The key characters:

Ofelia – daughter of Carmen

Carmen – heavily pregnant ‘new’ wife of the captain.

Captain Vidal – Soldier in Franco’s Army

Mercedes – housekeeper

Doctor

Officers and Soldiers in Franc’s Army

Communist / Left wing rebels

Fantasy characters:

Pan (a faun)

Faries (x 3)

The Toad under the tree

The Pale Man

The King and Queen of the Underworld

First Response

Score: 8/10

Memorable scene: I think the most memorable scene was when the white pale man was chasing after Ofelia. The shots jumping, one showing Ofelia’s point of view (drawing the escape root on the ceiling and then it jumping to the white man stumbling closer and closer to her. This scene created such an immense amount of tension you are on the edge of your seat, always questioning will she make or will she get caught.

Iconic Image: I think the most iconic image is the cover of the film. It clearly shows the vulnerable little girl and the intimidating pathway. It captures the audience’s attention as they could want to know what lies beyond that path.

Micro-elements: 

Sound:

The Sound Design of the effects that accompany the violence is very realistic. This is most likely enhanced in post-production by Foley artists. As parts of this film fit a horror genre this adds to the horror and emotional impact of those violent actions on the viewer. There is also a music motif in the Lullaby that is sung to Ofelia. It can be diegetic when sung by an on-screen characters (the Mother or Mercedes) but it becomes the theme tune for the film taking on a number of different musical forms (orchestral) adding to the suspense in places or the emotional state of Ofelia (rather like the ‘Time Goes By’ tune is manipulated in ‘Casablanca’.)

Cinematography:

The cinematography in Pans Labyrinth helps support the narrative as well as the fantasy world and real world.
When we first see Captain Vidal there is a close up shot that shows his stern, serious facial expression and the staccato simple shots reflect on his personality. He is a very traditional character which can also relate to the simple shots.

When we enter, the fantasy world the shots become long shots and extra long, this helps us see the scenery around the fantasy and also see how different it is to the real world.

Mise-en-scene:

Del Toro has a very unique and individual way for his approach of editing. He sketched out ideas in a notebook and was very into animations and CGI. The fawn, mandrake and the white man were CGI. Del Toro recorded the sounds of the toad himself and similar animatronics. 

Editing:

The editing used in Pans Labyrinth heavily supports the ideas of the fantasy world and the ‘normal’ world. A few diegetic wipes are used or cross-dissolves to and from black – thus forging a link, showing a particular inkling of when it is fantasy and not. 

Representation (Gender)

Main women:

All three women are looked upon negatively from the captain’s point of view. The first encounter we see of him, and Carmen is negative as he forces her to sit in a wheelchair when she did not want to. This automatically sends out the conventions that Carmen is a weaker character who holds less authority. Mecedes is the stereotypical maid to the captain who obeys his orders whenever given. However, she secretly fights against the captain and is helping the other side. This shows Mercedes holds power in secret, she is represented in two ways. You can argue that she is more of a motherly and maternal towards Ofelia than Carmen is. Ofelia is away in her own world; she disobeys her mother’s order as she continues to dislike the captain and separate herself away from him. She is a countertype when it comes to the way little girls were in those times/traditionally as she does not do what she told.  

Main men:

Captain Vidal is the dominant male within Pans Labyrinth. He is the villain in the movie manipulative, controlling towards all/most characters. The officers/soldiers are extremely on edge and cautious when around him. The doctor is a positive and rebellious character; he tricks Captain Vidal and ends up stealing necessities.

Aesthetics

Ofelias lighting is warm, golden with lots of curves and Vidals lighting is cold with lots of straight lines. 

The film is magical realism meaning it involves both very realistic set and lift of the 1944 Spain and it also shows the fantastical life of Ofelia. 

CGI is used to cut out the actor’s leg when playing the Faun, the Faun has a very sharp acute angled leg which does not match a human. The actor must wear green leggings to make it easier in the post editing. The use of animatronics is also used in the Fauns costume; the ears and tail are both electrically. 

Historical Contexts

It is the after math of the Spanish civil war which the fascist won (1936-1939).

In this film the rebels were the winners, the rebels are the good even though the doctor and Mercedes had to steal to get necessities the rebels believe in the equality of people and the fascist only thought of themselves and that reflected on the ending of the film. 

Institutional Context

Spanish because it is made in Spain and so is the cast apart from jones. Del toro and friends put their own money into this film (passion project). Usually, the big money studios have a big say in what the film is like and del toro did not want that, as he used his own money, he and friends had the very first and last say. It was made for 19 million dollars; this is due to the large crew and the make-up and costumes took lots of money to build. It made just over 83 million dollars in the box office. It won 3 Oscars, 1-cinematography, 2-make-up, 3-art direction. 

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.

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.

10 things that the viewer knows in the 1^st 10 mins. 

• That a civil war has ended  

• There is a fascist regime living hidden in the mountains (military camps) 

• There is a fantasy element that includes a princess who died 

• Ofelia and her mother are introduced 

• Ofelia’s character is established: she loves reading fantasy books and spends all her time doing it 

• We learn that Ofelia’s biological father- who was a tailor- died in the civil war  

• Her mother is seemingly sick. We can infer she is pregnant because of “Your brother is acting up” 

• Ofelia has no fear wandering off on her own 

• She and her mother arrive at a military base, where we learn the father of the child is the captain. He treats Ofelia poorly. 

• Ofelia learns about the existence of a strange labyrinth at the military base, and she also meets Mercedes, who is the captain’s assistant/maid 

• Mercedes has a maternal vibe towards Ofelia

Cinematic breakdown of the 1^st 3 mins. 

• The camera pushes in to Ofelia laying on the floor, as it tilts slowly 

• It creates a canted, close-up angle on her face 

• It zooms into her eyes  

• It then cuts 

• There is an establishing shot of the fantasy world  

• The camera is always moving, always fluid as it shows the palace/castle thing. It tracks it with a long-shot.  

• It pushes in into the doorframe 

• It tilts upwards towards the sun, in a low-angled shot 

• Then, it fades to white 

• There is a wipe, as we then watch the cars drive by  

• It cuts to a close-up shot of Ofelia reading her book 

• Then, a medium-close up shot as we see Ofelia and her mother sitting in the back of the car 

• The camera tracks the mother as she leaves the car as she feels sick  

Micro-elements:  

• Sound 

The Sound Design of the effects that accompany the violence is very realistic. This is most likely enhanced in post-production by Foley artists. As parts of this film fit a horror genre this adds to the horror and emotional impact of those violent actions on the viewer. There is also a music motif in the Lullaby that is sung to Ofelia. It can be diegetic when sung by an on-screen characters (the Mother or Mercedes) but it becomes the theme tune for the film taking on a number of different musical forms (orchestral) adding to the suspense in places or the emotional state of Ofelia (rather like the ‘Time Goes By’ tune is manipulated in ‘Casablanca’.) 

• Cinematography 

The film’s cinematography draws from a lot of different influences. The cinematographer, Guillermo Navarro, used inspirations such as Gothic literature, Spanish folklore and harsh realism of 1944 fascist Spain.

• Mise-en-scene 

Costuming

The costuming in Pan’s Labyrinth is representative of the time era in which the film was set, which is Spain in 1944. It’s especially important that it is set at a military base camp; the men wear neat uniforms with badges and hats, while the women wear maid dresses and other feminine clothing.  

Also, costume can tell a story of its own. In the sequence where Ofelia is given a green dress by her mother to wear for a fancy dinner party, it is expressed that Ofelia is to impress her father. The green dress and bow represent the type of girl Ofelia’s mother wants her to be, and the role she must play as the captain’s daughter, however there is a symbolic moment when the dress becomes all torn, muddy and wet after Ofelia ignores her mother’s requests and she crawls inside a tree.  

• Editing 

Throughout the film, a lot of wipes and dissolves are used. These create a link between the real and fantasy world.

Representation (Gender) 

How are men and women represented differently and how does this position the viewer? 

One of the larger themes in this film is that of patriarchy. The men all hold a higher position as soldiers at the military base camp, but Vidal in particular (the captain) represents patriarchal beliefs. This is seen consistently throughout the film with his remarks that his unborn child will be a boy, and that this child will in the future surpass him, as Vidal did for his own father. Additionally, he places a greater concern in his son’s wellbeing over his wife’s, even saying that during birth if there is a choice to “save my child instead of my wife”.  

Additionally, there is a binary opposition when comparing how gender was represented. In comparison to the strong men as soldiers, women are seen instead as the maids and cooks of the military stronghold. The main women of the film, Ofelia, Mercedes and Carmen all suffer at the hands of patriarchy.

Aesthetics 

What is the ‘look of the film’? How has this been achieved? 

This is a film that utilizes creatures that are created with CGI and expert costuming. It is a real actor that plays the faun, and yet he had to sit still through hours and hours of makeup work.  

It was made with an old school (puppetry work) style and also modern effects (computer generated). 

History and Social Contexts 

The film is set within an era of the Spanish civil war. The two sides are the fascists and the nationalists. Captain Vidal is a representation of the fascist side of the regime, whereas Mercedes and her group of rebels represent the nationalists. 

The film is very historically accurate with the way society is presented (the meal scene), the mise en scene and the costuming. 

Instituitional Context 

Though Del Toro is Mexican, this is a Spanish film (filmed in Spain in Spanish using a predominantly Spanish crew and cast) and so is classed as a European production. 

Money- Del Toro put up most of the money himself. It was a “passion project” for him. His budget was 19 million euros, and the box office made 83 million, which is approximately 4 times more.  

It won three Oscars, winning the category for best cinematography, best makeup and best production design.   

Pan’s Labyrinth (Del Toro, 2006)

Critical Score-   8.5/10  I gave this film this score because I think it was extremely engaging the entire way through, and I loved the way it handled microelements; the costuming and mise-en-scene reflected the specific time era in Spain (1944), making it believable, the lighting was done very well when representing the binary opposition of reality vs fantasy and the dialogue (especially for Ofelia) was sharp and to the point.

Memorable Scene- The most memorable scene for me was the scene with Ofelia and the pale man because I was genuinely on the edge of my seat when watching it, the pacing and the shots used made it so terrifying for the viewer. It is also a very cool design in general.

Guillermo De Toro 2006 

First Response

Critical score: 8/10

I enjoyed the film, the fantasy created through the underworld and mythical creatures blurred the line between real-life and fantasy. I think this was done really well as the fantasy elements appeared in the real world of Spain in 1944, post-civil war era. I enjoyed how this was a period piece and the Spanish history portrayed through a powerful story of the need for disobedience.

Stand out scene: The stand out scene for me, is when Mercedes and Ofelia are caught trying to escape the mill by Captain Vidal and his men. I really enjoyed the sound effects here as they added a lot of suspense to mirror Ofelia’s apprehensiveness as she asks Mercedes if she also heard the noise, she says know then lowers her umbrella and is faced with a crowd of soldiers. This scene is also where Mercedes is found to be working with the rebels highlighting the theme of disobedience as she is meant to work for the Captain as a housekeeper. I think this is where the story turns as the battle starts to intensify.

The key characters: 

Ofelia – daughter of Carmen 

Carmen – heavily pregnant ‘new’ wife of Captain Vidal 

Captain Vidal – Soldier in Franco’s Army 

Mercedes – housekeeper 

Doctor 

Officers and Soldiers in Franc’s Army 

Communist / Left wing rebels (including Mercedes’s brother Pedro) 

Fantasy characters: 

Pan (a faun) 

Faries (x 3) 

The Toad under the tree 

The Pale Man 

The King and Queen of the Underworld 

 10 things that the viewer knows in the 1st 10 mins. 

-There are two different worlds, real and fantasy (underworld) 

-There is a missing princess of this fantasy world 

-The film is set in Spain after the Civil War (1944) 

-A mother and daughter are travelling to their “new life” where the mother will get married 

-Ofelia has a large interest in reading, Carmen does not fully approve of this as it leads Ofelia to believe in mythical creatures such as fairies  

-Captain Vidal is Carmens new husband and is very controlling of her difficult pregnancy and behaviours, does not value her only wants her as a birth giver to a son for him 

-Carmen doesn’t particularly like being given orders “I can walk perfectly well” but she is obedient anyway 

-There is a labyrinth at the Mill which Ofelia is not allowed in, reenforced her fantasy beliefs 

-The creature Ofelia sees and believes to be a fairy follows her to the Mill, as we see the fairy creature in the labyrinth highlighting the supernatural element. 

-Mercedes has an interest is the soldiers plans despite being a housekeeper, foreshadowing her involvement in the conflict between Captain Vidal and his men vs the rebels. 

 Cinematic breakdown of the 1st 3 mins. 

Camera work is very fluid and is almost constantly moving. The film opens by moving to the left as Ofelia is lying on the ground (we see her facing upwards as she is rotated) with blood dripping out of her nose, this is a canted angle. The camera then rotates so she is seen to be lying across the screen on the ground and time is going backwards as the blood is going back up her nose. Audiences are instantly told she will suffer as the narrative is non-linear as the final scene before the epilogue is seen in reverse at the beginning of the film. The camera pushes in as it rotates until it pushes right into her eye as there is a cut to black going into a long shot of the fantasy underworld. The camera ten pushes into a doorframe giving a sense of motion followed by a push up and a fade to white. The camerawork is very creative as it tracks behind a pillar into a wipe edit. There is then a dissolve back into reality of a long shot of post-civil war Spain which is a more traditional style of editing and camera movement. 

Micro-elements: 

Sound: 

The Sound Design of the effects that accompany the violence is very realistic. This is most likely enhanced in post-production by Foley artists. As parts of this film fit a horror genre this adds to the horror and emotional impact of those violent actions on the viewer. There is also a music motif in the Lullaby that is sung to Ofelia. It can be diegetic when sung by an on-screen characters (the Mother or Mercedes) but it becomes the theme tune for the film taking on a number of different musical forms (orchestral) adding to the suspense in places or the emotional state of Ofelia (rather like the ‘Time Goes By’ tune is manipulated in ‘Casablanca’.) 

Cinematography: 

The cinematography used is critical to establish key characters throughout the film. For example, the first scene introducing Captain Vidal we first see his watch, highlighting his strict punctuality and his distaste for others not being on his schedule as he then complains about Carmen and Ofelias late arrival. We later learn the watch belonged to his father, and by this watch being the first of the Captain being shown, it reflects how he values his masculinity and closeness to his father above everything else. 

Mise-en-scene: 

Through Del Toros influence the film has an idiosyncratic style through the mise-en-scene (the film received Oscars for both production design and make-up). The costumes worn add to the historical context of the film which was set in Spain in the post-civil war era (1944). Many of the men are wearing uniforms highlighting their roles as a soldier, showing that there is still a lot of civil unrest in Spain during the period, reflecting how Pan’s Labyrinth is a period piece. 

Editing: 

The style of editing throughout the film is overall quite conventional however there are still some less conventional editing techniques used such as cross-dissolves to black. This helps to separate the real-world from the fantastical underworld. An example of this is at the beginning of the film when the camera tracks into Ofelias eye as she lies on the floor of the labyrinth dying and we are transported to shots of the fantasy underworld. This helps to distinguish the fantasy element right at the start of the film. In addition, by tracking into Ofelias eye giving a close-up of her injury the film is also automatically shown to fit into the horror genre. 

CGI- Computer generated image 

Representation (Gender) 

How are men and women represented differently and how does this position the viewer? 

All the men in the film are shown to be purposeful, they are either soldiers, farmers or a doctor, whereas the women in the film are often in subservient roles like a wife (Carmen) or housekeepers (Mercedes). Gender roles are quite traditional in the film especially Captain Vidal as he is desperate for Carmen to birth a son for him instead of a daughter like Ofelia (who he is continuously dismissive of) and he refuses to believe it would not be a son that is born. There is a prominent binary opposite for gender roles in the film, Captain Vidal is determined for his son to be born close to him with the health of his wife Carmen to only be a secondary concern (seen when he asks if they must choose to save the baby over her). 

Aesthetics 

What is the ‘look of the film’? How has this been achieved? 

Consider colour palette / music, realism v fantasy, magic realism (find out what this means in literature), Lighting. 

Pan’s labyrinth has a gothic aesthetic; Del Toro uses separate colour palletes and set designs to distinguish the different themes within the film. An example of this is the first sequence of Carmen and Ofelia in bed where the theme switches between fantasy and reality as she tells a story to her little brother in Carmen’s womb causing the audience to switch between Ofelias fantasy story and the reality of her life at the mill creating magic realism. When she is in the real world the colour pallete is very dark with strong contrast and shadows created by the lighting. The set design of the room adds to the gothic aesthetic due to the architecture of their bedroom in the mill. There is a grand bedframe with hard stone and wood throughout the room making it appear frightening to Ofelia. As Ofelia begins to tell the story the real-world bridges into the fantasy world of her story and the colour pallete changes to reds and oranges and we are transported outside reflecting freedom from the mill and the life she feels trapped in. The scene also reflects a connection between dreams and nighttime in the mill again highlighting Ofelia’s love for made-up stories and foreshadows the fantasy occurring later in the film. Pan’s labyrinth is an amazing example of magic realism as it seamlessly blends fantasy into reality seen through the story of Ofelia. 

The creatures in the film are artistically made, Tel Toro mixes old school and modern ways to create unique creatures that do not feature in anyone else’s film, he was very specific about wanting them to be original They took inspiration from folklore and old mythology to create these characters. The mandrake was puppeteer work while the Fawn was all an artistically made costume with green screened legs. The fairies were originally still models stuck onto rods which moved them around the scene, the rods were then edited out and the fairies more intricate movements were edited in. 

History and Social Contexts 

Spanish Civil war ended in 1939; film was set in 1944. The way society is presented is historically accurate. An example of this is Captain Vidal’s banquet at the mill where upper society businessmen and priests were sat with him reflecting how throughout the war, the fascist side worked closely with the church. 

 Captain Vidal and his soldiers are seen as fascists who are selfish and careless about those who have less power. However, the rebels are seen as caring and a positive force who believe the society should be more equal, unlike the fascists who want a ruling society. 

Institutional context 

Despite Del Toro being Mexican, the film is considered a Spanish film as it was filmed in Spain and in Spanish using a predominately Spanish crew and cast. Making it classed as a European production.  

Del Toro used his and his friend’s money to create the film cutting out the studios so they would have no say in casting and design choices. Pan’s Labyrinth was a “Passion Project”. $19 million went into the film whereas it made $83 million in the box office take, making it a massive financial success. It also won 3 Oscars for best cinematography, best make-up and best art direction. Del Toro then won another Oscar for best director (not for Pan’s Labyrinth but Shape of Water). 

 

I thoroughly enjoyed this film. The world building between Ofelias reality and her distorted dream world were visually and narratively striking, resulting in a varied crossover of each other.  A scene that stuck out to me the most was the pale man waking up in the Dream world, this character and its time on screen is memorable because of his child-like design, mirroring something only a child’s nightmares could conjure  

In the first 10 minuets we find out that: 

Carmen is a soon- to-be mother 

She has a daughter who is the protagonist  

The daughter loves reading fairytales 

Ofelias (daughter) father died in the Spanish civil war  

Carmen, Ofelia’s mother is married to a Spanish general  

Carmen is seemingly sick from her pregnancy  

We find out that the general does not like Ofelia and treats her unkindly 

In the first scene we can see that a girl is injured, but her blood is flowing in reverse 

A dragon fly is seen following Ofelia from the woods all the way to the mill 

The army have taken up residence in a civilian’s house 

CINEMATOGRAPHY 

In the opening scene of this film, we can see the camera tilting while simultaneously pushing into our subject, who we later find out is Ofelia. The camera repeats its first actions and pushes into Ofelias eye, making an opportunity for a transition into a description of her “Dream world”, where the camera pans around with a wide shot to show off the lengths of Ofelias imagination. The smooth movements of the camera during this scene present a smooth transition into the dream world while Ofelia is unknowingly dying similar to falling asleep into a dream.  

MACRO ELEMENTS- 

EDITING 

The editing that accompanies the narrative of Pans Labyrinth meshes well with the aesthetic of the film. Del Toro uses several different styles for cuts in his scenes, most notably the fade cut/transition. The fade which has been used more than once in Pans Labyrinth strengthens the alternative reality idea that plays a very strong role throughout this film. The use of the fade transition gives the cuts a more whimsical, dream-like atmosphere further inviting the audience into the narrative ideas.  

MISE-EN-SCENE 

The mise-en-scene in Pans Labyrinth utilises its underlying ideas of villainism throughout its narrative. During the dinner scene (40:00) the General and his men and wife are having a dinner on a long dining table, this scene is a clear reflection of the pale man sequence. The feast that the pale man has laid out in front of him as well as the generals subtlety establishes that they are the antagonists of this film without explicitly telling the viewer. The lavish food and drinks during the general’s dinner additionally portrays the fascist army of Spain at the time, their overarching presence of wealth and tyranny over the Spanish people is mirrored in Ofelias imagined world.  

AESTHETICS- 

The world of the labyrinth in the film relies heavily on fantasy ideals, but it still has elements of realism. When the Faries are introduced, they have human like qualities- their silhouettes and specifically when they die, we see their blood and guts, as well as their screams. Del Torro also utilises colour to differentiate between worlds- using industrial blues and greys to represent Vidal and his fascist army, while using golds and oranges to showcase the dreaminess of Ofelias dream world  

The creatures of this film are incredibly original- the director wanted to put an emphasis on not drawing inspiration from any other films to make his creatures. The monsters are partly generated in post-production through CGI and Green screens. Doug Jones played the pale man AND Pan.  

GENDER REPRESENTATION  

In Pans Labyrinth gender is an underlying theme that influences characters throughout the film. When Mercedes and Ofelia try to escape, they are caught by Vidal and his army- then locked up and tortured (Mercedes). When comparing this to the rebel army that commonly goes against Vidal (fully men) its portraits the men as more capable. The majority of men in this film being a part of either an army or resistance group in comparison to the solo females is a clear example of a binary opposite- showing the stereotypes of men holding more dominance over women commonly propped up by 1940s society. The pale man isn’t presented as any particular gender- being naked but presenting no female or male parts- as the pale man could be likened to the evils of the fascist army this decision could represent the right wing of Spain and how these ideals can be held by man or women- E.G “MAN-KIND”  

HISTORICAL CONTEXT.  

The Spanish civil war consisted of left leaning republicans who wanted a modern secular republic, while the opposite side who were right leaning nationalists who wanted to uphold traditional values and the power of the church. The right wing was led by Francisco Franco who was a fascist dictator, ruling over Spain until his death in 1975. Francos’s success of the war also represents the meaning of Ofelias death at the end of the film, showing that ultimately good did not prevail despite the death of Vidal.  

Fascist Spain was supported by Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy.  

Though Del Torro is Mexican- this is a Spanish film- (FILMED IN SPAIN- MAJORITY SPANISH CAST) Classed as a European production  

Budget: $19 million  

Pans labyrinth won 3 academy awards.  

1^st impressions 

8/10 

Big fan of the faun. Only complaint is that the whimsy was less prevalent in the last 3^rd, but I can deal with that because the story that takes place in the real world was also engaging and made me feel more attached to the characters. 

I feel this is a memorable scene because it has possibly the most iconic character from Pan’s Labyrinth in it. It also is able to encapsulate the fear and tension in the is scene by having the Pale Man blurred In the background due to the shallow depth of field reflecting how Ofilia has no knowledge of him being awake is very effective.  

• 10 things that the viewer knows in the 1^st 10 mins. 

1. They know Ofelia will die (she is lying on the ground and bleeding) 

2. It’s a fantasy movie (the opening is suggesting it through its language.) 

3. She is a princess (it is stated in the opening) 

4. Ofelia reads (she has book)

5. Carman is pregnant (she is pregnant)

6. They are moving out there because the mother married the soldier guy (tells Ofelia to call him father)

7. Mother is sick (car has to stop)  

8. Either Ofelia has a strong imagination, or magic is real in that world. (the funny statue and little creature)

9. Soldier guy is the father of baby that is making the mother sick (he touches her on her stomach)

10. Ofelia does not like the soldier guy, and soldier guy probably doesn’t like her (hand shake goes wrong gasp). 

(IN Spain, captain is NOT a loving husband, after Spanish civil war, Ofelias dad is DEAD, Mercedes is spy) 

• Cinematic breakdown of the 1^st 3 mins. 

Zoom in on Ofelia that changes to an exterior shot of her kingdom. 

The establishing shot shows the kingdom in darkness, it is quickly panning over most of the landscape before focusing on a doorway. 

In the doorway you can see a small girl running through a large door, it then transitions from the large staircase of the castle into the staircase in the portal at the middle of the labyrinth. 

The camera then pans up from the bottom of the stairwell and looks up into the light to a fade to white.  

Micro-elements:  

• Sound 

The Sound Design of the effects that accompany the violence is very realistic. This is most likely enhanced in post-production by Foley artists. As parts of this film fit a horror genre this adds to the horror and emotional impact of those violent actions on the viewer. There is also a music motif in the Lullaby that is sung to Ofelia. It can be diegetic when sung by an on-screen characters (the Mother or Mercedes) but it becomes the theme tune for the film taking on a number of different musical forms (orchestral) adding to the suspense in places or the emotional state of Ofelia (rather like the ‘Time Goes By’ tune is manipulated in ‘Casablanca’.) 

• Cinematography 

Cinematography was used the most effectively used when Ofelia was with the Pale Man. The use of the shallow depth of field was extremely effective in showing the audience how she was unaware of his presence, let alone his movement. This helps build suspense in the audience by showing them what’s going on behind Ofelia but keeping it still slightly a mystery because of the shallow depth of field. When Ofelia is runing away from him in the following scene, the camera follows her down the corridor, shaking slightly as she runs, which reinfoces the idea to the audience that this situation is stressful 

• Mise-en-scene 

The mise-en-scene is used very successfully in Pan’s Labyrinth to highlight the fantasy aspect in its genre. An example of this is the beginning of the film when they get out of the car because the mother is sick. Ofelia finds a statue of the Faun, the way that there is plants and foliage growing on it and extreme damage to one of its eyes shows that it has been there for many years. As well as this, the costuming of the fantastical creatures also helps immerse the audience. The best example of this is the Faun’s costume. They are made to look as if they are the statue that Ofelia came across, with the grey skin and the plants on his body. They also have very rigid body language. The set pieces used for these fantastical moments are also very well thought out. An example of one of these pieces is the tree that houses the Toad. The shape of the tree could be seen as mimicking the shape of the Faun’s horns, which are featured on the entrance to the Labyrinth. 

• Editing 

In the opening scene, a very beautiful effect is used, where a model has been built of the underworld, and the child playing Ofelia is seen running up the stairs. There is no clear place where it may cut from model to set. The way that the movie keeps the audience engaged in both sides of the story, real and fantastical, is very effective. Which works in the movies favor when during the last third, there is very little of the fantasy aspect of the movie so that the audience gets the same idea as Ofelia, that magic is not real in this world.  

Representation (Gender) 

How are men and women represented differently and how does this position the viewer? 

Ofelia – she is a princess. Very feminine. She is a small girl so is shown as naïve, as well as being perceived as such by Vidal.  

Carmen – not a great mother. Is very clearly important to Ofelia. Meant to be sympathized with, because of the fact she had to marry Vidal. 

Captain Vidal – clear binary opposition to the mother. He is very clearly pushing a very masculine ideology onto both his wife and their unborn child. He clearly wants someone to be his successor (which is why he is so adamant about having a son). 

Mercedes – much more motherly than Carmen, does most of her rebelling for her partner. She states that she knew she wouldn’t be suspected of rebelling because she was a woman and that Vidal doesn’t see women as people so took no mind to her. 

Doctor – maybe a little non gender confirmative? While yes, a doctor is a very male centric profession, The Doctor is seen as very caring about the people in his care and is very careful with particularly Ofelias mother.  

Officers and Soldiers in Franc’s Army – all men. Follow the orders. 

Communist / Left wing rebels – mostly all men.  

——————————————————————————————– 

Fantasy characters: 

Pan (a faun) – Very caring for Ofelia but does abandon her once things don’t go along with their plan. This could make them fit in both a motherly role, but also play into the same kind of aggression that Vidal shows.

Fairies (x 3) – they take on a female form once shown the picture of the female fairies in Ofelia’s book. They are like guides for Ofelia. 

The Pale Man – Pale they. They are more violent towards children which links to a masculine presentation of them.

The King and Queen of the Underworld – shown in a regal gold, links to the warm tones that Ofelia is shown in throughout the whole movie. As they are meant to be better parents to Ofelia, the golden warm light contrasts with Vidal’s cold light

Aesthetics 

What is the ‘look of the film’? How has this been achieved?

Consider colour palette / music, realism v fantasy, magic realism (find out what this means in literature), Lighting.

the colour pallet is very important tot he story of the film, again showing the movies clear binary opposites in Vidal and Ofelia. While Ofelia has a very warm, golden colour palette to complement her role as a princess, Vidal’s colour palette is cold to reflect his feelings and his occupation as an Officer.

History and Social Contexts 

Remnants of conflict. The rebels are shown as the caring ones while the fascists are shown as care. Not as realistic because in real life, the fascists won rather than the rebels. The movie is visually very historically accurate. The society is very historically accurate. The scene with the food is accurate because they are having lots of food but rationing out the food for everyone else. 

Watch video embedded into last slide on powerpoint (in RED) 

Combination of practical effects and CGI. It has like puppetry.  The mandrake was a puppet, making its movements and look more realistic, while the frog was CGI. (that was due to complications about the weight of the animatronic originally made for the scene.)

Spanish film, because made in Spain with Spanish film crew/cast. The film was a passion project. Del Toro put his own money into this so he was able to cut out the studio from this, so they can’t change the story to westernize it or change the story in any way, so he gets full creative freedom for this movie. The movie was a good investment because it cost 19m and made 83m in box office. It won 3 Oscars (in best cinematography, makeup and art direction.)  

1^st impressions: 10/10

This movie is fantastic. The story writing is done so well and the “real life” and “fantasy” storylines gel together really well. A lot of other films would have struggled balancing these two stories, leaving the audience too invested in one story to find the switch annoying, but Del Toro uses pacing so well that both stories are engaging and neither feels like they are intruding. The practical work is also astounding, as Del Toro’s practical effects usually are. The Faun and Pale Man costumes are so stylish, and the set design is always incredible.

MEMORABLE SEQUENCE: VIDAL EXECUTES THE HUNTERS

Of all the monsters in Pan’s Labyrinth, Del Toro takes great care in making the audience fear Captain Vidal, and this scene is was cements him as a villain. Vidal is brought two men, a father and a son, who claim to be hunters but the soldiers suspect they are rebels. The men are introduced in a mid shot that shows they are surrounded and outnumbered by soldiers. They are also visibly dirty and cowering, showing they are much lower status than the soldiers around them. The camera tracks closer as Vidal begins to inspect their bag and they are manhandled by the soldiers around them. They fidget nervously as Vidal inspects the bag and give explanations for what he finds, obviously terrified of him. Their fearful explanations clearly annoy Vidal, and because of this he draws a glass bottle from the bag, moves in closer to the son as the camera also tracks towards him, before bashing his face in with the base of the bottle, the camera cutting to a low angle shot periodically, showing the son’s point of view. This murder is brutal, and was achieved with a combination of practical effects with digital effects to get the blood spurts right. After the son is dead, Vidal turns and calmly shoots the father twice. he then goes back to the bag and finds two rabbits, proving they were just hunters after all. He chastises the soldiers for not searching them properly and wasting his time, even though he himself was looking through the bag and was obviously aware he hadn’t finished when he killed the two. This scene sets Vidal up as irredeemable and a horrible person, showing the audience that he will be the antagonist for this movie.

10 things that the viewer knows in the 1^st 10 mins. 1 – The movie is violent and dark; the first image is a girl bleeding from her nose in reverse and breathing heavily. 2 – the movie contains themes of fairy tales + the underworld. 3 – The movie will have astoundingly beautiful architecture. 4 – The movie will have elements balancing real life and fantasy 5 – The main character is probably going to be the “Princess”, as she is shown first bleeding from her nose before reading the story in a book. 6 – The movie is set in Spain.  7 – They are moving from the town to the country 8 – The mother is pregnant (or some kind of sick).9 – the mother is married to a Captain. 10 – Vidal is set up as a villain 

Cinematic breakdown of the 1^st 3 mins.  – The camera pans sideways along a cobblestone wall, until Ofelia comes into frame, breathing and bloodied. The camera turns to make Ofelia horizontal as it gets closer to her face, before zooming into her eye as we are given the fairy tale. The camera crabs along the underworld skyline, then tracks into the big building with the stairs as the Princess runs into it. It then pans up the spiral staircase to show the sunlight. We then fade into a ruined building. We crab to the right and are shown skulls and more debris, then the camera moves upwards to show more ruined houses before dissolving into the car.  

Micro-elements:  

Sound – The sound design in Pan’s Labyrinth mostly works to emphasize the brutality of the actions characters take. For example, sound design is used to make Vidal’s murder of the wrongly accused hunters much more brutal, adding crunching and splattering noises to the action, as well as the clinking noise from the bottle to add realism. Sound design is also used to make the Pale Man much scarier, adding deep, haggard breathing to the Pale Man and making the sound of the fairy being eaten crunch and squelch to make the action more visceral.  

Cinematography – The cinematography during the Giant Toad sequence works to put the audience in Ofelia’s shoes. The audience is given a lot of close ups as Ofelia crawls through the tunnel, creating a claustrophobic atmosphere. This sequence contains a very inventive mid-shot showing the toad and Ofelia facing each other, with the ceiling and floor of the tunnel closing in on the shot, giving the shot a border, which creates a claustrophobic atmosphere.  

Mise-en-scene – The mise-en-scene in Pan’s Labyrinth often serves to tell the audience whether they are in the fantasy world or the real world, as well as telling the audience information about the characters. For example, during the sequence where Vidal has dinner with some of the Spanish elite, the dining room is spotless and well furnished, a fire is burning in the fireplace and the table is lavishly covered in food. This tells the audience that Vidal is on par with these dinner guests in terms of status and spares no expense trying to impress his wealthy guests while he talks with them about cutting rations. Mise-en-scene can also be used to create parallels in the real and fantasy worlds, for example the lavishly set table headed by a terrifying figure is mimicked during the Pale Man sequence.  

Editing – the movie uses a lot of stylish transitions between scenes, particularly incorporating wipes into the camera movements themselves, such as the transition during Ofelia’s story from the real world to the story itself, where the camera pans down from Ofelia and her mother on the bed and transition to visuals representing the story. 

Representation (Gender) 

How are men and women represented differently and how does this position the viewer? 

Ofelia – The primary characters in Pan’s Labyrinth are female, the main character being Ofelia, a 10-year-old girl obsessed with fairy tales. Ofelia shows strength and defiance, speaking negatively about Vidal to Mercedes and bravely puts herself at risk in order to fulfil the Faun’s wishes and to protect her mother. Despite her strength, she also does not want to upset her mother, as shown when she tries to avoid her green dress getting dirty when she goes under the toad tree. Ofelia is shown to be selfless and brave, but also vulnerable, as she depends on Mercedes and her mother a lot and is shown to be frightened of Vidal. 

Carmen – Ofelia’s mother does not do much in the film as she is heavily pregnant. From the scenes we get with her, it is suggested that she does really care for Ofelia – she embraces her and tells her to talk to her brother in the womb. However, Carmen is shown to disregard Ofelia’s wants in terms of Vidal, whom she prioritizes, as she scolds Ofelia for getting her dress dirty despite her best attempts to keep it clean and takes Vidal’s side when he is verbally and physically attacking her.  

Captain Vidal – Vidal is the main antagonist of the film. He serves as a complete binary opposite to Ofelia, as while Ofelia performs her actions with the best intentions, and uses her cunning to thwart her adversaries, Vidal deals with issues with extreme violence.  

Mercedes – Mercedes serves as sort of a secondary protagonist in the “Real World” story, working as a double agent for the rebel forces, collecting intel and fighting against Vidal. When she is captured by Vidal, she berates and taunts him by telling him the reason that she was able to get away with it for so long was because of Vidal’s own prejudice, as because she was a woman Vidal didn’t expect she could do anything of her own agency or do damage to him or his image. It is also Mercedes who takes Vidal down in the end too, by shooting him in the face. Mercedes is shown to be stronger and far more capable than Vidal despite being seen as lower than him in society. 

Aesthetics 

Del Toro insists on original creature designs that have not been seen in o0ther movies. His creature effects are done through a combination of practical and CG effects, for example the faun being mostly a costume with animatronic ears and tail, but the legs were achieved by creating stilts for the actor and using greenscreen to key his legs out. Del Toro has been fascinated with fairy tales and monsters for a long time and uses them in his movies frequently. His team also uses ingenuity in the CG aspects, such as using pictures of crushed leaves to texture the fairies. The film uses a Magic Realism aesthetic, combining a realistic story with a fairy tale inspired world.  

Set Design 

Del Toro puts a lot of work into his sets so they capture the feeling of fantasy and fairy tales as well as differentiating the magic world from the real world. For example, the Pale Man’s lair creates an area of fantasy, using a lot of pillars, warm colours, and lavish decorations to create an environment separate from the real world. On the other hand, the Real World sets also have a lot of care put into them, such as Vidal’s office. Vidal has converted an old mill into this military base, and in the background of his office a giant wooden cog left over from the mill is clearly visible. This plays into Vidal’s character trait of being obsessed with time, as he is always seen with a pocket watch and often criticizes people for being even a few seconds late. 

History and Social Contexts 

1939 – Franco takes power over Spain 

The film takes place after the military coup of Spain, within an army encampment run by Vidal where they are trying to crush rebel forces. The film takes care to be historically accurate, through costume and mise-en-scene and such. The film also goes out of its way to portray social life accurately for the time, with a standout scene where the fascists have a feast while talking casually of cutting rations. It does differ slightly from real life as at the end the rebel forces defeat Vidal, murdering him outside the labyrinth. 

Other context 

Despite Del Toro being Mexican, the film is regarded as a Spanish film, because it was made in Spain and used a Spanish crew. According to some sources, Del Toro and his friends put their own money into making this film. It was a passion project for Del Toro.  

Budget: $19 Million 

Box Office: $83 Million 

The film was nominated for many awards, and won best art direction, best makeup and best cinematography at the 79^th Academy Awards.