World Cinema: Discuss how aesthetics are used to communicate themes in your chosen films. Make detailed reference to particular sequences in your answer [40]

Aesthetics are incredibly important in the Paleman sequence of Del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth. For example, the use of colour. The mise-en-scene of the red food has connotations of danger, blood, and fear therefore creating tension and fear in the audience through aesthetics. Moreover, the mise-en-scene of the fire connotes the idea of hell, which links into the theme of religion that is explored throughout the film but is also another way of aesthetically creating fear in the audience. This Paleman’s room itself could be deemed similar to the church buildings due to the painting like murals around the room that were inspired by Goya’s painting of Saturn eating his son. This link to Christianity in such a horrific place could be a way of conveying negative attitudes about Christian’s lack of involvement during the war, which was also explored earlier in the movie. Aesthetically these elements of mise-en-scene are emphasised to the audience, only making them more disturbing, scary and building more tension. Such as, the foley sound of the hellish fire, and the non-diegetic (but possibly imagined) sound of the screaming children when Ofelia sees the pictures. The terror of the room conveyed through aesthetics links to the representation of children, as Ofelia is able to handle herself and escape from such a place as child suggesting children are strong and capable. In general, the room is decked with yellow, red and gold which are colours associated with the fantasy world while the real world is associated with blue and green. Del Toro created a place away from danger for Ofeli to escape to (blue has cold and harsh connotations), but the escaping place was also dangerous (red has violent connotations). However, by the end of the movie, this use of red, yellow and gold takes on a different aesthetics meaning and feels more passionate, warm, and safe. 

During the ending of Pan’s Labyrinth when Ophelia is running away from Vidal there is blue low-key lighting that makes the audience feel cold and fear for Ophelia as blue has the connotation of coldness and because blue is associated with Vidal, who is a dangerous fascist character throughout the movie. This lighting is repeated when Vidal shots Ofelia. This lighting shows that Ophelia is surrounded by the danger of fascists like Vidal and the effects of the Spanish Civil War which the film was set shortly after, the effect that war has on children is something that Del Toro often explores in his films such as The Devil’s Backbone. To contrast, the yellow flood of light that takes Ophelia into the magical world after being shot in which the lighting and mise en scene such as set design is yellow and red makes the audience feel calmer as it feels like Ophelia is safe now, she’s away from the dangers of fascism and the aftermath of the Spanish civil war. In this scene the mise en scene has references to other movies that Del Toro took inspiration from. Such as, Ophelia’s red shows link to ‘The Wizard of Oz’ and therefore the idea of going home, suggesting that Ophelia is home now and will be much happier. Despite it being a much happier place, the mise en scene does provide some discomfort to the audience. The chairs that Ophelia and her parents have suggest a hierarchy as the king is taller than the queen and princess. This represents the gender inequality that also existed in the real world which could be suggesting the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War as the problems didn’t stop immediately – even when Ophelia had entered a magical world/afterlife some problems still carried on making the audience feel sad. However, these chairs also provided closure to the bildungsroman genre/coming of age theme in the movie. Fallopian tubes were shown throughout such as with the fauns horns which was one way of highlighting that Ophelia was growing up and there’s chairs provide evidence to the audience that Ophelia has grown up as she is not greeted like a child but like an adult and must and can get to the high seat herself.

The ending of House of Flying Daggers conveys many things aesthetically to the audience. For example, the use of wire work in the rest of the movie, such as during the bamboo fight scene, helping to form the wuxia genre is changed for the ending of the movie. There is no wire work making the fighting seem more down to earth and realistic. There is also more mise en scene of blood than in the rest of the movie. This aesthetically makes the fight more brutal, which builds tension in the audience. This makes sense as it’s the climax of the movie. The snow, although not under the crews control, aesthetically made the scene more dramatic as did the use of non-diegetic music (one note being held at a time). The snow however did become a choice, as the close up of the drop of blood on the snow was foreshadowed right at the beginning during the text sequence. Moreover, the editing could also be interpreted as having an aesthetic impact on the audience. Such as, when Leo and Jin are edited to fall twice which emphasises the brutality of the fight. Plus, the camera circles around them when they have literally and metaphorically stabbed each other in the back. All of this aesthetically connotes  to the themes of deceit and betrayal. 

The Peony Pavilion aesthetically links to the Tang Dynasty period, also referred to as the ‘golden age’.  The mise-en-scene of the set design may seem extravagant with the richly coloured and patterned walls, floor, furniture and everything else in sight, but it’s actually based in reality. The Tang Dynasty period was full of peace, literature and poetry. Bordellos of the time were places of beauty and artistic expression, just like the one depicted in the film. This is aesthetically gotten across to the audience through the mise-en-scene of the Peony Pavilion. The aesthetics of the scene are also deceiving. Such as, during a long shot of Mei dancing we see blue butterflies on the floor. As she is wearing a similarly coloured  blue dress the audience may see the butterflies as a metaphor for Mei. This suggests delicateness and innocence. However, this is not the case. She’s actually a trained fighter and a member of the House of Flying Daggers. Plus, the central framing of Mei during the opening sequence aesthetically conveys her importance to the audience. Moreover, the use of repetition could aesthetically link to the representation of gender. Such as, the repetition of the men picking up their swords against the repetition of the women walking in with their instruments. This represents men as the fighters and women as the performers.