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CITY OF GOD
EDITING
Daniel Rezende said, “What we tried to do with the editing was attempt to use ‘effects’ whenever we thought that this could bring something extra to the sensation or emotion that we were aiming to evoke. If the situation is tense, and there’s no time to think, we speed it up and make it even tenser. If the
character is going to be important later, then we freeze the face to commit it to memory. If both things happen at the same time, then we split the screen, so as not to lose anything. In the third part of the film, we especially welcomed anything out of the ordinary for the editing style. If a ‘badly made’ cut could increase levels of discomfort in the viewer, then we incorporated it.”
Working with non-professional actors: – Used non-professionals as wanted to recreate the same feeling of the book as it would make the events of the film feel more natural and real. – Meirelles learned from Mike Leigh & Ken Loach to not give his actors a script
The ‘restless’ style, characteristic of the film, announces itself from the start. It begins not with the customary establishing shot but with flashes that illuminate a series of close ups – knife, hand, and stone – with a cut to black between each shot. Another photographic flash illuminates Rocket with his camera. He zooms out from behind a network of bars, which collapses down into his image. This is in fact a flash forward to the scene that will replay very near the end of the film, where we will see then that the reverse shot has denied us here, with Zé bribing the police after his gun battle with Ned and subsequent arrest. He has been introduced as a key player in the drama, but still only a fragment. The montage of conflicting shots and the collision of the fast-paced editing now gives way to the spectacular circling shots which will morph Rocket from a young man to a boy, and the favela to its former days of low-rise shacks and open spaces. The meeting between two of the principle characters initiates the story; the circular shot will provide the bridge between what they were and what they will become.
CINEMATOGRAPHY
• The series of tight close ups zooms in and out on further fragments of street life – faces, a guitar, a tambourine, hands with tumblers of drinks, hands scraping and chopping carrots, chicken feet and chickens being lowered into the cooking pot. The first mid shot of the film is of a live chicken on the table, tethered by its leg. A cut provides the first long establishing shot of the film. The chicken jumps down off the table making a bid for freedom. Brazilians describe a situation that appears to have taken off and be going but will soon crash to the ground as a “flying chicken”. This apparent freedom is illusionary – the chicken might try to fly but it can’t get very far. A close-up low-level shot from the chicken’s point of view shows a plate of blood on the ground, a reminder of the chicken’s fate. Hotel Robbery- the Lighting in this scene starts out as golden and warm, suggesting that the tender trio and Li’l Dice are in the exhilarating beginning stages of their criminal careers. The warm lighting and fast cuts also highlight an absence of the inherent evil that is being committed during this scene to represent this gang as “robin hood” figures who are stealing because they have nothing- this creates a stark comparison to the actions we see Li’l dice (Li’l Z) commit in the future acts of the film. The fast cuts of the scenes show the high tension of the film, the editing merges multiple different scenes together, most notably when a man seemingly gets hit in the head the scene cuts to one of the boys breaking in, using the sound of the door banging open to replace the sound of the man getting hit.
SOUND-
The diegetic sound in City of God is reflective of Brazilian culture. There is a mixture of Brazilian samba music which sets the scene for the film, as well as the sounds of traffic and knives. The sounds of knives in this beginning sequence, along with the layered sounds of music, traffic and scared clucks of chickens creates a sense of rising tension showing the oncoming and current threats for the people living in the favelas suffering through gang violence.
MISE-EN-SCENE
The first scene opens in the favelas with high contrast lighting; this technique allows the spectators to get a sense of the Brazilian culture shown throughout the film. There is a series of close-up fast sequences that show chickens running through the streets, as well as being killed, this highlights the jobs in the favelas born out of necessity and poverty. Additionally, Lil Z is introduced with a closeup- the choice of costume for this character presents him as a dominant antagonist, his gun {prop} further highlights his positioning as a villain within this film.
GENDER.
Within city of God gender is male central showing young men and boys to be predominant members of gangs and handling weapons, this can be seen through the character of Lil Z who is addicted to the idea of violence. Although, through the character of Rocket we can see that he defies the male expectations of joining a gang deciding to become a photographer and leave the favelas. Female representation is limited throughout the film presenting women as passive figures or victims- more specifically referring to the women who was killed for cheating on her husband- ultimately ending in the death of the man who she had an affair with, meaning that largely women are a plot device to further the events of the film.
AESTHETICS.
Throughout this film we are shown sequences that are shot in the slums of the favelas as the spectator is forced into confined spaces with the combination of a hand-held shaky camera constantly shaking and moving into maze-like structures to reflect the growing tensions and threat of violence within the favelas. Oppressive low-angle shots are utilised to show the confinement of the people living in this city, almost like an open-air prison. In comparison, the flashbacks to the old slums show a vast and open area, with warm hues of yellows and oranges representing the innocence of the city and children before gang violence made its way into the city.
HISTORICAL NOTES
{INFORMATION TAKEN FROM WJEC RESOURCES}
The use of digital editing allowed Daniel
Rezende to experiment and try out new ideas.
He claims that many of the interpretations
of the characters were created at the editing
stage. Brazil was colonised by Portugal in the
16th century resulting in almost genocidal
subjection of the indigenous people. Struggled
for independence, which was then gained in
the 19th century. Economy partly founded on
the transport of huge numbers of slaves from
the west coast of Africa, a practise abolished
in the second half of the 19th century. Their
multi-ethnic communities are today made
of the descendants of these slaves, together
with immigrants from all over the world.-
Pan’s Labyrinth
first response
I decided to give this film a 6/10. I thought the storyline and narrative were very interesting and the contrasting elements between the fantasy and real world in the film. I am not a huge fan of films which use fantasy elements however the use of CGI and props used within the film (such as the pale man and faun) along with the continuity editing made this film very interesting to follow along. The overall plot and the ending of the film were enjoyable to watch develop throughout the film; however it was kind of an expected ending, but I thought it was good overall.
memorable scene
For me, the most memorable scene was when Mercedes and Ofelia attempted to run away from the mill however, they get caught by Captain Vidal and his men. I liked the tension this whole scene was able to create from when Mercedes wanted to escape without Ofelia but then she takes Ofelia along with her, to when they were walking through the woods and sound effects used but also the pure silence creating almost a jump scare when they turn around and Vidal was stood right behind them.
key characters in the real world
Ofelia – (daughter of Carmen)
Carmen – (heavily pregnant ‘new’ wife of Captain)
Captain Vidal – (Soldier in Franco’s Army)
Mercedes – (housekeeper)
Doctor
Officers and Soldiers in Franco’s Army
Communists/left wing rebels
key characters in the fantasy world
Pan – (a Faun)
Faires (x3)
The Toad under the tree
The Pale Man
The King and Queen of the underworld
micro elements
sound
Sound plays a crucial role when it comes to enhancing the emotions and actions of the characters all throughout the film as well as making the fantasy world atmosphere more prominent in contrast to the real world. The soundtrack composed by Javier Navarrete as well as the reoccurring sound motif of the lullaby we hear first sang by Carmen intricately blends a haunting score with natural sounds to amplify the fantastical elements and the dark, oppressive world of post-Civil War Spain. The sound design uses subtle yet powerful cues such as the eerie rustling of the Faun’s movements as well as the sinister echoing of the Pale Man’s footsteps and noises to convey a sense of suspense and dread. The contrast between the overall silent atmosphere of the fantasy world and the harsh noises of the real-world help with heightening the feeling of tension but also reflecting Ofelia’s journey between innocence and the brutalities of her real environment.
cinematography
The director of the film, Guillermo del Toro, worked along the cinematographer, Guillermo Navarro to create the film’s visual elements which is what the audience is first captivated by when watching the film especially when it comes to firstly setting its ominous tone. The use of contrasting color palettes is one of the most visually striking elements; the muted, earthy tones of the real world, dominated by browns, greys and greens, emphasize the harshness of the atmosphere in Spain post-Civil War. On the other hand, the vibrant, almost dreamlike hues of the fantasy realm, including reds, golds and blues help transport the spectators into a magical, otherworldly space. The use of lighting further enhances the dichotomy, for example, soft and natural lighting gets used in scenes with the labyrinth, evoking a sense of mystery and wonder while harsh, shadowy lighting often gets used in scenes including violence and oppression especially when characters such as Vidal are on the screen. The composition and framing also serve to highlight the isolation of Ofelia, often placing her in the centre of the frame evoking a sense of vulnerability or using tight, close-up shots to capture her emotional state. Del Toro’s use of long takes and fluid camerawork such as haunting tracking shots allow the lines between the real world and the fantasy world to be blurred, creating a realizing experience for the spectator.
mise-en-scene
The mise-en-scene in this film is filled with symbolic details which enhance the film’s themes of innocence, oppression and blurred lines between the labyrinth and the real world. The set design and costumes used play a huge part in the overall ideas and representations of this film. The contrast between the dark, sterile interiors of Vidal’s military camp at the mill characterized by harsh lighting, metal furnishing and rigid structures heavily contrast with the organic environments of the labyrinth. The labyrinth itself, with the overgrown vines and moss-covered stones mixed with the ethereal lighting used when it’s presented cause a striking shift in tone when we see the war-torn and suffocating feeling real world. The costumes also play a significant role. Ofelia’s simple, modest clothing contrast with the authoritarian uniforms worn by the soldiers all around her, showcasing how she is seen as an outcast, specifically Captain Vidal who wears sharply tailored military uniforms all throughout the film symbolizing his authority. The pocket-watch the captain is seen using multiple times clearly plays a significant part in the film by representing Vidal’s obsession with keeping control and authority. Not only this but when we see his room, we can see that it closely depicts the mechanisms on the inside of a clock to further imply his implicature in the events taking place. Other props get used for symbolic purposes such as the dagger which Ofelia uses in the fantasy world is a literal weapon and a symbol of her agency and power. The careful placement of objects such as the fantastical creatures she encounters such as the pale man or the toad under the tree are each designed with intricate details by Guillermo del Toro himself showing their importance and how specifically they get created either by CGI or props used and animatronics.
editing
The editing in this film was crucial in creating the final feel of the film. The conventional style of editing is used throughout the film. However, there are times when several diegetic wipes are utilised or dissolved to or from black/white therefore creating a seamless link between the real and fantasy world. A main example of this is when we see Ofelia laying her head on her mother’s stomach to talk to her brother in the womb and we see the transition from the real world to inside of Carmen’s womb into the fantasy world and with the help of a cricket, we get placed back to the real world where the transition started.
representations (gender)
female
Each female character in this film is represented in a different way. The protagonist Ofelia embodies innocence as she navigated both the reality of her brutal life but also the fairy-tale-like fantasy world which she is also part of. Her mother Carmen represents the hardships and vulnerability of many women who are under patriarchal control but also her dependence of Captain Vidal as she is sick. Meanwhile, Mercedes, the housekeeper, stands as a powerful symbol of resistance. Even though we get introduced to her as a fragile character at first, her character arc over the film develops and we see her resilience and dominance shining through when she defeats the captain but we also see her motherly nature towards Ofelia therefore making her the most interesting character in my opinion.
male
There is an evident binary opposite when it comes the gender representations portrayed by this film due to its overall representation of the males being primarily represented as taking on the traditionalized roles due to the period it’s set in, such as fighting in wars and being soldiers, having a desperate desire of carrying on the family bloodline with male decedent in the family but not paying much attention to their wives but also having controlling tendencies and power over them. The central male character in this film, Captain Vidal, who is obsessed by his father’s military exploits and maintaining control, emphasizes the oppressive masculinity of that era and how many men would be driven by a desire of having power as a way of expressing their masculinity. His evil nature is contrasted by his emotional weakness and not being able to express of control any of his emotions, particularly with his obsession with legacy. However, the film also introduces male characters such as the doctor and the faun who portray themselves as being caring and having more humane tendencies and standards due to their guiding and protective behaviour. The juxtaposition of these characters (the captain’s brutalism and the Faun’s ambiguous role) creates a layered portrayal of male figures within the historical and fantastical landscape of the film.
aesthetics
The director of the film was very clear about the fact that he wanted to create very original characters for this film which have never been seen before therefore giving this film it’s fantasy elements by using both CGI and animatronics. However, there is also clear realistic aspects of the film such as the historical background and accuracy of the real world and also the clear contrast between fantasy and reality through the use of colour pallets and costumes.
historical and social context
This film was set in post-civil war times in the countryside of Spain. Even though the people portraying the liberals did not win the war but the fascists did, the filmmakers decided to switch the roles of the winners to create a happy ending. Del Toro also decided to film in Spain to accurately portray the history of the Civil War and creating a reminiscing atmosphere.
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EXTRA INFLUENCES:
Aside from films and short films, I’m taking inspiration from season 2 episode 5 of Interview With The Vampire, ‘Don’t Be Afraid, Just Start The Tape’. Particularly the cinematography and ambient sound used throughout to gradually build unease and anticipation.
Pan’s Labyrinth
Micro Elements
Sound
A great example of sound within the film Pan’s Labyrinth is the sound within the scene where Ofelia is the lair of the Pale Man, and she gives into her human temptations and decides to disregard the words of the faun and eats a singular grape of the table. The diegetic sickly sticky sound of Ofelia removing the grape from the pile and the grotesque cracking sounds of the Pale Man as he comes to life, as well as his haunting shrill shriek, all add to this effect of the Pale Man’s overall creepy aura, as, personally, I don’t think the overall design of the Pale Man is that scary but the sound design within this scene definitely amplifies that character’s ‘fear factor’. The cracking sounds of the Pale Man waking up also adds to the scene’s tension, which contributes to the audience’s fear of him and their horror in watching cadaverous creature come to life.
Mise-en-scene
The overall mise-en-scene within Pan’s Labyrinth is extremely well crafted and helps build up the film’s overall magical realism aesthetic. At certain moments throughout the film, it also conveys and implies key character information, such as the use of the fairy-tale book showing Ofelia’s obsession with fairy tales, or the blue light that is associated with the character of the faun, perhaps implying his intentions with Ofelia are not as innocent as they seem.
A great example of mise-en-scene within the film is within in the film’s opening, where Ofelia finds this stone idol, which she then fixes by placing it’s missing stone eye back in place, which releases this odd bug like creature, which ends up turning into a fairy.
This mise-en-scene of this sequence is excellent, as, through the props of Ofelia’s storybook and the stone idol that Ofelia finds, it not only establishes the film’s magical realism aesthetic right from the beginning of the film but also establishes key character information, as it depicts Ofelia’s love of fairy tales and fantasy.
Also, through the costumes of the officers and the cars that they are driving, the film’s post Spanish Civil War period piece aesthetic is established, which is another great thing that this scene’s excellent mise-en-scene does.
Editing
The overall style of editing within Pan’s Labyrinth is very conventional, although, throughout the film, a number of diegetic wipes are used or cross-dissolves to and from black- thus forging a link between the real and the fantasy world, and therefore building and adding to the film’s overall magical realism aesthetic.
A great example of editing within the film that heavily uses the aforementioned techniques is the sequence in which Ofelia is lying on her mother’s belly and is telling her unborn brother a fairy tale.
The sequence starts off with the camera literally tracking back into her mother’s pregnant belly, as it cross-dissolves into her womb and shows her unborn brother. This technique establishes the already close sibling connection these two characters have, despite one of them not even being born into the world yet.
It then dissolves into a graphic of the fairy-tale that Ofelia is telling to her brother, building and further enhancing the film’s magical realism aesthetic.
This then dissolves into the branches of the forest surrounding the abandoned mill that Ofelia and her mother are staying in. This once again adds to the film’s magical realism aesthetic, by showing the connection between the fantasy world and the real world.
Cinematography
The cinematography within Pan’s Labyrinth, which won an Academy Award, and is done by cinematographer Guillermo Navarro, is very unique and interesting, as the crew shot a lot of day for night, especially in the forests where it was very difficult to artificially light. By underexposing these scenes three to four stops, Navarro not only created night but gave it an eerie presence that fit the film’s fantasy elements. He purposefully kept lighting effects that could only be attained with sunlight, which jarred the image when it passed itself as night, creating an aura of experimentation one might usually find in cinematography school.
An great example of this within the film is the sequence when Ofelia meets the faun, Pan, for the first time within the labyrinth.
Within this sequence, the shots are heavily saturated with these very cool blues. This is mainly due to the fact that this scene takes place at night-time, but also plays and builds the film’s overall magical realism aesthetic. Also, these blue tones are most commonly seen when the faun is on screen, which could perhaps imply that the faun’s intentions with Ofelia are not as innocent as they seem.
Gender/Representation
In terms of gender within the film Pan’s Labyrinth and how it is represented, there is a clear example of binary opposites: the maniacal Vidal, who’s only cares are killing the communists who hide in the hills and having a son. The well-being of his wife and step-daughter don’t even seem to matter to him. And then you have Mercedes, who is a real maternal figure to Ofelia and actually cares about people, as shown through risking her own life throughout the film to sneak supplies to the communists hiding in the mountains.
Men
A key visual representation of Vidal within Pan’s Labyrinth is the recurring visual motif of the watch that his father gave him after he died on the battlefield. This watch represents the self-loathing that Vidal holds within him, due to his anxiety about never being able to measure up to his father’s actions and legacy, and explains, not excuses, his actions and demeanour he carries out towards himself and others.
Another key visual element that builds the characterization of Vidal, is his physical deterioration and the deterioration of his watch throughout the film. This represents his own broken identity – he is an immaculate and precise mechanism, somebody who knows how to fight a war, but someone who is also heavily flawed morally.
Women
The main female characters within Pan’s Labyrinth are all affected by the mechanisms of the patriarchy. Ofelia is neglected by Vidal, which is what ultimately leads to her demise, and, whether you see the fantastical events as real life or something that is made up in the head of Ofelia, could either be a good or bad thing. Carmen, Ofelia’s stepmom, is also neglected by Vidal and, despite Ofelia’s attempts to try and save her life, sadly falls to the same fate as Ofelia. The only female character that achieves a ‘happy ending’ is Mercedes. This is partly due to the fact that she is ‘invisible’ to Vidal, and partly due to her love for her brother. However, despite her happy ending, the final scene of the film is one of profound for Mercedes, as she holds the corpse of Ofelia and weeps for the literal visual death of childish innocence at the hands of a brutalising patriarchy.
Aesthetics
Magical Realism
Magical Realism is an aesthetic that blends real-world events and actions with a fantasy element.
This aesthetic is extremely evident in Pan’s Labyrinth right from the beginning of the film, in which Ofelia finds this bizarre stone idol, which, once repaired, releases a strange bug-like creature, which later on in the film turns out to be a fairy, like the ones Ofelia was reading about.
A key visual way in which Del Toro opposes the real world and the world of fantasy is through the colour schemes of each world. For example, in the ending scene of the film, in which Ofelia is murdered by Vidal and then is transported to ‘her kingdom’, a metaphor, I think, for heaven, the two settings have very contrasting colour palettes, which not only reflects the two different moods within the worlds, but also plays into the film’s overall magical realism aesthetic. It’s also a clear visual differential for the viewer.
In the shots that take place within the real world, the colour palette is far more muted and dull and contains a lot of dark blues, which reflects the morose and depressing actions taking place within that world.
However in the shots that take place within ‘her kingdom’, the color palette is much brighter and contains a lot regal golds and ceremonious reds, reflecting the happiness of that scene and how Ofelia has achieved her ‘happy ending’.
Another key visual element that clearly depicts two separate worlds for the viewer is Del Toro’s use of high key and low key lighting, with high key usually representing the fantastical fairy-tale world and low key lighting typically representing the real world.
The still below clearly depicts this, as in it Ofelia is going from her bedroom into the real world, which is lit with low-key lighting, to the lair of the Pale Man, which is lit with high-key lighting. This clearly visually depicts the difference in world’s for the audience/viewer.
The effect of using different types of lighting to show the different worlds may also be implying that Ofelia feels more at home in the world of fantasy, rather than her cruel, biting reality. This reemphasizes the character’s childness to the audience/viewer.
Historical and Social Context
1944 – Spain
The historical background for the film Pan’s Labyrinth is post Spanish Civil War. The Spanish War took place from 1936 to 1939 between the Republicans and the Nationalists. Republicans were loyal to the left-leaning Popular Front government of the Second Spanish Republic. The opposing Nationalists were an alliance of Falangists, monarchists, conservatives, and traditionalists led by a military junta among whom General Francisco Franco quickly achieved a preponderant role. Due to the international political climate at the time, the war was variously viewed as class struggle, a religious struggle, or a struggle between dictatorship and republican democracy, between revolution and counterrevolution, or between fascism and communism. The Nationalists won the war, which ended in early 1939, and ruled Spain until Franco’s death in November 1975.
Within the film, you have the Nationalists, Captain Vidal and his men, and the communists, Mercedes and the troops that are hiding in the mountains. Unlike the overall war, in the film, the communists actually, which I think plays into the film’s magical realism/fairytale aesthetic, as for the communists this is a ‘happy ending’.
Technological/Institutional Contexts
In terms of technological contexts and influences this film has had on the wider industry, this film is renowned for its animatronics and green screen work and its effective creation of a magical-realist production design.
In addition to this, it is well known for Del Toro’s highly unique and eclectic monster designs, such as the fawn and the Pale Man, both played by typical Del Toro actor, Doug Jones. Del Toro’s designs are so unique due to his also very unique hiring policy, being that he wouldn’t take anyone that had ‘typical’ influences in their art style.
And in terms of institutional contexts, this film was in the UK by Optimum and premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2006, in which it received great acclaim. Co-produced by a number of Spanish, Mexican and American production companies the $19 million budget is reflected in the complex production design, period dressing and relatively large cast. The eventual worldwide box office of $83.3 million was seen as a triumph.