice” the film slightly zooms out, still focusing on Coraline, now revealing that her mother is not paying attention and typing away at her laptop. Another major use the shot is to show facial expression. This can be important as it suggests how one feels about another. For example, it can be inferred that Coraline’s mother
Besides camera shots and angles, the filmmaker uses
