Pan's Labyrinth A level Film Studies

Aesthetics - Mise en Scene

Colours

- Blue for Reality (Vidal)

- Red and Yellow for Fantasy (Pale Man). This is Visceral cinema (the anxiety that the filmmaker inflicts on its audience) as it is made to look like Carmen's body

- Green for Transitional (Ofelia's Clothes)

Performance

- The Pale man and the Faun are played by the same actor (Doug Jones) which could suggest that the Faun is the Pale Man and is testing Ofelia

- The Faun becomes more youthful and vibrant/ fluid in his movements whist his requests become more unpleasant. This is binary opposition which makes the narrative interesting

Scene Analysis - Mise en Scene

Intertextuality

- Shoes make reference to Auschwitz were many children were killed at the hands of a Dictator (Franco)

Imagery

- Table of food references Franco's feasts during the famine

- The key and knife in the scene mirror Mercedes knife and the store-room key in reality which could show it is all in her head

- Catholic imagery as the Pale man represents the catholic church in the colours (Red Yellow and Gold) and the child abuse scandal referenced in the Pale man eating only children

- Yonic/Phallic imagery as the Pale Man represents a Penis

Scene Analysis - Camerawork/Editing

Cinematography

- Reality sequences use locked off static shots on tripod

- Fantasy sequences use moving shots e.g. when Ofelia runs to the timer a tracking shot is used behind her

- Once the pale man has woken up Ofelia is shot from high angle whilst the Pale man is shot from a low angle

Editing

- Once the Pale man wakes up the editing becomes more frantic and fast paced which makes us afraid for Ofelia

Scene Analysis - Lighting

- Fantasy sequences are usually shot in Low key Hard Lighting in conjunction with the overall red/yellow colour scheme

- Reality sequences are shot in High key Soft Lighting in conjunction with the overall blue colour scheme

- As the film concludes the lighting styles and colour schemes merge together

Contexts - Gender equality

The film tries to address contemporary issues with gender and gender-based violence

- 2 years before the film was released Spain got their first ever female prime minister which emasculated allot of men who opposed this which led to them taking it out on their partners

- The film presents Villains who abuse women to try and associate gender based violence as an evil thing

- The film also presents many strong female characters including Ophelia and Mercedes as well as Carmen who is submissive to Vidal which ends up in her and her daughters death

Contexts - Francisco Franco

- Francisco Franco was militaristic dictator of Spain. He was known for being violent and cold

- Francisco Franco often had big feasts laid out for him during time of famine and economic struggle

- Vidal is the representation Francisco Franco which can be seen in his militaristic uniform, violence and feasts

Representations - Men and Women

Men are presented as Negative almost completely throughout the film except for some of the Rebels (Pedro) and the doctor

- Men Kill and Women nurture

- 3 phases of womanhood are Maiden (Ofelia/Mercedes? who are young and disobedient, Mother (Carmen) who are older and submissive and the Crone (Servants) who are also older and submissive and are not mothers

Representation - Old and Young

- Vidal, the Pale man and Carmen represent the older generation who are intolerant, violent and misogynistic

- The youth represent disobedience which is shown as an admirable quality in the film

- The youth are primarily presented as women