What: Action reaction shot in the paleman scene

When Ofelia proceeds through her second challenge, she disobeys and eats the food causing the paleman to wake up and start chasing her. The paleman is powerful but slow, someone that Ofelia could easily overpower. However, part of the reason why there is still tension despite this is because of the action reaction shots when Ofelia is running away.

The action reaction shot links to the action reaction shot’s at the end of the movie when Ofelia is running away from Vidal, who is also powerful but slower than Ofelia. Vidal is linked to the paleman in several different ways throughout the movie and the action reaction shot with Ofelia is one of them.

The action reaction shots partly showed how Ofelia was in danger after disobeying (disobeying and obedience is a theme); and as the paleman and obeying are linked to fascism and Vidal, some audiences may think that the editing is linked into this political context. That going against fascism can be dangerous, however as the film also portrays, is the right moral thing to do. This links in to the fact that the film was set after the Spanish Civil War (1936 – 1939). The film often links fascism to obeying without questioning and how this can be morally incorrect, so disobeying like Ofelia is praised, and therefore why disobeying is what made her succeed in her tasks. Using a child could show how impressionable a young child can be to these things, but how they can change for the better and lead to a better future.

The action reaction shots also allows for different sounds to be used, and therefore for the audience to feel a certain way. When we see Ofelia running away we hear her breathing loudly meaning we can hear her panic as well as see it, this builds up the tension and the audiences concern for Ofelia. When it cuts back to the paleman, we hear animal noises suggesting that the paleman is animal like and possibly savage. We also hear the cracking noises that link him to the faun, a reason why some viewers might believe that they are actually the same person.

The action reaction shot also links into to the parallel action of Ofelia running from the paleman to the exit and the timer, which is very close to having run out of time, seemingly trapping her there with the paleman who we know from the mise en scene to be dangerous. This is another way of building tension, as we not only see Ofelia’s concern and panic, but as an audience, adding time pressure always increases the tension, especially when you come to care for the character involved which the majority of the audience would have done with Ofelia. This links into the theme of time and morality which is commonly represented with Vidal and his fathers watch, some audiences might take the meaning to be that it shows the fragility of life and how it will come to an end; which can be linked to the Spanish Civil War again where around 500,000 people died.

When: Ending

The performance of Vidal in the ending scene agrees strongly with his character. After shooting Ofelia, his character movement is him stumbling out of the labyrinth carrying his son because he has been drugged with sleeping medication. However, when he see’s the rebels (including Mercedes) his character movement changes, he lifts his chin up as a gesture, stands up straight and strongly walks towards them. This could be because Vidal values his dignity and pride, and although clearly defeated, is attempting to cling on to as much pride and dignity that he has left. His facial expression also shows this because it shows both knowing defeat and sternness. This sense of being strong even when clearly he has been defeated probably came from his father and the toxic masculinity that was passed down to him, he felt he needed to ‘die like man’ and act like a man his whole life, effecting him negatively.

Before this, along with the cinematography Vidal’s performance shows that he has been drugged with sleeping medication through his movement as he stumbles, walks much slower than Ofelia despite being taller and therefore probably faster, and has to stop to lean against things such as walls from time to time. This links him to the paleman who was also slower than Ofelia, and although powerful was slow and therefore not necessarily a threat. However, Vidal is a threat because he has a gun.

When Vidal is about to shot Ofelia, he again uses his right hand. He uses his right hand to hold the gun when he shoots. This links him to fascism because of right wing politics which contrasts him to Ofelia, who is often associated with the left throughout the film. Fascism links back into to the Spanish civil war, which the film was set shortly after. As Del Toro wanted to explore the effect that war had on children (which is a theme) the use of the right hand was probably intentional from that perspective as well, as fascism (symbols) hurt and killed her. However, because Vidal is holding the gun in his right hand it means he’s holding his baby son in his left. This could hint to show that the baby well be set on a better track and with less obeying with no question of morality, this would make sense as Mercedes is left with the baby. It could also show that Vidal doesn’t care for the baby, and instead just cared about passing down his family name.

What: Non-diegetic sound in the paleman scene

The paleman is presented with many loud non-diegetic noises. When he first wakes up after Ofelia eats the food, there are loud bangs to match how his hands are starting to stiffly move. When he holds his hand up to see Ofelia, we hear strained animal noises, suggesting that the paleman is animal like which matches his cracking and strained breathing. This make him more scary to the audience and therefore builds tension, it might make up for the fact he’s so slow. If we link the paleman back to Vidal, we could suggest that the strained noises therefore can be related to him also, maybe representing how Vidal himself is a broken man or go further and suggest that Vidal’s fascism is represented as they treated people like animals during the war. There are also wind noises associated with the paleman, when Ofelia first notices him and when he lifts his hand up to see her, the link back to a force in nature could suggest he’s powerful, which could also link back to Vidal.

When we see the horrific images of the dying children on the wall, there is the non-diegetic sound of babies screaming, meaning the audience’s response is to feel disgusted, sad, and worry for Ofelia as we know the paleman is evil, and that if she isn’t the lost princess he will catch her. The images on the wall are a direct link to Goya, Saturn eating his son.

There are exaggerated non-diegetic sounds such as the key that Ofelia uses. When she gets her key out, it makes a magical, shiny noise which adds to the theme of fantasy and the fact that this is part a fairy-tale film. The dagger also has an exaggerated non-diegetic sound, when Ofelia runs her hand along the blade, it makes a high pitched, short, shiny noise. This also adds to the element of a fairy-tale but also shows how sharp the blade is, which is important to know because the blade is used later in the film.

The paleman’s eyes have a sound when Ofelia lifts them up on a plate, they have a gross, quieter sound that adds to the disturbance of the scene. Del Toro said that the reality world as just as dangerous as the real world, and the paleman is one of the reasons why that is true. The eye’s making sound emphasises it because it’s disturbing and gross.

The non-diegetic drumming in the background could mimic her heartbeat as she would be afraid and it’s something commonly done in films to build tension. When Ofelia is running, the brass instruments in the music play notes that increase in pitch causing tension to be built in the audience. The music stops immediately when Ofelia shuts the hatch, creating the barrier between the two worlds and putting an end to the tension. Plus, as Ofelia, a child, was able to escape something so tense and dangerous, it adds to the film’s idea that children can be treated like adults and shouldn’t be spoken down to. Hence why at the end of the movie, Ofelia isn’t greeted like a child in the fantasy world by her parents but instead like an adult and is give her throne.

What: watch in the opening scene

Vidal’s watch is commonly seen through close ups throughout the film. The first time we see the watch is the first time we see Vidal, (“15 minutes late”), on the one hand it emphasises his punctuality and leadership, but also has a deeper meaning. The watch is logocentric and is a metonym for Vidal, it is a small prop (therefore part of mise en scene) but represents all of Vidal. The watch face is cracked, which could suggest that Vidal himself is a damaged man. This may be referencing to the toxic masculinity that is explored during the film, that men were forced/expected to ‘act like a man’ and ‘die like a man’, to be strong and overpower women, Vidal followed these toxic commands because of his father, and although it doesn’t excuse him for what he did, it makes him a victim and presents him as a broken man. We learn straight away with help from the watch, what type of character Vidal is like, that he is punctual and leader like, he needs everyone to act by his time.

A theme throughout the film is death and mortality, the watch is a big part of these themes. Vidal  got his watch from his father, who smashed the watch when he died so that Vidal would know when he died; which is a legacy that Vidal tries to pass down later in the film but cannot, stopping the passing of toxic masculinity. The ticking of the watch emphasises to the audience, the time of life ticking down and how it can end at any moment, humans are mortal. Vidal using his watch the first time we see him, could possibly foreshadow that he dies at the end of the film and/or gives a circular structure to the movie, as he takes out his watch at the end of the movie as well as the beginning. The theme of death was possibly explored because of the Spanish Civil War, the film was set just after this time (1944), emphasising mortality shows the fragility of life, especially with war.

Scene: The last ten minutes

Throughout the movie, the contrast of yellow to blue lighting is used for several different meanings. During the last ten minutes of the film, the colours are not only used individually, but also collide. Blue lighting is typical linked to Vidal (and therefore fascism) throughout the film. This is because blue has the connotation of coldness and possibly gives the audience a sense of danger when paired with the low key lighting. During this scene, Vidal physically comes around from the corner with his men, from where there is blue lighting. The scene also plays out largely in blue lighting, such a when Vidal is chasing Ofelia through the labyrinth. It gives the sense of danger and coldness to Vidal, it matches the actions taking place in the film as well. The blue is typically used to show the reality world, however sometimes this changes. When Ofelia is with the faun both at the beginning and at the end, the lighting is blue. Some viewers may believe that this is because the faun is untrustworthy until the end and therefore fits the blue lighting, rather than have a connection to the fantasy world which is red and yellow/gold. Due to the faun pushing commands on Ofelia, he is linked to the theme of obeying and fascism, which is another reason for him to have blue lighting and why the blue lighting may not indicate the fantasy world.  Ofelia being young and a woman, contrasts the adult male’s (Vidal’s) opinions and ideas about women and children, as they are more independent and powerful than he chooses to believe.

The yellow lighting contrasts the blue. The yellow is often used to show the fantasy world, at the end, a golden light fills up the screen to take Ofelia into the fantasy world with her parents, where the mise en scene is red and gold. It’s also used when Ofelia opens up her book (as it highlights her face), and during tasks such as the toad and the paleman scene. Plus, at the beginning with Carmen in the car, when Ofelia first discovers the fairy. During the ending of the movie, the yellow lighting is also used with Mercedes. This could be because Mercedes is worthy to know about the magical place as it’s said previously that she used to believe in fairies (I find this a bit ironic as in the Narnia Chronicles, one of which Del Toro was offered the  opportunity to direct, Susan, isn’t allowed back to Narnia when she stops believing which is the opposite to Mercedes). However, it could also have reference to Mercedes being a mother figure for Ofelia after her mother’s death. Del Toro said that red and yellow were used partly because they were internal colours that, paired with the fallopian tube imagery, shows Ofelia’s desire to be back inside her mother (hence why she gets ‘reborn’ at the end of the movie). I think this is because of her loneliness due to the effect that war had on her which is a theme explored throughout as it’s set during the Spanish civil war. Mercedes having the yellow lighting, like her mother at the beginning, shows to me that Mercedes has become a mother figure. Especially since the camera shot at the end when Ofelia was dead included Mercedes, unlike at the beginning, possibly suggesting that she’s not alone.

Throughout the film, the theme of obedience and disobedience is explored. Obedience to commands without thinking of morals is linked to fascism and Vidal. Disobeying is praised, Ofelia succeeds in her tasks because she disobeys, she picks a different lock (the left lock which is linked to left wing) and doesn’t follow the fauns commands to harm her brother, she follows her correct morals and doesn’t spill the blood of an innocent (“You promised to obey me! Give me the boy!”). The doctor, explicitly says that obeying without thinking is something that Vidal would do, and frowns upon him for. The doctor disobeys Vidal and kills the rebel to prevent him from anymore suffering, causing his own death (“But Captain, to obey – just like that – for obedience’s sake… without questioning… That’s something only people like you do.”).

Key Quotes

• “You promised to obey me! Give me the boy!”
• “But Captain, to obey – just like that – for obedience’s sake… without questioning… That’s something only people like you do.”

Obeying commands could also link to the repeated link to words and how much they actually mean. Throughout the film ,words (and therefore commands) are portrayed as unimportant. When Ofelia doesn’t want to call Vidal her father, she is told that it is just a word. Suggesting that there is no meaning behind it, it’s a hollow word. Plus, when Ofelia is asked to give up the baby by the faun, she initially shakes her head instead of saying no, suggesting that actions can speak louder than words. Also, the lullaby is wordless. It’s even explicitly said so, as Mercedes says the lullaby she knows she cannot remember the words of. But the lullaby is significant and is a motif throughout the film, suggesting that words aren’t as important as they seem, and therefore another reason why listening to commands shouldn’t come before morals. It could also suggest genuine emotion and empathy, that Mercedes genuinely cares for Ofelia, because she isn’t speaking hollow words  but is instead showing how she cares (actions speak louder than words) that is also played during her death, emphasising the emotion behind the wordless song, unlike the commands of Vidal that he both gives and would receive.

At the beginning, when Ofelia opens up her fairy tale book, it lights up her face. This is a feature commonly used in films. There is a great contrast between the blue lighting of reality with the yellow lighting of the pale man set (also low key to high key), we also get a reverse tracking shot to see how big the red and gold room is. The red and gold are used throughout the film, commonly to represent the fantasy world compared to the blues and greens of the reality. Del Toro said that red and gold are internal colours, and are used to portray Ofelia’s want to be close to her mother again, or even back inside her. This could be due to loneliness because of the war/Vidal. Throughout the scene, the main focus is on Ofelia, she is in almost every shot. After Ofelia has eaten the food, after being told not to (theme of disobedience), the audience can see the paleman in the background. There is dramatic irony when we know that he is coming before she does. The camera then keeps flicking back and forth between the two, building tension. When Ofelia is trying to escape, the camera goes out of the fantasy world and into reality, causing a clear separation.

The paleman is rigid, stiff and slow. Ofelia could easily overpower him (with the dagger) but doesn’t even consider doing so, which contrasts her to Vidal who murders her at the end of the film for no reason. The paleman links to Vidal because he staggers and is slow like Vidal at the end of the movie after being drugged, and because he also sits at the head of the table. Ofelia picks the left lock. This has a political link as Vidal is commonly linked to the right as he is a fascist. This also shows disobedience as the picture showed her picking the middle lock, throughout the film obedience is related back to fascism and how obeying commands isn’t always good. Ofelia disobeying, is something she has to do in order to complete this task and the last one, contrasting her to Vidal and fascism. (Pan’s Labyrinth and Disobedience)As well as this, Ofelia climbs up to get out of the room, linking that room to hell. You could argue that the pale man is the faun is disguise. The faun moves in a rigid and stiff way like the faun and poses no real threat to Ofelia as he is slow, possibly showing that it was a task on morality made by the faun and that Ofelia was never in danger. Plus, the fairies laugh at him, suggesting that he is the faun as otherwise we would believe they would be afraid. Plus, at the end, all of the fairies are in the golden afterlife with Ofelia and her parents, despite the paleman having killed multiple of them, suggesting that the task wasn’t actually real and instead just testing Ofelia’s morality.

There is lots of red in the paleman’s room suggesting danger, it is also a colour commonly linked to the fantasy world. The food on the table is even read, also suggesting danger. There are horrific images around the room, which possibly foreshadow the final task with the brother, and look like church paintings therefore giving a powerful image and links to the theme of religion. The horrific images show babies and children dying, which is a contextual reference to Goya’s Saturn eating his son. The fallopian tube symbol is shown again, which links to the theme of Ofelia’s loneliness and wanting to be closer to her mother and woman hood, in the book as the paleman’s arms curve round to form the shape. There are also more political and social contextual references, the shoe pile could have a link to the Nazi’s with the concentration camps. As well as the fact that Ofelia picks the left lock, contrasting her with right wing fascism. There’s also another hell reference, there is a fire in the room near the paleman. In terms of props, the dagger makes the audience feel more tense as it’s dangerous. I think there could be link between the fact that the paleman has holes in the centre of his hands, which is were he puts his eyes, which is the same place that one of Vidal’s men (or Vidal?) shots one of the rebels in an elongated moment, especially since the paleman can be linked to Vidal. The idea of seeing for himself and obedience is blurred, showing the cruelness and violence of fascism and Vidal.

There are exaggerated sounds, such as the sound that the dagger makes and the sound that the key makes which adds to the fantasy feel of the scene. We also hear the eye make sound which makes the audience feel gross and possibly a sense of danger. We also hear the close sonic perspective of Ofelia’s heavy breathing again, making us feel close to her and worry for her, especially when the paleman wakes up with his overly loud bang noises. The paleface man has strained and cracking like breathing linking him to animals. Plus, there is drumming which could mimic Ofelia’s heartbeat, adding to the them of mortality and death. We also hear sounds of what we see (as well as the eye) such as the fire, and the non-diegetic noise of the babies screaming when we see the pictures. Once Ofelia has returned to the reality world, there are mechanical noises which emphasises that she has returned and could be because of the mill.

The editing builds tension. There are action reaction shots of the paleman and Ofelia when she is running away from him and parallel action of Ofelia trying to escape and the the timer, making the audience feel tense as we don’t want her to be trapped with a murderous creature. When Ofelia does try and escape, her head and feet are separated, she is in separate worlds, emphasising that the fantasy world isn’t just in her head.

Sound

• We hear Vidal and his men coming before we see them – we worry for Ofelia
• Clock ticking adding to the theme of death and Vidal’s identity
• The bomb (?) makes Vidal notice Ofelia
• Sound shows Vidal has been drugged (piano)
• Vidal’s walking is exaggerated
• Piano in the background plays a melody that isn’t nice – fitting the mood
• Music when Vidal enters the labyrinth, big scale and a bit church like (could link to the fantasy place as it looks church like – links to immortality and being reborn)
• Music builds tension – strings (stabs) and the cello etc are like a heart beat
• Ofelia’s heavy breathing
• Vidal’s heavy breathing
• Wooden creaky sounds of the faun and monstrous sounds (like a lion)
• Exaggerated sound of the dagger – repeated from the pale man scene
• Sound indicates that the faun has left so we just see Vidal come up behind Ofelia
• Loud gunshot
• Sound of the watch starts after close up – themes
• Strings and piano
• Lullaby
• Goes back to the voiceover – bookeneded by fairytale structure
• Ruled with kindness unlike Vidal

Cinematography

• Vidal and his men come from around the corner where there is blue lighting
• Low key lighting
• The shot were Vidal notices Ofelia makes us worry for her. She is smaller, making her seem vulnerable. Vidal is inside and Ofelia is on the border of outside the room.
• Close up of Vidal grabbing his gun – builds tension and worry
• The shot were Vidal is physically above Ofelia due to the staircase, making him appear more powerful
• The yellow lighting when Mercedes goes to find Ofelia – shows her as a good character who would genuinely help and has links to the magical world and Mercedes as a mother figure
• Mercedes can see the chalk because she’s worthy (could be because she used to believe in fairies and links to voiceover at the end saying Ofelia left things which can be seen by those who know where to look – could have a spanish civil war link as things and people are still being found)
• Camera pan’s round so we can see Mercedes worried expression and then the chalk – proving that the fantasy world is real (as does the close up of the flower at the end)
• The fire from the bombs creates yellow – the clash of the blue and yellow lighting/colours shows the clash of the two worlds/ the characters
• Full moon – deadline of her tasks and gothic/supernatural/woman-hood (also reflected in the water later on)
• In one shot we see Ofelia run in the labyrinth and the Vidal come round  – building tension
• Camera shows the wall open up for Ofelia and shut beofre Vidal turns up – proves it’s real
• Blue lighting when Ofelia meets the faun
• We see Vidal behind Ofelia causing dramatic irony
• The shot showing that Vidal cannot see the faun could be because he is drugged, because the fantasy world isn’t real, or because he isn’t worthy of seeing him or because it shows his political close mindedness and wolrd close mindedness, he cannot think otherwise nor wants to
• Sound indicates that the faun has left so we just see Vidal come up behind Ofelia
• We see the worry on Ofelia’s face when Vidal takes the baby
• Close up of the watch then the sound starts
• We see Mercedes by her side unlike at the beginning showing Ofelia is not alone
• Golden lighting takes her to the fantasy place
• Camera goes up when she’s dying paired with choir singing
• We see the tree in high key lighting and the flower with the fairy (which proves the world is real)

Performance

• Vidal walks slower than Ofelia because of the sleeping medication, but it links him to the pale face man who also walked slowly
• Ofelia circles because she hit a dead end which builds tension
• The way that Ofelia holds the baby is very protective
• The faun is more agressive and manipulative than before
• She doesn’t obey – adding to the theme of disobedience
• She initially doesn’t speak no just shakes her head which adds to the emptiness/non-use of words throughout the film
• Ofelia speaks boldly and in short sentences, she is powerful and confident and will stand up for what she believes in
• Vidal forcefully turns Ofelia around
• Vidal towers over Ofelia
• Ofelia looks around to the faun for help
• Getting out the gun builds tension
• Shots her near her womb/guts and there’s no reason for it, picks a long death rather than a quick one or just not killing her- brutality
• Stands up straight when he see’s them – he wants to appear like he isn’t vulnerable/pride/resolute
• Vidal forms a fist around the watch and lifts his chin up
• Tell him what time his father died – theme of death and like his father – passing on legacy
• He won’t even know your name – won’t carry on his ideas and toxic masculinity (link to another spanish dircetor who ignored Franco in his films?)
• Vidal gets shot on thr right hand side of his face (political)
• Drpping of innocent blood
• All of the fairies were there despite some of them being dead (the pale man scene was just a task)
• Faun reveals true nature
• Applause – everything is right

Editing

• The room wobbles when Vidal tries to leave the room (cinematography has been edited)
• The labyrinth walls open for Ofelia then shut on Vidal which emphasises that the fantasy world is real and allows the tension to lower slightly, so we can pay more attention to what the faun has to say
• Still breathing after the fanatsy scene could suggest she was imagining or that she went there before she died and therefore died happy. Plus with the lullaby, has the whole film been in her head? Fantasy of a dying girl.

Mise En Scene

• The war going on around to emphasise how the film explores how war effects children
• Faun’s face above the labyrinth as seen before and on the statue from the beginning
• The prop of the dagger causes another sense of danger and worry
• Watch before he dies – theme of death
• Ofelia holding the baby with the faun on the statue underground
• Red shoes – wizard of Oz and they are more practical than her other shoes (homecomingness)
• Gold and yellow of afterlife world contrats the blue and green world (it’s like she’s reborn at the end of the movie)
• Like a church – stainedglass windows etc
• Tall chairs – royalty/ links to not everyone is worthy/ status and power and they’re taller than Ofelia – intimidating/heaven/not treating her like a child as she has to join them
• The thrones look wooden like the faun
• Still patricharcy and sexist – king taller than the queen
• Empty throne for Ofelia
• Flower links to the flower in the story that gave immortality at the top of the mountain and the path was dangerous to get there/rebirth or birth

Representation

Age – childlren (Ofelia) shown as moraly correct in contrast to the adult (Vidal). Ofelia is also shown as bold.

Gender – toxic masculinity (die like a man etc) Vidal is evil but still a victim

Context

• Spanish civil war

Mother Figures and Loneliness

Throghout the film gold and red along with fallopian symbols are used to show Ofelia’s desire to be in/close with her mother again. She could feel lonely due to Vidal and the idfea of a sibling. The yellow lighting with Mercedes shows her as a mother figure, and her being in the shot when she’s dead unlike at the start shows she isn’t alone (not lonely anymore). Plus, the gold and red at the end shows her being close to her mother/reborn.

Explore how one example of cinematography is used in one sequence from your chosen film.

(I struggled to make ten points on just one example of cinematography so used multiple)

During the funeral scene for Carmen, there is high key lighting which contrasts to the usual low-key lighting of the film. This is unusual for a funeral scene, as they usually have low key lighting to reflect the sadness. However, we know that in Pan’s Labyrinth death is not the end, so Carmen’s death although sad led to something better. A large part of the film is shot with blue lighting. The connotation of blue is coldness and uninviting. The contrast of lighting colour in the doctors death scene which happens close to the funeral scene, with the funeral scene is drastic as when the doctor dies the shot looks blue but the funeral looks as though it has natural lighting. This separates Carmen’s death with the coldness of war and Vidal, again signifying that the film has afterlife.

The camera shots are used both during Carmen’s death scene and the funeral which happens straight after to portray how the characters are feeling. After Carmen has died, we see a close up of Ofelia’s face which highlights her pain and sadness, this contrasts to Vidal as we don’t see a close up reaction from him because he immediately went to see the baby (because he only ever cared for the baby not for Carmen). There’s also a close up of Mercedes before Carmen dies, which shows us that she has blood on her, this shows the audience that Carmen will probably die. As well as this, before the funeral scene we get a long shot of Ofelia with her in the centre emphasising how lonely she is now that her mother has gone, the audience feels empathy for her and possibly worry as we know she is vulnerable against Vidal.

During the funeral scene for Carmen, we see a mid shot of everyone who attended. With this mid-shot, we can see that everyone is grieving apart from Vidal who is paying attention to the baby, the audience is again shows how Captain Vidal didn’t care for Carmen but instead viewed as a baby maker. This links to the representation in the film, at the beginning, women were portrayed as submissive and in need of men’s care, the men in the film, specifically Vidal, agreed with this. Throughout the film, we see how the representation switches as the women (Mercedes) take control and prove people like Vidal who underestimates them wrong.