Chapter 1 - Crossing the Threshold: A Cinematic Exploration of Liminal Spaces

As viewers, we are drawn to films that take us on a journey, whether it's through a well-told story, compelling characters, or stunning visuals. But what about the spaces in between? What about the moments where we are neither here nor there, where the boundaries between the real and the surreal begin to blur?

A vague space with only objects but no people, apparently once connected with humans. The space loses its functionality here and thus becomes vague and ambiguous. When the conflicting feelings of strangeness and familiarity arise in the mind at the same time, the space itself becomes dramatic. This space expresses a rejection that triggers our desire to try to go back.

Liminal spaces are those transitional spaces that exist between two states, such as between the real world and the world of dreams, between life and death, or between sanity and madness. In movies, liminal spaces are often used to create a sense of disorientation and unease, as well as to explore themes of identity, transformation, and existentialism.

These are the liminal spaces, and they are the subject of our exploration in this review. We'll take a closer look at how filmmakers use technical elements such as cinematography, sound design, and visual effects to create these in-between spaces, and how they can be used to convey complex emotions and ideas. From the dreamlike worlds of David Lynch to the haunting landscapes of Andrei Tarkovsky, we'll delve into the works of some of the greatest filmmakers of our time, and explore how they use liminal spaces to challenge our perceptions of reality and leave us questioning what we thought we knew. So come with us as we cross the threshold into these mysterious and often unsettling spaces, and discover the power and beauty that lies within them.

In this review, we'll examine some of the most notable examples of liminal spaces in cinema, including their function in storytelling, how they create a sense of atmosphere and mood, and the effect they have on the viewers.We'll discuss the use of liminal spaces in films such as "Stalker" and "Inception", exploring how they are used to convey ideas of memory, perception, and the subconscious. We'll also examine how liminal spaces are used in horror films, such as "The Shining“, to create a sense of unease and disorientation, leaving the viewer unsure of what is real and what is not.

And of course, no exploration of liminal spaces in film would be complete without discussing the works of David Lynch, including "Twin Peaks" and "Mulholland Drive". We'll examine Lynch's use of dream logic and his ability to blur the lines between the conscious and the unconscious, leaving us with a feeling of unease long after the credits have rolled.

The rise of liminal spaces on the Internet

Let's take a look at how it all starts. The most famous case of liminal spaces is the backrooms. In 2019, a thread posted on 4chan, the image of an empty yellow-colored hallway. The shooting angle of this picture is slightly tilted, and underneath the picture was a description of how one could get trapped in the backroom. At this time, liminal space, as a subcultural aesthetic genre, entered people's field of vision on a large scale, since then, this aesthetic genre developed and grown, established an official website, produced games, and given birth to a large number of derivative works.

Enter the void

One of the most famous examples of a liminal space in movies is the dream world in Christopher Nolan's Inception. In the movie, the characters enter the dream world through a device called a dream machine, which allows them to manipulate the dream world and to explore the deepest recesses of their own minds. The dream world is a liminal space that exists between the real world and the subconscious mind, and it becomes a metaphor for the characters' own inner lives.

Throughout the movie, the characters must navigate the liminal space of the dream world while also coming to terms with their own inner demons. The main character, Dom Cobb, is a dream thief who is haunted by the memory of his deceased wife. For the main character, Dom Cobb, the dream world becomes a metaphor for his own subconscious mind, as he must confront his own fears and insecurities in order to find redemption and to regain control of his own life. The dream world also becomes a metaphor for the power of the human imagination, as the characters are able to create and manipulate their own reality through their dreams.

Another movie that uses liminal spaces effectively is David Lynch's Mulholland Drive. The movie takes place primarily in the liminal space between reality and fantasy, as the main character, Betty, becomes increasingly entangled in a surreal and nightmarish world of Hollywood intrigue and corruption. The liminal space of the movie becomes a metaphor for the human mind, which is always in a state of flux and is constantly searching for meaning and purpose.

Mulholland Drive uses liminal spaces to explore the themes of identity and existentialism. The movie is a meditation on the nature of reality and the human psyche, as Betty becomes increasingly lost in a world that seems to have no logic or meaning.

Another movie that uses liminal spaces effectively is Guillermo Del Toro's Pan's Labyrinth. The movie takes place in the liminal space between the real world and a fantastical underworld, as the main character, Ofelia, is drawn into a world of magic and danger. The liminal space of the fantastical underworld becomes a metaphor for the power of imagination and the ability of the human spirit to overcome adversity and to transform the world around us.

Pan's Labyrinth uses liminal spaces to explore the themes of transformation and rebellion. The movie is set against the backdrop of the Spanish Civil War, and Ofelia becomes a symbol of resistance and rebellion against the oppressive forces of fascism.

Through our analysis of these films, we hope to provide a deeper understanding of the power of liminal spaces in cinema, and the ways in which they can be used to challenge our perceptions, explore complex ideas, and create truly unforgettable cinematic experiences.

In addition to examining individual films, we'll also explore how liminal spaces function within broader cinematic traditions, such as surrealism and magical realism. We'll look at how these genres have used liminal spaces to explore the subconscious, question reality, and express complex emotions.

Ultimately, our goal is to provide a comprehensive overview of liminal spaces in film, examining not only their technical and narrative elements, but also their deeper cultural and philosophical implications. We'll ask questions such as: What do liminal spaces tell us about the human experience? How do they reflect our perceptions of reality and the unknown? And what do they say about the power of cinema to challenge and expand our understanding of the world around us? So come along with us on this journey into the unknown, as we explore the fascinating and enigmatic world of liminal spaces in cinema.