The cinematography in Del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth uses lighting colour and intensity to identify the two worlds. Blue low key lighting is usually linked with the real world and Vidal, as blue has the connotation of coldness and yellow high key lighting is often used for the fantasy world. The two colours collide throughout the film, such as in the ending when Vidal is about to enter the labyrinth, and the sky is blue and gold. The only time that the blue lighting is used for fantasy is with the faun, this could be because until the end we are unsure of the fauns real intentions. 

At the end of the film, the yellow lighting is used on Mercedes suggesting that she is worthy of seeing and knowing about the fantasy world; she used to believe in fairies as a child. It could also suggest that Mercedes is a new mother figure for Ofelia as the yellow light was initially used with her mother at the beginning of the film. The mid-shot of her and Ofelia contrasts to the shot at the beginning of the film where Ofelia is alone, suggesting Ofelia is no longer alone. This contrasts to the use of blue lighting which is normally used with Vidal; during the ending scene, Vidal and his men come around the corner from blue lighting, and throughout the film Vidal is often in blue lighting. Blue has the connotation of coldness, therefore emphasising Vidal’s harsh character, it gives a sense of danger when Ofelia is faced against him in the labyrinth when paired with the low key lighting, which is a Gothic feature.  

The del Toro aesthetic of blue lighting being associated with Vidal, therefore associates blue lighting to fascism. Blue has the connotation of coldness which emphasises the negative effect that the war had, especially on children, which is an idea that Del Toro wanted to explore with the film by using Ofelia. Fascism is explored throughout the film as the film is set after the Spanish civil war, it is often paired with the theme of obedience. The three tasks that Ofelia carries out all test her disobedience, the reason she succeeds is because she doesn’t obey which the faun secretly wants suggesting that obeying without thinking of morals is wrong.  The reason why the faun is in blue lighting, could be because he is acting like a fascist with trying to get Ofelia to obey, but secretly hoping she succeeds. Which is why at the end of the film during the final task, the faun is in blue lighting with Ofelia.