Sound:

The non-diegetic, whimsical underscore used in the opening of the movie first of all sets the tone for the film; magic realism and fantasy, but also leads the film towards a backstory, paired with the cyclical structure the opening shot provides, the spectator is made aware (through the use of a J-cut and underscoring) that this movie is non-naturalistic and surreal, reflecting the auteur trademarks of Guillermo Del Toro.

Mise-en-scene:

The scene’s ‘look’ in this scene contrasts to the shocking murder the Captain committed just the night before, introducing the character to be relentless and psychopathic and also representing him as the story’s antagonist. The composition is thought-out and deliberate, adding to the uncertainty the Captain radiates.

Cinematography:

The shallow depth of focus in the ‘pale man’ scene adds to the tension created, the camera blurs the figure in the background to add to the impending terror. The shallow depth of focus also allows the eye on his hand to be focused, leading the spectators attention to the horrific, in-humane monster, engaging the audience and creating the effect of the pale-man coming closer and closer to Ophelia.

Editing:

The editing used in this scene essentially ‘teleports’ Ophelia to the Labyrinth, adding to the verisimilitude of Guillermo’s fantasy magic-relist world. The spectator is encouraged to loose track of the ‘unexplainable’ aspects of the movie, and to instead share Ophelia’s imaginative, fantasy world, therefore aligning with the character of Ophelia.