My mock exam result is an A.
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Category: Global Film
Categories
Component 2a: Essay
Question: Explore how aspects of Cinematography are used to enrich meaning in your two chosen films.
Essay Plan
- Introduction
- Pan’s Labyrinth introduction
- Pan’s Labyrinth: opening sequence
- Pan’s Labyrinth: first bedtime sequence
- Pan’s Labyrinth: first shaving sequence
- Pan’s Labyrinth: fig tree sequence
- Pan’s Labyrinth conclusion
- Bridge between two films
- Wild Tales introduction
- Wild Tales: wedding sequence
- Wild Tales conclusion
- Conclusion
Essay
Pan’s Labyrinth and Wild Tales use cinematography enrich meaning through its use of different stylistic techniques to provide an explanation to the narrative and to represent the state of mind of a character.
Director Guillermo Del Toro and cinematographer Guillermo Navarro use cinematography in Pan’s Labyrinth as a way to create a dreamlike experience for the viewer. This is accomplished in many ways, but mostly through how they move the camera, and how they light the set.
This is shown in the opening shot of the film. The camera, much like in the rest of the film, is rarely stationary. The stylistic choice to make the camera ‘float’ through the setting gives every scene a rather magical feel. To accomplish this, a Steadicam would have been used to give the camera its smooth aesthetic. The camera pushes into Ofelia’s face, who is dying; making the audience feel sympathetic towards her. The camera then zooms through her eye, which suggests that we will be seeing the story through her perspective. This whole opening shot uses camera movement as a way to instantly set the style for the cinematography; and through that, the tone of the film. Throughout this entire opening sequence, the camera is constantly moving. This is to give a feeling of the narrative moving forward in time, as it is being told. Which also links to the idea that when the camera moves from left to right it shows progression, as shown through the story being told. Opposingly, when the camera moves from right to left in the first shot Ofelia is dying, which is bad, so the camera moves ‘backwards’.
In terms of lighting in the film, including this opening sequence, all night scenes are drenched in hard blue light. This is juxtaposed to the end of the film, when Ofelia returns to the underground realm it is very bright, using warm yellows and golds. The lighting at this point in the film is quite dark, presenting the protagonist in silhouette, which keeps the mystery throughout the film if Ofelia is this princess. Once the camera pedestals up the staircase, the frame is flooded with a bright light, said to be coming from the human world. This overexposure of the lens then fades from white; creating a transition to a new location, the human world. The lighting in the human world is very bright in comparison to our previous setting, using natural sunlight; rather than the hard blue ‘moonlight’ in the underground realm. Throughout the film, blue lighting is used whenever Ofelia is in the Captain’s world; a world she does not want to be in. Using it in the underground realm makes the viewer feel like it is a place they want to escape from, as did the princess in the film. Initially lighting the human world with sunlight makes it feel like a place of comfort, which is why the princess came to this world. To continue showing Ofelia’s departure from the underground realm, the camera rises to the sky using a Crane, from a wide shot to a landscape shot. This almost classically western camera move is used here to symbolise Ofelia, our protagonist, moving further and further away from her underground realm. This subtle feeling of rising from the ground over these few shots also helps the viewer to feel increasingly further away from the underground realm.
Once the camera cuts to inside the car, and throughout the entire conversation, all of the shots become handheld. This is to ground the story and these characters in reality, juxtaposed to the floating camera movements seen in the fantasy scenes. The scene now starts to lose its dreamlike quality, as the camera shakes the viewer out of its fantasy world. The feeling that someone is holding and operating the camera draws the viewer out of the film, making the characters feel much more real. However, once Ofelia leaves the car and starts exploring the world around her, the shots become more steady and smooth again. Whenever Ofelia’s curiosity for the fantastical is set free, or when fantasy elements are present in the scene, a Steadicam is used to accentuate the dreamlike tone they are trying to produce.
Camera movement in this film is also motivated by the characters’ attention. When Ofelia is walking through the woods, a Steadicam shot is used to show the trees and then tilts down to show Ofelia looking up at them. Here the camera follows her attention so that the viewer sees what she sees. Another way they accomplish this is whenever Ofelia is in a scene, the camera is usually placed at her eye level. This makes us see the world from her perspective and helps the viewer sympathise with her more. Also throughout this scene, wide-angle lenses are used. The majority of the film is shot on a wide-angle lens, which means that the camera is positioned closer to the characters and their surroundings, which makes the audience feel like they are experiencing the events on the screen. Opposed to a long lens, which would make the audience feel like they’re are just observing the events, and makes them feel less involved.
Many times, throughout this scene, the camera pushes into things of importance. This is apparent when Ofelia picks up the rock with an eye carved into it; the camera gets closer to it, focusing the viewer’s attention on the object. Also, when Ofelia sees the stone statue, the camera pushes in, making the viewer think it is a thing of great importance. The same camera movement is also used to create tension. When Ofelia hears noises from within, the camera gets closer and closer to the statue; blocking out the surroundings, and focusing all of the viewer’s attention on the statue. This can also be seen at points later on in the film.
After Ofelia gets back in the car, the fairy lands on a post in the foreground of the frame. The camera then shifts focus from Ofelia in the car, to the post. This handheld rotation around the post, tracking the fairy, is to help ground this computer-generated creature in reality. Like earlier, when handheld camera operation was used was to ground the characters in reality after seeing strong fantasy elements; the camera is handheld here to make this computer-generated fantasy creature seem more real.
Later on in the film, during the sequence where Ofelia tells a story to her unborn brother, I think is the best part in which lighting and colour are used. As soon as the scene starts, the set is again lit by the colour that relates to the world of the Captain; blue. The set is drenched in hard blue light, to represent moonlight. This is then contrasted with the colour of good in this film, yellow, from the fireplace. These are complementary colours and seen in contrast to one another throughout the film, and symbolise the battle between good and evil in the film.
When Ofelia climbs into bed, it cuts to a shot that lasts throughout half of the sequence. The camera slowly pushes in on Ofelia and her mother talking. At this point in the shot, we see the teal and yellow colours used the best. Ofelia is lit with the warm orange/yellow light from the fireplace, which represents her as good and pure. Whereas her mother is lit with the blue light, showing that she has been corrupted by the captain’s evil. The camera then pedestals down, tracking Ofelia, as she rests her head on her mother’s stomach, and speaks to the baby. The camera continues to pedestal down into the mother’s womb, in which we see the baby. The baby is lit with a very warm orange light, perhaps symbolising that the baby is good and will not be corrupted by the captain’s evil. The camera then simultaneously pans and crabs to the right, to reveal a rose. The rose is also lit with a warm orange light, which links to the story that Ofelia is telling, as orange represents goodness. The camera then pedestals down, while tilting up; this is to make the rose feel high up and out of reach, which also links to the story Ofelia is telling. After continuing to pedestal down, the camera comes to a halt showing the thorns surrounding the rose. As this happens, the lighting changes from the warm orange, to a cold blue. This is to subtly show the thorns as evil, as Ofelia states it in her story. After this, the camera follows the fairy up into the sky, and then lets the fairy out of the frame, and instead focuses on the moon. This reminds the audience of how long Ofelia has left to complete her quests. The camera then floats dreamily back into the room to show Ofelia and her mother, to finish the shot. All of this happens in one shot to create a magical feel for the scene; the camera doesn’t cut away, so it makes the viewer feel as if they are floating along with this tale.
When the camera cuts to the captain, the camera uses a wide aperture, which gives the image a shallow depth of field. This demonstrates to the viewer his concentration on the watch he is fixing, as the rest of the frame is very blurred and out of focus. The lighting in the Captain’s room is fairly in tune with the rest of the film. The set is primarily lit with warm light, with hard blue light shining through the back of the set. This is most apparent during the Captain and the Doctor’s conversation. The Captain is backlit with the blue light, while the Doctor, one of the good characters, is lit only with the warm light. Showing the contrast between good and evil.
Once the Captain goes outside to interrogate the farmers, the scene is completely lit with the blue light; this is to show the Captain’s evil. Also in this scene, the camera is usually positioned at a low angle when framing the Captain, to make him appear powerful as he towers over the camera. Oppositely, the innocent farmers are shot from a higher angle, to make them appear weak.
Later in the film, during the sequence in which the Captain shaves, the scene begins with a shot of the Captain’s hand setting down the needle of a gramophone, which then tracks his hand by panning over to the right where he picks up a shaving blade. The camera then continues to track his hand by tilting up to his face, where the light glints on the razor. The Steadicam then pulls back from the close-up, turning it into a wide shot, revealing him in his surroundings. The camera then pans left, in which something passes in front to disguise a hidden cut; to make it appear as if it were one shot, and arcs around his face, to show him shaving. This is all captured in one shot to make the Captain’s movements seem graceful and skilful; making the viewer feel as if they are following his strictly planned and ‘enjoyable’ routine with him. The light, coming into the room from above, is meant to be sunlight. However, as this is set it would have been a light. They decided to gel the light blue, which is abnormal because sunlight isn’t blue. This reinforces the colours for different characters; blue for the Captain’s world. Even in daylight, the Captain’s evil is still present.
Once the camera cuts to the Captain in the next location, he is polishing his shoes. As he does this, the camera pushes in on the shoes that he is polishing; this is to demonstrate to the audience his concentration, as less of the surroundings matter; as seen earlier when Ofelia looks at the rock and statue, and when the Captain maintains his watch. When Mercedes walks in, the camera cuts to a two-shot. Both of the characters are shown in profile, as the Captain stands up. The camera cuts to a reaction shot of Mercedes; the camera pedestals up with the Captain, making Mercedes appear as weak.
The sequence (in which Ofelia enters the fig tree) commences with the protagonist and the antagonists going on a journey. First shown with a wide shot, of the horses galloping through the forest. The camera tracks the horses from left to right; to show the characters are going on a journey, ‘away from home’. The camera then cuts to a tighter shot of the antagonists, using a long lens. This gives the feeling that we are watching them from far away as if we were the rebels hiding in the woods. The camera also shows Ofelia’s journey to the tree, simultaneously to this. The juxtaposition between camera movements helps to separate the characters’ motives. The camera’s movement with the antagonists is rapid and jarring, making it apparent that they are evil and corrupt. The camera’s movement with the protagonist, Ofelia, is very dreamlike; making the viewer feel like she is connected with the fantasy world and goodness.
When Ofelia reaches her destination, The camera views her in a close-up; this then arcs around to reveal the tree, that she has been journeying to. Doing this in one shot makes it more immersive for the viewer. As Ofelia walks up to the tree, the camera slightly pedestals down while tilting up to show the size of the tree. The camera then pauses on this part of the shot, to let the viewer take in the tree, making it memorable. As she begins to enter the tree, the camera cuts to a very low angle shot. This is to show the viewer that the rest of her journey will be going down underground. She is also backlit, by the sun, which gives her an angelic appearance; which furthers her connection to the fantasy world.
Once she is crawling through the tunnels, the camera shows her by crabbing to the right. This motion of the camera with the protagonist helps to put the viewer in her situation. The camera is always positioned at her eye height to make the audience sympathise with her. In the tunnel, the lighting has significantly changed. The steel blues of the Captain’s world and the browns and greens of the rebel’s world are no longer present here; the passage is lit with a golden-yellow light. This colour of lighting is also used at other points in the film when there is a strong fantasy presence. To transition over to the captain, the camera presents Ofelia in a profile shot crawling through the roots of the tree when something in the foreground obscures the frame into darkness and then continues panning into the next shot, to reveal a location change and the Captain. This occurs multiple times in this sequence, and the whole film, to make two locations, or even two shots, flow together.
The Captain lands into the frame, showing just his shoes. The camera then tilts up his body, showing his uniform and how out of place it is in this environment; because it is the rebels’ environment. The camera also simultaneously pushes into the Captain’s face, making it a close up. In addition to this, it also arcs around the Captain. This focuses the viewer’s attention entirely on the Captain as if the audience were the rebels watching him tirelessly from the hills. Once the Captain realises he is being watched, the camera again arcs around him positioning him in the foreground, and the rest of the forest in the background. This is to imply where the Captain thinks the rebels are. The Captain is then presented using a long lens, this is to again put the viewer in the perspective of the rebels; the rebels are looking at him from far away in the forest, so the camera is positioned that way. As the Captain leaves, the camera tracks them travelling from right to left; ‘backwards’. This is to show them returning from their journey. As they leave, the camera continues to crab to the left, which slowly reveals one of the rebels. The camera then cuts to another shot of the rebels, showing them from the front. The camera is centre framed on the rebels, forcing the viewer’s attention on them. The camera is also positioned at a low angle, presenting them using a ‘hero shot’. Making them seem powerful and brave to the viewer; through positioning the camera lower than eye level.
When we cut back to Ofelia, the camera is now travelling from right to left, even though she is not returning from her journey. This is to make the viewer feel confused; like Ofelia, as she does not know where to go. When the giant toad enters the scene, Ofelia is framed using an over the shoulder shot of the toad, also using a high angle. The high angle makes her appear weak and helpless; as she is, compared to the toad. Also, she takes up a minimal amount of the frame to help this. When the toad uses its tongue to catch the bug on Ofelia’s face; the camera uses a whip-pan to follow the tongue from the toad, over to Ofelia. This gives the scene much more energy and makes it tenser for the viewer. When Ofelia finally sees the key, the camera tightens on the key to show its importance; like earlier with the rock and statue, etc…
Once Ofelia exits the tree, the lighting has changed dramatically. The once fantasy warm lighting has been replaced by the cold blues of the Captain’s world. This implies that she is now back in the Captain’s world, and is going to be in trouble when she gets back to the mill. The camera then arcs around to show the disappearance of her clothes, and her reaction to this. Once the camera cuts back, it uses a low angle; making Ofelia look dwarfed by the tree; which gives the impression to the viewer that she is helpless.
Overall, the stylistic choices in Pan’s Labyrinth brilliantly contribute to the narrative being told. Through camera motion they create magic; through coloured lighting, they segregate worlds; through camera push-ins, they focus attention; and through the use of long lenses, they construct a feeling of being watched. Its use of long lenses, and Steadicam and handheld shots, is something that Pan’s Labyrinth and Wild Tales have in common. Wild Tales is directed by Damián Szifron and photography is directed by Javier Juliá. It is an Argentinian anthology film released in 2014. In this film, they create less of a colour palette, like Pan’s Labyrinth, and more of a style through composition; something I think Pan’s Labyrinth lacked in.
To start the last tale of the film, we open on a slideshow of old photographs, centre-framed, as the camera slowly pulls out which allows the viewer to see all of the guests watching the screen. We then see multiple shots of different people watching the slideshow, lit from the direction of the screen with a hard teal light. It replicates the screen light by changing brightness every so often. The direction of this light that the characters are lit by helps establish the geography of the room. At the moment, mostly wide shots are used. This is to show the extent of guests to the viewer.
All of the camera movement is made using a Steadicam. This makes the movement very smooth; juxtaposed to later, when it is mainly handheld. This represents the protagonist’s current state of mind, stable and fine. The Steadicam pushes in on the appearance of the two main characters, and centre frames them to show their importance. As the bride and groom are revealed, a spotlight is put on them. This simultaneously establishes that these are the two main characters and that they are being watched as if they are in a show. The camera then circles them to show their importance in the plot. There is a lot of movement in the lighting, mainly to give the scene a very energetic feel. Currently, most lighting is blue, which represents stability and loyalty; like the two characters at the moment in the story. The camera is constantly kept on or below eye level to make it feel very crowded. Also, the camera is kept moving, constantly; to add even more energy to the scene. After the Klezmer music starts, the camera quickly pulls back from inside a brass instrument. This furthers the high energy feel to the scene so far. Also at this point, the lighting’s colour changes to yellow. This represents their happiness and joy.
Once we cut away from the party to the bride and groom greeting people at their tables, the lighting changes. The lighting changes to a more even warm light; something that would more normally light a room, rather than the disco lighting from before. Now, there is a lot less camera movement; whenever it is there it is motivated by the characters’ movement, rather than to create an energetic feeling. When the bride sees the husband and the mystery woman, they are framed in the centre of the screen to draw attention to them. In addition to this, the camera slowly zooms in on them, drawing the viewer’s attention to them more. Also, they are shot using a long lens, which makes it feel as if we are watching from far away, which the bride is. This puts the viewer in the bride’s perspective, which helps them sympathise with her more. The bride is framed alone now, using a wide aperture and a long lens to make the depth of field very shallow, to make her feel isolated. We then cut to an even tighter shot of the woman, zoomed even further in, to focus the viewer’s attention entirely on the woman. When the bride walks over to the mirror, the camera is positioned so that the bride is positioned both sides of the woman, making it appear as if the bride is closing in on the truth about this woman. This is both effective and efficient; the camera racks focus back and forth between the woman in the mirror and to the bride, allowing the camera to capture everything without cutting. The focus of the camera follows the focus of the bride; from the phone in her hand to the woman at the table, and back again. This puts the viewer in the brides perspective and more easily allows the viewer to sympathise with her.
As the song starts, and the husband walks over to dance, the lighting changes from its even warm tone to hard cold light. This lights the husband in a very dark way, putting him mostly in shadow. This symbolises a new darker side to her husband that she is now seeing and didn’t know about before. After this the camera then pans down to the husband’s hand with his wedding ring on; the camera follows the bride’s attention, as she looks down to her husband’s hand, the camera does too, which again puts the viewer in her perspective. While they dance, the camera constantly circles them, as if we were dancing with them. This is quite disorienting and dizzying for the viewer, like how it is for the bride. At this point, their entire conversation is shown only in close-ups, the background is out of focus; making the conversation very intimate. When they stop dancing, and the conversation ends, the camera stops ‘dancing’ as well. After the bride has left, the husband looks back to his guests and smiles as a way to reassure everything is alright. They shoot this on a long lens to make it feel as if he is being observed by multiple people from far off, furthering the idea of the main characters putting on a ‘show’ for their guests.
As the bride walks unstably down a hallway, the camera is placed at a very low angle to track her. This angle makes her feel very tall and as if she is about to topple over. Once she gets onto the roof, the camera cuts to a bird’s eye view shot of her walking to the edge of the building. This gives the viewer the impression that she is about to jump off the edge. Her and the chef’s conversation is shot using quite a wide aperture and at times on a long lens. This gives the image a very shallow depth of field, accentuating the bokeh of the twinkling city lights in the background. This gives the setting a very romantic feel and makes the moment feel very private and intimate; justifying, to the viewer, the reason she falls for him. In addition to this, when they kiss it cuts to a wide shot of them in profile while being centre framed. This points out to the viewer the importance of this action, and ironically parody’s romance cinematography. Unlike the bride, the husband is shown walking up the stairs to get to the roof. This occurs because the walls of the stairwell are painted green, the colour of envy and jealousy, and are lit to represent the husband’s emotions.
When the bride reenters the wedding room, and once she has declared her revenge to her husband, the camera transitions over to handheld motion. Up until this point, the camera has been locked down or used with a Steadicam. However, now she is seeking revenge, the main theme of this film, the camera is handheld to reflect her inner turmoil and how she is now out of control. After this, once she starts the dance again, the lighting is entirely green; again to reflect the husband’s envious feelings. As the husband sees the chef through the door, the chef is shot on a long lens to make it feel as if we are looking at him from across the room, which the husband is, which puts the viewer in his perspective. As the bride is deciding to go and fetch the woman, the camera dutch tilts to show the viewer her disorientation after being spun around, and her mental frustration. As she goes over to the woman, red lights flash from the green, to show her anger at the woman for ruining her marriage. When the bride is spinning the woman around, the camera is locked onto each of them; this shows the control that the bride has over the woman. In addition to this, they shoot at a higher shutter speed than normal, mainly so that the motion blur does not obscure the frame; but it also gives it a rather hallucinogenic feel through the clear light trails, adding to the hysteria of the scene.
When the bride reenters, she is shot on a long lens; this makes it feel as if she is being watched as she is pushed into the room; again, furthering the idea that they are performing to please their guests. As they both start to dance again, the room darkens, so you are unable to see any of the guests, and a spotlight is put on them. This reflects how they don’t care about how they are perceived anymore, and that they are only focused on themselves. The camera pans down to the cake topper for the final part of the film, the bride and groom cake topper stand formally together. This shows that they have not had an ideal wedding.
While Wild Tales has less of a colour palette, unlike Pan’s Labyrinth, Szifron and Juliá use different colours as a way to visually portray the character’s emotions to the viewer.
Both del Toro and Szifron use camera movement to evoke characters’ certain feelings and moods, to enable the viewer to sympathise with the characters by visually representing their emotions through motion.
Cinematography
To start the last tale, we open on a slideshow of old photographs, centre-framed, as the camera slowly pulls out which allows us to see all of the guests watching the screen. We then see multiple shots of different people watching the slideshow, lit from the direction of the screen with a hard teal light. It replicates the screen light by changing brightness every so often. The direction of this light that the characters are lit by helps to establish the geography of the room. At the moment, mostly wide shots are used. This is to show the extent of guests.
All of the camera movement is made using a steadicam. This makes the movement very smooth; juxtaposed to later, when it is mainly hand held. This represents the characters current state of mind, stable and fine. The steadicam pushes in on the appearance of the two main characters, and centre frames them to show their importance. As the bride and groom are revealed, a spotlight is put on them. This simultaneously establishes that these are the two main characters and that they are being watched as if they are in a show. The camera then circles them to show their importance in the plot. There is a lot of movement in the lighting, mainly to give the scene a very energetic feel. Currently most lighting is blue, which represents stability and loyalty; like the two characters at the moment in the story. The camera is constantly kept on or below eye level to make it feel very crowded. Also, the camera is kept moving, constantly; to add even more energy to the scene.
After the Klezma music starts, the camera quickly pulls back from inside the brass instrument. This furthers the high energy feel to the scene so far. Also at this point, the lighting’s colour changes to yellow. This represents their happiness and joy.
Once we cut away from the party, to the bride and groom greeting people at their tables, the lighting changes. The lighting changes to a more even warm light; something that would more normally light a room, rather than the disco lighting from before. Now, there is a lot less camera movement; whenever it is there it is motivated by the characters’ movement, rather than to create an energetic feeling.
The husband and his co-worker who he slept with are framed in the centre of the screen, to draw attention to them. In addition to this, the camera slowly zooms in on them, drawing the viewer’s attention to them more. Also, they are shot using a long lens, which makes it feel as if we are watching from far away, which the bride is. The bride is framed alone now, using a wide aperture and a long lens to make the depth of field very shallow, to make her feel very isolated. We then cut to an even tighter shot of the woman, zoomed even further in, to focus the viewer’s attention entirely on the woman.
When the bride walks over to the mirror, the camera is positioned so that the bride is positioned both sides of the woman, making it appear as if the bride is closing in on the truth about this woman. This is both effective and efficient; the camera racks focus back and forth between the woman in the mirror and to the bride, allowing the camera to capture everything without cutting. The focus of the camera follows the focus of the bride; from the phone in her hand, to the woman at the table, and back again. This puts the viewer in the brides perspective, and more easily allows the viewer to sympathise with her.
As the song starts, and the husband walks over to dance, the lighting changes from its even warm tone to a hard cold light. This lights the husband in a very dark way, putting him mostly in shadow. This represents a new darker side to her husband that she is now seeing and didn’t know about before. After this the camera then pans down to the husband’s hand with his wedding ring on; the camera follows the bride’s attention, as she looks down to her husbands hand, the camera does too. While they dance, the camera constantly circles them, as if we were dancing with them. This is quite disorienting and dizzying for the viewer, like how it is for the bride. At this point, their entire conversation is shown only in close ups, the background is out of focus; making the conversation very intimate. When they stop dancing, and the conversation ends, the camera stops ‘dancing’ as well. After the bride has left, the husband looks back to his guests and smiles as a way to reassure everything is alright. They shoot this on a long lens to make it feel as if he is being observed by multiple people from far off, furthering the idea of the main characters putting on a ‘show’ for their guests.
To see the bride leaving, the camera is mounted to a door. The bride walks through this, and off down a corridor; the husband also walks through this, but did not see where she went. I really like this shot; however, I don’t think it represents anything in particular. As the bride walks unstably down a hallway, the camera is placed at a very low angle to track her. This angle makes her feel very tall and as if she is about to topple over.
Once she gets onto the roof, the camera cuts to a bird’s eye view shot of her walking to the edge of the building. This gives the viewer the impression that she is about to jump off the edge. Her and the chef’s conversation is shot using quite a wide aperture and at times on a long lens. This gives the image a very shallow depth of field, accentuating the bokeh of the twinkling city lights in the background. This gives the setting a very romantic feel, and makes the moment feel very private and intimate; justifying, to the viewer, the reason she falls for him. In addition to this, when they kiss it cuts to a wide shot of them in profile while being centre framed. This points out to the viewer the importance of this action, and ironically parody’s romance cinematography. Unlike the bride, the Husband is shown walking up the stairs to get to the roof. This occurs because the walls of the stairwell are painted green, the colour of envy and jealousy, and are lit to represent the husband’s emotions.
When the bride reenters the wedding room, and once she has declared her revenge to her husband, the camera transitions over to handheld motion. Up until this point, the camera has been locked down, or used with a steadicam. However, now she is seeking revenge, the main theme of this film, the camera is hand held to reflect her inner turmoil and how she is now out of control. After this, once she starts the dance again, the lighting is entirely green; again to reflect the husband’s envious feelings. As the husband sees the chef through the door, the chef is shot on a long lens to make it feel as if we are looking at him from across the room, which the husband is. As the bride is deciding to go and fetch the woman, the camera dutch tilts to show her disorientation after being spun around and her mental frustration. As she goes over to the woman, red lights flash from the green, to show her anger at the woman for ruining her marriage. When the bride is spinning the woman around, the camera is locked onto each of them; this shows the control that the bride has over the woman. In addition to this, they shoot at a higher shutter speed than normal, mainly so that the motion blur does not obscure the frame; but it also gives it a rather hallucinogenic feel, adding to the hysteria of the scene.
When the bride reenters, she is shot on a long lens; this makes it feel as if she is being watched as she is pushed into the room. As they both start to dance again, the room darkens, so you are unable to see any of the guests, and a spotlight is put on them. This reflects how they don’t care about how they are perceived anymore, and that they are only focused on themselves. The camera pans down to the cake topper for the final part of the film, the bride and groom cake topper stand formally together. This shows that they have not had the ideal wedding.
Sound
The diegetic music is what starts the tale off, quite calmly with the opening of the song. The song that is played links to the plot of this tale; an act of subtly foreshadowing. The music’s build to the chorus is what energetically introduces the bride and groom; the two main characters. To create a very energetic opening, the clapping and cheering of the crowd of guests is drowned out by the diegetic music. The sounds that the guests make are placed lower in the mix, to contribute to the party scene that is being created. To begin the next part of the party sequence, Klezmer music is played; which is music played at Jewish celebrations, including weddings.
When the bride spots the husband and the woman together, their dialogue are higher in the mix rather than the ‘background noise’. This use of selective sound of heightening the conversation is used effectively. While the bride most likely wouldn’t have been able to hear the conversation, it is raised above the rest of the sound to focus the attention of the viewer on it. It also makes the moment surprisingly scandalous, as it feels like no one can hear the conversation except for the bride and the viewer. Also, when she calls the phone of the woman, the woman’s voice is echoed by playing delayed out of the speaker of the bride’s phone.
The music fits very well with the scene; the music hesitates as she does, and eventually commences as she takes his hand. It reflects her uncertainty. While they are dancing, and having their argument, the music is lowered in the sound mix to focus the viewer’s attention entirely on their conversation. The song is pleasant and melodic, which juxtaposes the emotional distress she is experiencing. As their argument becomes more emotional, the pace of the music quickens. Everything is timed with the song; choreographed as if it were all part of a dance.
On the roof, to signify her transition to wanting revenge, a thunder sound (accompanied with lightning) is heard. This use of pathetic fallacy using sound is effective and adds another layer of drama to the situation.
Once she has been pushed into the table by her mother in law, the sound of glass cracking is heard as she moves her feet. This provides needed information for the viewer, as her wedding dress covers her feet; so, the sound of cracking glass helps the viewer understand. Accompanied with blood, it creates a rather grotesque feeling for the viewer; the crunching sound the glass makes as she moves her feet is mildly disturbing. Also at this point, her heavy breathing is made to be much higher in the mix, while the sounds of the guests are made to sound distant; to demonstrate to the viewer her mental state.
Editing
Before the final tale even starts, the screen remains black for a longer time than the other intervals, I believe this is to build anticipation as it is the last tale. After the bride and groom have entered and separated, it shows alternating shots of the two greeting their guests. The cut away from the roaring party, to the quiet tables, is quite jarring. It is an effective edit, as it draws the viewer’s attention to the following montage. The short montage quickly and effectively shows the two main characters and their need to please all of their different guests.
As the bride sees her husband with the woman, and once she discovers she is the woman on the end of the telephone, we are given a reaction shot of the bride. This helps the viewer to sympathise with her a lot more. Once they start dancing and arguing, the pace of the editing becomes quicker as their argument becomes more emotional and as the music fastens its pace as well. The cuts are made using the ‘shot, reverse-shot’ technique; to show the bride talking , and the husband’s reactions and his smiling out to the crowd, further showing his need to please the guests around him.
The ‘shot, reverse-shot’ technique is used again at the top of the building, when the bride is talking to the chef. This makes it so we can get close up to the characters’ faces, without sacrificing any coverage from the scene as a whole.
Back at the party, after the husband has had his emotional breakdown, a loud bang is heard. To maintain some mystery, as if we were a person in the room looking for the source of this sound, the camera cuts back to a long shot of the room as a whole; so the viewer’s eyes search the room for the sound, making them feel more involved in the scene.
Mise En Scène
In the opening of this tale, we see the glossy and perfect room designed to impress their guests. To reinforce this, the two main characters are revealed from behind a curtain. This shows that to accomplish their need to impress their guests they have to put on a performance, and is hinted at through the use of this curtain. The brides dress is traditionally white, this to represent the bride’s innocence; a component that comes into play at multiple points throughout this tale.
The woman, who the bride was cheated on, is dressed in black. This is in high contrast to the bride’s dress, showing that they are complete opposites; and that she represents darkness and corruption. Once the bride arrives on the roof, her makeup is messed up showing that she has been crying. Also at this point, we see the start of the dishevelment of her hair. Her hair is more messed up than we last saw her, as it is a physical depiction of her mental state. To show her transition over to wanting revenge, a flash of lightning is seen (accompanied with the sound of thunder). Also at this point, we see her hair even more disheveled than before, as her seek for revenge is driving her insane.
Once the woman has been thrown into the mirror, she is placed on the steps on top of a white sheet. This helps to make the blood stand out more; as the red of the blood stands out more on white than the colour of the carpet. Also at this point, we see her white dress stained in parts with blood. this shows her loss of innocence, as the ‘pure’ white has been corrupted by her actions. After she is attacked by her mother in law, blood is seen on the floor from under her dress. Accompanied with the sound of cracking glass, the blood shows that she is bleeding from her feet from stepping on glass. This provides explanation, to the viewer, as to why she looks as if she is in pain. The throwing of her hair extensions on the floor, and the toppling of the cake topper, are all a symbolic representation of the destruction of their relationship, and their now disregard for the way they are perceived by their guests.
Performance
All of the guests clap and laugh as they watch the slideshow of old pictures. The guests’ reactions are something that is very important in this tale. When the bride and groom kiss, the husband looks towards the video camera. This establishes that this is a performance for their guests and that they care about how they are perceived by others. This is also seen in the montage of them taking pictures with their guests. They go from table to table taking pictures with different groups of people; as they do this, their personalities change according to the group of people they are with. This shows how they act in the different ways to please the certain person they are with. When the bride is forced into talking with two of her guests, we see how her expressions are very fake and how she doesn’t want to be with them. She over exaggerates her expressions as a way to make the guests feel special and to make them look good. This is especially shown when she tries to end the conversation and walk off, but is held back to continue talking.
When she spots the husband with the woman, her smile fades, and the ‘mask’ she wears is taken off. The husband inadvertently puts his hand on her shoulder, and the woman seductively flicks her hair. This heavily suggests their past, and helps the viewer understand why the bride is being so speculative. Once the woman has seen that it is the bride who has called her, she nervously laughs to the person next to her as if she were talking to him. This creates an incredible unlikability towards the woman; she laughs as the bride looks on in pain. As the husband walks over to her for the dance, he holds his arms open; which connects to later in the film. She looks devastated as she is almost certain of her suspicion. This makes the viewer sympathise with the character a lot. As they dance, the bride is constantly looking at her husband, but the groom keeps looking out to the guests, because of his need to please them and not make a scene. When Ariel is dancing with his mother, she tries multiple times to straighten his tie. This shows her over protective nature, and gives more reason for one of her actions later in the sequence.
When the bride renters the room, she is consumed by her want for revenge; which is shown by her quick strides, not caring about how she appears anymore. As she is thrown up and down by the guests and looking at Ariel, she has a very smug expression on her face. This shows her enjoyment of the revenge, as she is openly taunting her husband through her facial expressions.
Later on, when they are both crying, the husband sees his wife crying and comes to a realisation that what he did was bad. This helps the viewer understand why he then goes over to her to reconcile.
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Wild Tales Contextualised
Define a portmanteau film. What are other notable examples from recent years?
portmanteau film, or in other words an anthology film, is a film that consists of two or more independent and unconnected stories. Wild Tales is a portmanteau film, because it contains six different unconnected stories. Another notable portmanteau film that was released recently is that of The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018).
Give a brief synopsis of each of the stories in the film. Which are the most effective? Why do you think these stories have been chosen?
Each story in the film shows some form of revenge.
The first tale, titled Pasternak, follows the story of a model boarding a plane, and coincidentally meeting someone who knew her ex boyfriend. This then dramatically escalates as they learn that more and more people are connected to her ex boyfriend’s suffering, and the ex boyfriend turns out to be the pilot of the plane. He then crashes the plane killing everyone on it. I thought this tale was an energetic way to start the film, and wouldn’t have been as strong if it weren’t the first tale we see.
The second tale, titled Las ratas, follows the story of a waitress serving a man who made her father kill himself. She is then persuaded to poison the food, by the chef of the diner. The man’s son then arrives, and we learn that the poison could have expired. The waitress worries, and tries to stop the man from eating the food. The chef then violently enters with a knife, and stabs the man. The tale ends with the chef getting arrested, and the man being dead. I thought, overall, this was the weakest of all of the tales. It wasn’t necessarily bad, it just was not the strongest of all of them. I think something that should have been explored more is the waitresses regret. We see her try to take back the food, and I think that it would have been interesting to take that further; and see the regret she feels, for a person who has done her so wrong.
The next tale, titled El más fuerte, shows a man trying to get past someone on a motorway, who is then blocked by another person. Eventually the person lets the protagonist past, but insults the man as he does so. He then gets a puncture and then again meets the man who he insulted. The man then destroys the windshield of his car, in an act of revenge. The revenge then is exchanged back and forth for the rest of the tale, until eventually they both die. I thought this was the fourth best of all of the tales, mainly because the mindless violence was very entertaining, and also said something about each of the characters; as does the title, which is translated to The Strongest.
The tale after that, titled Bombita, follows the story of a man who works for a demolitions company whose car is towed wrongfully. After retrieving it, he misses his daughter’s birthday, which then results in his wife wanting a divorce. His car is then wrongfully towed again, and his anger towards the government increases. He eventually rigs his car with explosives, from his work, and sets them off once the government has towed it. He is then imprisoned, and becomes somewhat of a hero who fights with the people against the government. I thought this was the second best of all the tales, because it really focused on the character’s emotions and how they act under stress.
The penultimate tale, La propuesta, shows the story of a man’s sone arriving home after accidentally running down a pregnant woman in his car. They try and cover it up by proposing that the gardener take the blame for the incident. Eventually, the gardener is arrested, and while being taken to the police car is hit over the head with a mallet and killed. I thought this tale showed brilliant performances, and was interesting to see how these characters act under this circumstance. This is my third favourite of all of the tales.
The final tale, my favourite, is titled Hasta que la muerte nos separe. It follows the story of a woman who discovers her husband has cheated on her at their wedding, and tries to get revenge on him by publicly humiliating him. The tale ends with them reconciling in a way, and not caring about how they are perceived by their guests. This is my favourite of all of the tales: I think it’s brilliantly done, and is very entertaining.
The literal translation of the title is Savage Tales. How is this a more appropriate title and how well does it apply to each of the stories in the film?
I think this is more of an appropriate title for the film, as every way that revenge is sought out is in a very savage and cruel way. While this is not as good a title for a film as Wild Tales, I believe it is more appropriate as it better describes every tale in this film.
What does the viewer learn about Argentine society from watching the film? Does this accurately reflect the political and social reality?
At points throughout the film, the subject of the government is brought up quite a lot. Near the start of the film, in the tale titled Las ratas, a corrupt man who mad someone commit suicide is running for mayor. In the tale titled Bombita, the protagonist makes multiple statements about the government being corrupt, calling it a “corrupt system”. Also, later on in the film, during the tale titled Hasta que la muerte nos separe, a woman at the wedding brings up how the country is in a “state”. This reflects the social and political reality as it is brought up in light conversation, and in extremist situations. It is a topic in almost every tale in the film.
Are there aesthetic differences between each of the stories? How do the aesthetic support the story being told?
Aesthetically, there is not a lot of difference between each of the tales. Cinematographer Javier Juliá originally thought of having each tale be very different aesthetically; “we [Julia and Szifrón] talked about shooting each segment differently: in black and white, then in 35mm with anamorphic lenses, then video cameras for the final wedding segment.” However, they eventually decide to create a consistent aesthetic throughout the film.
There are small differences between the aesthetics of each tale, mainly in service of the story of each of them. It is mainly difference in camera movement and focal length. The section titled Hasta que la muerte nos separe uses much more hand held camera movement than the rest, to represent the characters’ mental state; and the section titled Bombita, uses more long lenses than the rest.
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Wild Thoughts on Wild Tales
Wild Tales is an anthology film, compiled of six different stories. Each tale focuses on revenge and its twists and turns that take each story down a darker path. I think my two favourite stories were the one where the man sets off a bomb in his car, and the one where the woman finds out her husband was cheating on her wedding day. I think this because I think they were either the most entertaining, or had the biggest emotional impact on me. This film was surprisingly entertaining. The opening of the film set up something completely different, but took a swift turn towards the more brutal of subjects, a plane crash. This is followed by a stabbing, a car crash, a bomb, a hit and run and a betrayal.
Cinematography
The cinematography of this film is striking. Cinematographer, Javier Juliá, creates a consistent style that slightly changes depending on what tale we are following. Throughout the whole film a naturalistic, yet stylised, look is maintained. For example, hand held shots are used to represent the characters state of mind throughout. However, the style slightly changes, depending on what tale you are watching. For example, the section titled ‘Bombita’ often uses long lenses for establishing shots; also, the section titled ‘Hasta Que La Muerte Nos Separe’ use much more hand held than the rest of the tales, mainly to show the mental frustration of the main character.
Originally, Juliá thought about creating a different aesthetic for each tale, “we [Julia and Szifrón] talked about shooting each segment differently: in black and white, then in 35mm with anamorphic lenses, then video cameras for the final wedding segment”. Although this would have been stylistically interesting, I definitely agree with their choice to create “one dreamlike experience for the audience” because they didn’t want the style for each tale to be “distracting and disconnecting”.
Revenge, and the Consequences caused
Each tale in this in this film is centred around revenge. For the opening tale, the pilot crashed the plane so that everyone who had done him wrong in his life would be dead. In the next tale, the waitress poisons the food of the man who made her father commit suicide. The tale after that shows two men trying to get vengeance on each other; after one wouldn’t let the other pass, and the other cursed him on the way by. The next tale shows a man getting revenge on the government for making him pay a fine for parking his car in a legal place, and then rigging his car with explosives once it has been towed. The penultimate tale shows someone wrongfully killing a man because of the misconception that they ran over their pregnant wife. In the final tale, a woman discovers her husband has cheated on her, and then emotionally tortures him at their wedding.
Every one of the tales shows an individual getting revenge on another. Whether that be on the government, for its corrupt wrong doings; or on a husband, for their hideous betrayal. Out of these acts of revenge comes either a good or bad outcome. The tale about the two men trying to kill each other shows a bad outcome; but, the tale about the man who rigged a bomb in his car shows a good outcome. While he does end up being imprisoned, he is happier to see his wife and daughter. This film raises the question of the moral rightness of revenge; it equally shows the good and bad outcomes that come from it, while not endorsing any one outcome.
“People who work for criminals are criminals too… Just a miserable slave to this corrupt system.”
Ricardo Darín – Wild Tales, 2014
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Pan’s Labyrinth: Pale Man Sequence
In this sequence, Ofelia sets out on her second quest. For this sequence I will just be looking at Mise En Scène. 00:55:21-01:02:19.
At the beginning of the sequence, everything follows the blue colour palette, showing that she is in the Captain’s world. Even green, the colour of goodness, appears blue in the light. This makes it feel as if there is no escape from the Captain’s world. Her room has a smashed window, and is littered with rubble. This unpleasantness in her dilapidated room makes the viewer want to escape from the Captain’s world even more.
On the inside of the book, computer generated images are used to make the appearance of the illustrations. The illustrations show the pale man, someone she will be meeting in this sequence. the illustration of the pale man is shaped like how the tree, from the first quest, is shaped. This all links to the uterine imagery that the film is infused with. The illustrations foreshadow the following events that will occur with the pale man.
The chalk on the wall dissolves and fizzles as it creates the door into the fantasy world. She opens the fairy carrier, which has fantastical elements on it, showing it’s something from the fantasy world. Ofelia sets out a sand timer at the door; it is quite large and exaggerated to help show that it comes from the fantasy world. Through the door, there is on old castle-like corridor, which shows this new location is very different to the human world. It uses more oranges and reds to show it is part of the fantasy world, rather than the blues of the Captain’s world. The door that she opened is very thick and heavy, showing that it could be hard to get out.
The ceiling of the corridor is made of vaulted arches, architecture usually found in old cathedrals; this gives it a very fantastical and ancient feel. The floor is also ancient looking, and uses a checker-board pattern; perhaps reminiscent of Alice In Wonderland, which was a heavy inspiration for this film. All of this creates a very Gothic setting. The corridor curves round to the right, making it feel like Ofelia is travelling deep into the lair. Along the corridor’s walls are small windows, that let sunlight through; they’re not big enough to climb out of, or see through, making the corridor feel claustrophobic. As if there is no way to escape, except for the door through which she entered.
Eventually she enters a large red chamber. At one end of the room is a large fireplace, designed to look like a face. The main part and the grate are made to look like a mouth, and the mantle is made to look like the eyes. The fireplace has an angry expression, making you feel uneasy. At different parts in the room there are piles of shoes, reminiscent of the piles of clothes from Nazi concentration camps.
The feast, in the middle of the room, is very luxurious and looks delicious, as a way to tempt Ofelia to eat from it. The food is very extravagant, and is the type of food that wouldn’t have been available during war rationing. All contained in platters of silver and gold, making it all the more tempting. The pale man sits at the head of the table, reminiscent of earlier in the film when the Captain sat at the table of his own ‘forbidden’ feast.
The paintings on the wall are very old, as they look worn away, and show the horrors of the pale man. This shows that he is a creature of legend, as there are wall paintings showing his might. The pale man himself is very skinny, implying that he has not eaten a child in a long time, and would be hungry. The grapes that tempt Ofelia are spritzed with water, making them appear very fresh and luscious. This could be a reference to how Eve was tempted with forbidden fruit, and was locked out of the Garden Of Eden; as after this Ofelia is told that she would never be allowed into the fantasy world.
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Pan’s Labyrinth: Fig Tree Sequence
This sequence shows Ofelia embarking on her second quest, and the Captain trying to find the rebels. 00:30:50-00:38:18.
Cinematography
This sequence commences with the protagonist and the antagonists going on a journey. First shown with a wide shot, of the horses galloping through the forest. The camera tracks the horses from left to right; to show the characters are going on a journey. The camera then cuts to a tighter shot of the antagonists, using a long lens. This gives the feeling that we are in the perspective of watching them, as if we were the rebels hiding in the woods. The camera also shows Ofelia’s journey to the tree, simultaneously to this. The juxtaposition between camera movements helps to separate the characters’ motives. The camera’s movement with the antagonists is rapid and jarring, making it apparent that they are evil and corrupt. The camera’s movement with the protagonist, Ofelia, is very dreamlike; making her connected with the fantasy world and goodness.
When Ofelia reaches her destination, The camera views her in a close up; this then arcs around to reveal the tree, that she has been journeying to. Doing this in one shot makes it more immersive for the viewer. As Ofelia walks up to the tree, the camera slightly pedestals down while tilting up to show the size of the tree. The camera then pauses on this part of the shot, to let the viewer take in the tree, and make it memorable.
Ofelia looks down at the rocks. As she does this, the camera cuts to a close up of the magical rocks in her hand. The camera then tilts up to Ofelia’s face, which turns into a close up of Ofelia. She then looks down at her shoes, which is followed with a cut to her shoes, so that the audience can see what she is looking at; a close up of her shoes. This then cues her to find a place to put her clothes; which is shown by panning to the right to show the branch as she looks at it.
As she begins to enter the tree, the camera cuts to a very low angle shot. This is to show that the rest of her journey will be going down underground. She is also back lit, by the sun, which gives her an angelic appearance.
Once she is crawling through the tunnels, the camera shows her by crabbing to the right. This motion of the camera with the protagonist helps to put the viewer in her situation. The camera is always positioned at her eye height to make the audience sympathise with her. In the tunnel, the lighting has significantly changed. The steel blues of the Captain’s world, and the browns and greens of the rebel’s world are no longer present here; the passage is lit with a golden-yellow light. This colour of lighting is also used at other points in the film when there is a strong fantasy presence.
To transition over to the captain, the camera presents Ofelia in a profile shot crawling through the roots of the tree. Something in the foreground obscured the frame into darkness, and then continues panning into the next shot, to reveal the Captain.
The Captain lands into the frame, showing just his shoes. The camera then tilts up his body, showing his uniform and how out of place it is in this environment, because it is the rebels’ environment. The camera also simultaneously pushes in to the Captain’s face, making it a close up. In addition to this, it also arcs around the Captain. This makes the viewer’s attention focus entirely on the Captain.
In the foreground of the next shot, the vile of antibiotics is shown, and the Captain’s face is shown in the background. The camera is focused on the Captain’s face, rather than the vile, so the viewer can see his reaction to finding the vile.
Once the Captain realises he is being watched, the camera arcs around him positioning him in the foreground, and the rest of the forest in the background. This is to imply where the Captain thinks the rebels are. The Captain is then presented using a long lens, this is to again put the viewer in the perspective of the rebels; the rebels are looking at him from far away in the forest, so the camera is positioned that way.
Once the Captain leaves, they travel from right to left; ‘backwards’. This is to show then returning from their journey. As they leave, the camera slowly crabs to the left, which slowly reveals one of the rebels. The camera then cuts to another shot of the rebels, showing them from the front. The camera is centre framed on the rebels, forcing the viewer’s attention on them. The camera is also positioned at a low angle, presenting them using a ‘hero shot’. Making them seem powerful and brave, through camera positioning.
When we cut back to Ofelia, the camera is now travelling from right to left, even though she is not returning back from her journey. This is to make the tree feel very confusing; like Ofelia, as she does not know where to go.
When the giant toad enters the scene, Ofelia is framed using an over the shoulder shot of the toad, also using a high angle. The high angle makes her appear weak and helpless; as she is, compared to the toad. When the toad uses its tongue to catch the bug on Ofelia’s face; the camera uses a whip-pan to follow the tongue from the toad, over to Ofelia. This gives the scene much more energy and tension. When Ofelia finally sees the key, the camera tightens on the key to show its importance.
As Ofelia exits the tree, the lighting has changed dramatically. The once fantasy warm lighting has been replaced by the cold blues of the Captain’s world. This imply that she is now back in the Captain’s world, and is going to be in trouble when she gets back to the mill. The camera then arcs around to show the disappearance of her clothes, and her reaction to this. Once the camera cuts back, it uses a low angle; making Ofelia look dwarfed by the tree.
Sound
The sequence commences with a high in volume sound of diegetic galloping, from the horses. This is paired with the non-diegetic composed score, giving the scene a dramatic and adventurous tone. When the camera cuts to Ofelia, on the other side of the mill, the sound of the horses are still there but lower in the mix. This helps to establish that these two events are taking place simultaneously. As Ofelia opens the book, the non-diegetic composed score becomes more dreamlike and lighter in tone. The narration of Ofelia contrasts with the reality of war and violence which she is trying to escape. Throughout the rest of their journeys, the score’s tone changes depending on what character the camera is showing.
When she arrives at the tree, the narration about the tree finishes. As this happens, when the tree comes into frame, the non-diegetic composed score turns sinister to suit the dying tree. When she takes the stones in her hands, the sound is exaggerated to draw the viewer’s attention to it. This is also done as she looks down at her muddy shoes, making her take her dress off. As she takes her dress off, the score turns lighter making her seem vulnerable. However, when the camera cuts to the inside of the tree, the score turns darker and more sinister; to show the danger inside of the tree. To help demonstrate the wind blowing her clothes off of the branch, a diegetic sound of a gust of wind os heard.
Once inside the tree, all of Ofelia’s movements are accompanied with a diegetic squelching noise of mud. This shows how unclean the place is, and sets up a rather slimy motif. At this point, the score has stopped so that the viewer can focus on what is happening in the scene. Inside the roots of the tree, there is a low rumble/gurgle sound lower in the mix. This could give the feeling of being inside her mother’s womb, which is what the tree represents. All of the bugs in the tree are accompanied with a diegetic skittering sound. This puts the viewer on edge, like Ofelia in the scene.
The sharp cut to the next location is accompanied by the clopping of horses hooves, to show the arrival of the Captain. When he inspects the dying fire, a crackling sound is added lower in the mix, to show the fire burning out. After this, he starts shouting; which echoes through the forest, making him sound powerful. As he brings his hand down, a sinister non-diegetic composed score begins. This timing of his movements makes him seem even more sinister and evil. However, as the rebels come into frame the score becomes heroic and noble, which helps to show to the viewer that these are protagonists.
Back in the caves, when Ofelia is looking for the toad, its croaking is heard before it is shown by the camera. This builds tension and anticipation for what will happen next. Ofelia’s voice is almost drowned out by the croaking of the toad, making her appear weak compared to it. The toad sounds are not normal, they sound like a mix of toad noises and other creatures’ croaks and growls; this makes the toad seem otherworldly. Further wet and squelchy sounds are used, causing disgust and discomfort for the viewer.
As Ofelia has the idea to feed the rocks to the toad, the non-diegetic composed score starts to alert the viewer to this. Once the toad’s innards start to release from the body, exaggerated squelching sounds are used to accentuate the horror of this event. This is then followed by a hissing sound, to show the frog’s body deflating. When Ofelia spots the key, an exaggerated ‘shiny’ sound is used to show its importance and metallic nature. Outside the tree, thunder sounds are used to show both an time and location change; also foreshadowing that rain is coming. As she picks up her clothes, exaggerated wet and squelchy sounds are used to demonstrate to the viewer how muddy and ruined they are.
Editing
Many hidden cuts are used at the beginning of this sequence, to help each location change flow from one to another, without it feeling too jarring. The cutting for the soldiers’ journey is fast paced to show that they are travelling with purpose. Where as, the cutting for Ofelia’s journey is much slower paced, making it seem like she is wandering through the forest. Once Ofelia arrives at the tree, a glance object shot is used. The camera shows Ofelia glancing down to her feet, and is then followed by cutting to a shot of her shoes; the subject of her ‘glance’. This is followed by contiguity editing; she looks up at the branch, and then cuts to her already hanging her dress up on the branch. This helps to not slow the pace of the scene.
A 180 degree switch is used as Ofelia enters the tree, suggesting a difference between the outside world and the inside of the fantastical tree. Contiguity editing is used again as it cuts to Ofelia already crawling through the roots of the tree. A hidden cut is again used as the camera pans behind a wall of the cave, and continues panning into the next shot in the forest. This helps to establish that these events are happening at the same time.
The ‘match on action’ technique is used as the Captain jumps off of his horse, and cuts to him landing. As he leaves, contiguity editing is used to keep up the pace of the scene. He walks in the direction of his horse, and then cuts to him already mounting his horse. Back in the caves, the ‘shot, revers-shot’ technique is used to show the interaction between Ofelia and the toad. As the toad vomits its innards out, it cuts to a reaction shot of Ofelia to help the viewer sympathise with her. A time jump is used as the camera cuts to Ofelia exiting the tree, so that the pace of the scene is not slowed down.
Mise En Scène
All of the horses are mounted with periodically correct equipment, showing that the soldiers are well prepared. Ofelia’s book looks old and fantastical, showing that it has magical elements to it. Her dress is green; an already established colour for the protagonists of the story.
During Ofelia’s journey through the forest, there are bright particles of dust floating through the air; which are present every time there are fantasy elements to the scene. Once Ofelia reaches the tree, we see that it is mossy and leafless and dying; like the book, that Ofelia is reading, states. Inside the entrance of the tree, there are even more floating particles in the air, showing that there is an even stronger fantasy presence. Underneath the tree, the walls are covered in roots to show that she is below the tree. Also, the floor is muddy and bugs crawl everywhere, showing the disgusting and dying nature of the tree.
The smouldering fire, that is still smoking, shows that the rebels were there recently. The bottle that the Captain discovers has a recognisable design, so that the audience will recognise it later on in the film when it becomes of importance. When the camera reveals the rebels, the viewer can see that they are all wearing desaturated greens and browns, showing that they are protagonists.
When Ofelia finally finds the toad, we see that it is more reptilian looking than amphibian looking. This, and the fact that it is huge, adds to the fantasy element. The frog exudes slime, like the tree; this shows that the tree is dying because of the toad, furthering the statement made by the book during Ofelia’s journey to the tree. The innards that the toad throws up have bugs in it, showing that the toad has been living off of the bugs. The key that she gets from the innards is large and exaggerated, golden and fantastical; furthering the fantasy element.
Once leaves the cave, she is almost entirely covered in mud, showing that the quest was hard work. She finds her dress covered in mud on the floor, which shows that it is ruined.
Performance
The sequence begins with the soldiers travelling rapidly on their horses, which shows the are experienced and well trained. When we see Ofelia, she is only looking in her book, not at her surroundings. This shows she is engrossed in her book; a significant character trait of hers. She wanders through the forest, showing that she is lost in her book; this contrasts the rapid movement of the horses. Once she reaches the dying tree, she shows no fear, and more curiosity. As she enters the tree she is unconcerned of the dangers that lurk within. This shows she is determined and brave. However, once inside the tree, she breaths quite heavily and quickly showing that she is frightened.
Once the Captain reaches the fire, he gets off of his horse first, showing his leadership and uncaring nature. His focus is almost entirely on the fire, and doesn’t look at the others as they speak to him. This shows he’s dismissive of others, and is unconcerned with them. The Captain’s stern nature contrasts with his subordinates’ less formal physicality. Throughout this part of the scene, the Captain shows his power and stature. One of the soldiers takes the bag as the Captain hands it to him, showing their respect for him. Furthermore, the Captain silences one of the soldiers just by raising his hand, showing his power over everyone else. The viewer also realises his intelligence, as he knows that the fire had only recently been put out, and that the rebels are still present. He shouts loudly and sternly, as if he were taunting the rebels. In addition to this, his commanding voice is accompanied with a stance reminiscent of Hitler. He marches angrily away, as he did not get the rebels. When the rebels are shown, their stance is heroic; as well as having a hand on their weapon, showing they’re ready to fight.
Once we see Ofelia again, the viewer can tell she does not know which way to go, as she has a confused and fearful expression on her face. Also, now that she is not swiping the bugs off of her shows that there are more important tasks at hand, and that she is now used to how many bugs there are. When Ofelia finally meets the toad, she introduces herself of the princess rather than Ofelia and insults the toad, showing that she is above the toad’s wicked ways, as if she were above him. After she drops the magical rocks, she picks them up straight away; showing their importance, and that she does not want to lose them. As she has an idea, her facial expressions replicate that; like a ‘light bulb’ moment. Also, as the frog parts from its innards, she has a horrified expression on her face, showing that she is shocked at what she is seeing. After this event, she reaches gingerly to the key, showing that she is still quite shocked and disgusted from what happened.
Once Ofelia exits the tree, she looks exhausted, showing to the viewer that this adventure has taken a toll on her. Also, as she realises her dress is ruined, she looks upset, making the viewer sympathise with her.
In this scene, the Captain prepares for his day, and converses with Mercedes. 00:24:36-00:26:13.
Cinematography
The scene begins with a shot of the Captain’s hand setting down the needle of a gramophone, which then tracks his hand by panning over to the right where he picks up a shaving blade. The camera then continues to track his hand by tilting up to his face, where the light glints on the razor. The Steadicam then pulls back from the close up, turning it into a wide shot, revealing him in his surroundings. The camera then pans left, in which something passes in front to disguise a hidden cut; to make it appear as if it were one shot. The camera then arcs around his face, to show him shaving.
The light, coming into the room from above, is meant to be sunlight. However as this is set it would have been a light. They decided to gel the light blue, which is abnormal because sunlight isn’t blue. This reinforces the colours for different characters; blue for the Captain’s world.
Once the camera cuts to the Captain in the next location, he is polishing his shoes. As he does this, the camera pushes in on the shoes that he is polishing; this is to demonstrate to the audience his concentration, as less of the surroundings matter. When Mercedes walks in, the camera cuts to a two shot. Both of the characters are shown in profile, as the Captain stands up. The camera cuts to a reaction shot of Mercedes; the camera pedestals up with the Captain, making Mercedes appear as weak.
Sound
When the Captain drops the needle on of the gramophone, a diegetic song starts. It sounds very scratchy and crackly, making it sound like a well used record, like it’s a routine that he completes a lot. The song sounds quite patriotic, which fits his character very well, as his personality is just his obedience to the fascist ruling.
When he pulls the shaving blade out from the handle, exaggerated diegetic clicking noises are heard to demonstrate to the audience his concentration and obsession. Also shown when he feels the blade, an exaggerated ‘shing’ noise is heard; this draws the viewer’s attention to it, as the Captain’s attention is on it as well. After this, there is a small tie jump, as he already has his shaving cream on. However, the diegetic music doesn’t jump ahead. The exaggerated ‘shing’ noise is heard again as he picks up the blade from the water, to also draw attention to objects of great importance.
Once the scene changes to another location, there is still music, but this time it is lower in the mix, and is playing a different track. It is quieter to draw attention to the diegetic scrubbing noise of the shoe polish brush, and the following dialogue. When Mercedes is ordered try the burnt coffee, she feels intimidated; to show that, an exaggerated ‘gulp’ noise is heard to show her fear. To put the viewer in Mercedes’ shoes, when the Captain tauntingly puts his hand on her shoulder, you can audibly hear the sound of it.
Just at the end of the sequence, for half a second you can hear the sound from the following scene. A ‘J-cut’ is used to bridge the two scenes together, to make the film flow better.
Editing
The opening part of this sequence rarely cuts, this is to show the Captain’s enjoyment in shaving; the lack of cutting just lets the moment play out. The cuts are instead hidden, this is done by cutting as the camera crabs behind something. The goal of this scene is to make it each shot flow from one to the other as best as possible; this is accomplished by using hidden cuts as well as the ‘match on action’ technique. A lot of times throughout this scene, the Captain lifts the blade to his face, and the camera cuts to a different angle as he does so.
After polishing his boots, the ‘shot, reverse-shot’ technique is used to show the conversation between the Captain and Mercedes. The shots favor the Captain, and the pacing of cutting is fairly slow paced at this point. Once Mercedes has finished the conversation, the cutting becomes more fast paced, showing that before she was scared when she was around him.
Mise En Scène
The gramophone, belonging to the Captain, fits periodically with the film; it also shows how he is important and so can have such luxurious personal possessions. This is also seen from his case of shaving equipment; he has many shaving tools, which were in short supply of during the war. The shaving cream brush is made of badger hair, which was a very luxurious item at the time that the film is set. Cigarettes, shaving cream and other items in his possession were all luxuries at the time.
Later on in the sequence, we see Mercedes wearing green. As established, green is the colour worn by the protagonists of the story. This contrasts the Captain’s cold blue uniform. The kitchen that Mercedes then enters is full of functional objects; this juxtaposes the Captain’s room, which is just full of luxuries.
Performance
When handling the shaving tools, the Captain is very delicate; he takes care with what he is doing, he savours it. When shaving, in one shot we see him stood with posture reminiscent of a Spanish matador.
When conversing with Mercedes, the Captain tauntingly puts his hand on her shoulder to ‘comfort’ her, but really to make her feel threatened. This clearly works, as Mercedes gulps out of fear which makes the viewer sympathise with her.
This scene shows Ofelia and her mother, and the Captain; 00:11:14-00:17:52.
Cinematography
As soon as the scene starts, we see the colour that relates to the world of the Captain; blue. The set is drenched in a hard blue light, to represent moonlight. This is then contrasted with the colour of good in this film, yellow, from the fireplace. These are complimentary colours, and seen in contrast to one another throughout the film, and symbolise the battle between good and evil in the film.
When Ofelia climbs into bed, it cuts to a shot that lasts throughout half of the sequence. The camera slowly pushes in on Ofelia and her mother talking. At this point in the shot, we see the teal and yellow colours used the best. Ofelia is lit with the warm orange/yellow light from the fireplace, which represents her as good and pure. Where as her mother is lit with the blue light, showing that she has been corrupted by the captain’s evil. The camera then pedestals down, following Ofelia, as she rests her head on her mother’s stomach, and speaks to the baby.
The camera continues to pedestal down into the mother’s womb, in which we see the baby. The baby is lit with a very warm orange light, perhaps symbolising that the baby is good and will not be corrupted by the captain’s evil. The camera then simultaneously pans and crabs to the right, to reveal a rose. The rose is also lit with a warm orange light, which links to the story that Ofelia is telling, as orange represents goodness. The camera then pedestals down, while tilting up; this is to make the rose feel high up and out of reach, which also links to the story Ofelia is telling. After continuing to pedestal down, the camera comes to a halt showing the thorns surrounding the rose. As this happens, the lighting changes from the warm orange, to the cold blue. This is to subtly show the thorns as evil, as Ofelia says it in her story.
After this, the camera follows the fairy up into the sky, and then lets the fairy out of the frame, and instead focuses on the moon. This reminds the audience of how long Ofelia has left to complete her quests. The camera then floats dreamily back into the room to show Ofelia and her mother, to finish the shot.
When the camera cuts to the captain, the camera uses a wide aperture, which gives the image a shallow depth of field. This shows the captains concentration on the watch he is fixing, as the rest of the frame is very out of focus.
The lighting in the Captain’s room is fairly in tune with the rest of the film. The set is primarily lit with a warm light, with hard blue light shining through the back of the set. This is most apparent during the Captain and the Doctor’s conversation. The Captain is back lit with the blue light, while the Doctor, one of the good characters, is lit only with the warm light. Showing the contrast between good and evil.
The Captain goes outside to do more evil, so the scene is completely lit with the blue light. This is to show the Captain’s evil, as well as to artificially show a night exterior. Also in this scene, the camera is usually positioned at a low angle when framing the Captain, to present him as powerful. Oppositely, the innocent farmers are shot from a higher angle, to make them appear weak.
Sound
During the conversation between Ofelia and her mother, in the background there is the diegetic sound of the crackling of fire, as there is a fireplace in the room. This is to sink the audience into the scene, and into the room with the the two characters. As they mention the house creaking, diegetic creaking noises are added lower in the mix, which makes the scene feel quite sinister. When they mention the house creaking, the volume of the diegetic creaking sounds are raised in the mix, to draw the viewer’s attention to it more.
When Ofelia begins to tell her fairy tale, the non-diegetic composed score gradually rises in the mix, linking to the fantasy story she is telling. A bass-rumble accompanies the transition into the mother’s womb, making it feel otherworldly. At this point, you can hear the diegetic sound of the baby’s beating heart. The sounds lower in volume in the mix as we then transition over to the rose. As this happens, diegetic wind sounds are used to suggest the feeling of being high up, as the rose is on the top of a mountain.
When the camera pans down from the rose, branches of thorns fly past the camera. As this happens, diegetic ‘swoosh’ noises are used to show the importance and amount of thorns. The fairy’s approach is heard before it enters the frame; this is accomplished by using the ‘flutter’ noises used earlier on in the film when the viewer was introduce to the fairy. The volume of the ‘flutter’ rises or lowers depending on how far away from the camera the fairy is; which draws the audience into the film, as it feels like the fairy is flying past them. A ‘swoosh’ noise is again used as the camera passes through the window back into the bedroom, to help show that we are re-entering the real world.
As we transition from Ofelia to the Captain, the ominous score turns sinister and dramatic, to further establish his villainous nature. Once we see the Captain maintaining the clock, exaggerated sounds of cogs and mechanical clicking are introduced. This expresses the importance of him maintaining the clock, and how important it is to him. The score lowers in the mix, and eventually ends, as the conversation begins between the Captain and the Doctor. This draws the viewer’s attention to the dialogue being said. Once the Captain fixes the clock, an exaggerated diegetic ticking sound is used, to tell the viewer it is working. As it is put back in his pocket, and leaves the camera’s sight, the ticking noise is lowered in the mix. Before the scene finishes, the diegetic sound of the wind is heard; to show it’s an old house, but also to create a sound bridge into the next scene, which is set outside.
The diegetic sound of the bottle of wine is exaggerated to draw the viewer’s attention to it, as it will become important moments later. The initial hit of the face with the bottle is higher in the mix than anything else. This stresses to the viewer how brutal and sudden this action is. As this happens, the non-diegetic composed score re-commences, but this time a lot more dramatic and shocking sounding; to also help show the brutality of this action. The more the bottle hits the face, the diegetic sound of the crushing of cartilage rises in the mix, to show this action’s increasing violence. Also, the more the face is hit, the ‘wetter’ the sounds become; this is to audibly express to the audience that the man is bleeding profusely. To finish the horrific event, loud diegetic gunshot noises are heard to shock the viewer into realisation that these two innocent people are now dead. Once this happens, the non-diegetic composed score finishes to show that the event has now ended.
When the Captain is searching the farmer’s bag, and pulls out a dead rabbit, an exaggerated diegetic squelch noise is heard, to draw the viewer’s attention to it; because the reason he killed the farmers was because he didn’t believe they were hunting for rabbits, and the evidence has just been found.
Editing
At first, because it is a calm scene, the pace of cutting is quite slow. The first cut is a match on action; Ofelia lifts up the covers to get into bed, and it cuts as she climbs in. This creates a better flow between shots, which is especially needed in such a calm scene.
The following shot is left as it is, one long shot. Obviously it wasn’t filmed as one shot, but it has been edited together to appear as one. This creates a dreamlike effect, and fits very well to create transitions from locations as Ofelia tells her story. The first hidden cut happens as the camera pedestals down into the mother’s womb. The second hidden cut occurs as the camera crabs and pans to the right, from the womb to the rose and thorns. The final cut is hidden when the camera pans up to the sky to show the moon, and then floats back into the window.
To transition to the next location, there is a dissolve. This helps to establish the parallel editing; that this is happening at the same time as Ofelia telling her story. After this transition, and a couple of shots, there is a glance object shot. We see the Captain look down at his watch, and then it cuts to a close up of his pocket watch.
When the Doctor walks in and starts talking to the Captain, it cuts to a close up of his watch again. This subtly shows that the Captain’s interest is more focused on the watch than the Doctor. This is followed by the ‘shot, reverse-shot’ technique, which helps to show the characters conversation and their unspoken interests. This is shown by the camera favouring the Captain, rather than the Doctor.
Once the camera cuts to outside, the pace of the cutting is again quite slow, as it is quite a calm scene so far. During the following conversation, the ‘shot, reverse-shot’ technique is rarely used. This lets the shots linger, and the events play out. It builds tension by not cutting; as each time it cuts, it subconsciously reminds the viewer they are watching a film, and therefore draws them out of the scene.
Once the Captain starts to attack one of the farmers, the pace of the cutting quickens dramatically, which infuses the scene with energy. The ‘shot, reverse-shot’ technique is used here to show the Captain’s face and expressions, and the farmer’s nose which is collapsing into his skull. The nose getting beaten in is shown twice. This editing choice brings attention to how horrifying this action is, it makes the action more effective, it gives more importance to the event. This is then followed by a rather lengthy shot, showing to the audience that the action is over now, the event is coming to a close.
Mise En Scène
The backboard of the bed, that Ofelia and her mother are in, has carvings on it. The carvings are reminiscent of the faun’s face and horns, or perhaps the tree the Ofelia ventures into later on in the film. This juxtaposes the Captain’s room; Ofelia’s mother’s uses more natural materials and appearances, like the wooden carved headboard; where as the Captain’s room has a more mechanical look. Also in this scene, we see Ofelia wearing green again. The colour green is designated for the heroes to wear in the film, and is not the first time we have seen Ofelia wear it either.
Once the camera enters the mother’s womb, we see that the baby is surrounded by floating particles, showing that the baby is floating in a liquid. The rose that is shown after this is coloured blue, which furthers the fantasy element of the scene as blue roses do not exist in nature. They are however, often used to symbolise secret or unattainable love; which fits the story she is telling, as no one can reach the rose. The rose, the mountain, and the surrounding thorns are a miniature model. This is opposed to CGI, as the model interacts with real light, making it appear more realistic; a significant trait of del Toro films. Once we re-enter the bedroom, we see a wheelchair next to the mother’s bed, which reminds the viewer of how sick she is.
After this, the camera cuts to the Captain’s room. His room has a more mechanical approach, as seen through the enormous cog in the background. This links to his character, as he always carries and maintains his pocket watch, and likes people to arrive on time; like clockwork.
Performance
Ofelia’s mother, Carmen, speaks with a very weak and exhausted voice, which shows how ill she is. Because of this, Ofelia speaks softly and moves gently around her, to comfort Carmen, and put her at ease.
While the Captain is talking to the Doctor and cleaning his watch, his attention is drawn more to the watch and keeping it maintained. This shows his disregard for other people, and his power as he does not have to look at them when speaking to them. To intimidate the Doctor, the Captain stands up so he can be above the Doctor’s level. This makes the Doctor feel overpowered, as he has to look up at the Captain.
Once the Captain has began his conversation with the farmers, one of them speak against him. The Captain accuses them of being rebels; however, the son defends his father and speaks up to the Captain. This shows his bravery, but also his love for his father. The Captain’s choice, to beat his face in, is a way of showing off his power to the other soldiers; his subordinates. After this, he lets the body fall to the floor, showing his disregard for others’ lives. Once he has finished murdering the two farmers, he stands there emotionless, feeling nothing, revealing his psychotic nature.
He then goes over to the soldier holding their bag, and finishes searching them. He takes this chance to pass the blame onto the officer, expressing his power. Even though he had already made his mind up, that he was going to kill these two people anyway.
In this post I will be breaking down the opening scene of Pan’s Labyrinth. 00:00:00-00:05:52.
Cinematography
The camera in the opening scene, much like the rest of the film, is rarely stationary. This stylistic choice gives every scene a rather magical feel. Once the camera has finished pedestalling up to Ofelia, and once we have noticed it is show in reverse, it rotates anticlockwise. This helps to further accentuate the fact that it is going back in time.
The camera pushes in to Ofelia’s face, who is dying; making the audience feel sympathetic towards her. The camera then zooms through her eye, which could suggest that we will be seeing the story through her eyes and perspective.
The speed of the camera increases as it reveals the underground realm. It simultaneously pans to the right and crabs to the right, giving it smooth floating look. The movement is almost dream-like here, to further the fantastical elements we are seeing in the frame. Throughout the entire narration, the camera is constantly moving. This is to give a feeling of the narrative moving forward in time, as it is being told. Which also links to the idea that when the camera moves from left to right it shows progression, as shown through the story being told. Opposingly, when the camera moves from right to left in the first shot, Ofelia is dying which is bad, so the camera moves ‘backwards’.
All night scenes in the film, and seen here in the opening, are drenched in hard blue light. This suits the subject of the shot as the protagonist wants to leave, and blue is used in the film to show a location as being evil. This is juxtaposed to the end of the film, when Ofelia returns and it is very bright, using warm yellows and golds. The lighting at this point in the film is very dark, presenting the protagonist in silhouette, which keeps the mystery throughout the film if Ofelia is this princess.
The camera then tracks Ofelia through a grand doorway, which uses the ‘frame within a frame’ technique. This is then followed by the camera pedestaling up and tilting up simultaneously. The frame is then flooded with a bright light, said to be coming from the human world. This overexposure of the lens then fades from white; creating a transition to a new location, the human world.
Go show the human world, the camera rises to the sky using a Crain, from a wide shot to a landscape shot. This almost classically western camera move is used here to symbolise Ofelia, our protagonist, moving further and further away from her underground realm.
Once the camera cuts to inside the car, all of the shots become handheld. This is throughout the entire conversation. This could be to ground the story in reality, juxtaposed to the floating camera movements seen in the fantasy scenes.
Once Ofelia leaves the car and starts exploring the world around her, the shots become more steady and smooth. A point of view shot of the tops of trees is to show the audience what Ofelia is looking at. This shot then pans down, and turns from a POV shot to a regular tracking shot. Whenever Ofelia is in a scene, the camera is usually placed at her eye level. This makes us see the world from her perspective, and helps the viewer sympathise with her more.
Throughout this scene, wide angle lens are used. This means that the camera is positioned closer to the characters and their surroundings, which makes the audience feel like they are experiencing the events on the screen. Opposed to a long lens, which would make the audience feel like they’re are just observing the events on screen.
Many times, throughout this scene, the camera pushes in to things of importance. This is apparent when Ofelia picks up the rock with an eye carved into it; the camera gets closer to it, focusing the viewers attention on the object. Also, when Ofelia sees the stone statue, the camera pushes in, making the viewer think it is a thing of great importance. The same camera movement is also used to create tension. When Ofelia here’s noises from within the statue, the camera gets closer and closer to the statue; blocking out the surroundings, and focusing all of the viewers attention on the statue.
After Ofelia gets back in the car, the fairy/insect lands on a post in the foreground of the frame. The camera then shift focus from Ofelia in the car, to the post. This handheld rotation around the post, tracking the fairy, is to help ground this computer generated creature in reality.
Sound
The film starts of using a ‘J-cut’, introducing the sound before the image. The whistle of wind and heavy breathing builds anticipation for the beginning of the film. The humming of a lullaby begins, creating a melancholic tone for the film. To further this, a haunting dripping noise, which turns out to be blood, is then heard as we start to see the scene. This establishes that this is going to be a disobedient fairy tale.
In addition to this, the calming non-diegetic composed score contrasts the dramatic event it overlays. As the breathing gets louder, narration starts and continues through the next few shots. The narrator’s voice is quite deep and ancient, furthering the established fantastical tone.
As the location changes, the cawing of crows is heard. As well as it showing the transition, this again helps to show the tone by using classic fantasy/gothic tropes. While this all happens, the calming score becomes more orchestral and dramatic.
However, once we cut to inside of the car, the score stops to draw the viewer’s attention to the dialogue. In the background, diegetic noises of the car engine are heard, to help further establish the new location. Often, in this film, del Toro exaggerates certain diegetic sounds that come from objects of great importance. This can also be heard here; as Ofelia strokes the book page, an exaggerated paper noise is heard, to show that this book means a lot to her.
Once the characters exits the car, sounds of birds chirping, the wind and insects can all be heard. Again, del Toro uses sound to establish a new location to the viewer.
The noise of the rock that Ofelia picks up is exaggerated, to again show to the viewer that this is an object of great importance. At this point the non-diegetic composed score re-enters; as more fantasy elements are introduced, the score comes in to give the scene a magical quality. Once she puts the rock in the statue, diegetic sounds are heard from within it. As this happens, a low rumble sound is played in the background to create tension; which then stops as the fairy creating the sound from within the statue is revealed. Again, the sound of the fairy’s wings are made louder, to show that this creature is a thing of great importance.
Also, in the next scene, the sound of the watch ticking is made louder than realistically possible, so that the viewer recognises this object is of great importance to the is character.
Editing
The opening shot is edited in reverse, which sows that we are starting at the end of the tale, and that we are going back to the beginning. This is then followed by a hidden cut, which occurs as it zooms into Ofelia’s eyes. At this point cuts are fairly slow paced, shots are made to follow the action so there is no need for a cut. The amount of cuts to the audience are supposed to be unknown, to make one shot flow from one to another as the story does. Another hidden cut is used to show the transition from the fantasy world into the human world. It is hidden after the frame is overexposed, it fades from white to the next shot.
Once inside the car, the ‘shot, reverse-shot’ technique is used to show the conversation between Ofelia and her Mother. However, the edits favour Ofelia, to show that she is the main character.
As the cars come to a stop, the camera cuts to an establishing shot. This is used to shoe the new location that the cars have stopped at. The camera then cuts to the main character, and wherever her attention is held. This further establishes that it is her story that we are following.
A ‘glance object shot’ is then used, as Ofelia stumbles on something, she looks down, and the camera cuts to what she is looking at. Once she starts walking to the statue, the ‘shot, reverse-shot’ technique is used again, to show Ofelia and the statue and the fairy. A reaction shot is edited in, once the fairy jumps out of the statue. This helps to make the viewer sympathise with the main character.
The avoiding of cutting is used again, but for a different reason. The camera show Ofelia getting into the car and leaving while showing the fairy on the post. This is left as one shot to help ground the fairy in reality. Every time the camera cuts, it subconsciously reminds the viewer that they are watching a film, so it helps make the creature seem real.
After this, contiguity editing is used when it cuts to the captain. The cars are arriving as the camera cuts to the captain, establishing the small time jump from the scene before.
Miss en scene
The opening credits are presented on a black background while being white. This could represent the contrast between good and evil, that is apparent in the film. The font is an old looking typeface, that has a rather gothic and storybook feeling to it. This perfectly fits the genre of the film. The texts gives exposition for the story that we are about to watch. When this exposition is shown, it slowly gets bigger, giving the impression that it is getting closer to the audience, drawing them into the film.
The blood that drips past the frame, and leaks from Ofelia’s face is a red. This heavily contrasts the entirely blue lighting of the scene, and therefore makes it stand out to the viewer.
When the ‘underground realm’ is shown, it is lit with blue light, making it appear dark and foreboding. The miniature set of the ‘underground realm’ looks exotic and fantasy at the same time. Very ancient looking, and is reminiscent of old architecture by the Spanish architect, Antoni Gaudí.
A figure is seen wearing a red cloak. This is a reference to Little Red Riding Hood as she strays from the path, as does Ofelia stray from the kingdom. Once it transitions to the human world, we see a crumbling cathedral. This could be symbolic of how the princess was once magnificent, but has now died from the cold and illness of the human world. The cathedral is overgrown with dead twigs and branches; all nature is dead, because the princess is dead. Unlike the end of the film where a flower blossoms from where the princess has been. The side room is littered with skulls to show the death of the princess, without confirming that this tale is true.
The cars that they are travelling in, belonging to the fascists, are coloured black. This could be to represent evil, like in the opening credits. In the last of the vehicles, we see piles of luggage. This suggests that they are travelling permanently, due to the amount of luggage.
When the camera cuts to the inside of the car, we see Ofelia reading a book. The book looks worn and well read, which subtly provides backstory to this character; she enjoys reading. In the book we see an illustration of a girl and fairies. This foreshadows the plot and events of the film. She does not know yet, but this is her.
We see Ofelia and her mother, both wearing green. This is seen throughout the film, as all of the good characters wear this colour. However, Ofelia’s mother wears a blue coat over this; which could represent the fact that she is being ‘controlled’ by the fascist captain.
When Ofelia exits the car, there are particles of dust floating around in the air. This gives the environment a very fantasy look, and gives the impression to the viewer that there are fantasy elements close by. The statue that Ofelia sees is very overgrown by branches and moss, which shows that it has been there for a long time. The statue’s face is ruined, a classic trait of del Toro’s films. The fairy/insect that emerges from it looks as if it could be real, but is an exaggerated version of reality.
When we first see the captain, he is holding his watch. It is cracked, which we learn why later on in the film. This could be a reference to another fairy tale, Alice in Wonderland. This is paired with the captain’s black gloves, which give a sinister look. The camera then show the location, a mill. Around the mill, sandbags and supplies are piled up, to show that it is an active military camp.
Performance
The film begins with the Ofelia rapidly breathing. This shows she is hurt, and scared that she is about to die. Her facial expressions show this as well. When the camera cuts to the kingdom, we see Ofelia running. This shows her desperation to see the human world.
While reading the book, Ofelia lightly strokes the page. This shows her interest in the fantasy world, and suggests her connection to it. Her mother looks at her in a disappointed way, which shows her dismissive view on fairytales. Ofelia’s concentration on the book more than her mother shows how strong her interest is in the fantasy world. We also see the mother cradling her stomach, which establishes to the audience she is pregnant; an important part of the plot of the film. In addition to this, her consistent coughing and sick facial expressions foreshadows the death of the character later on in the film.
Once Ofelia and her mother exit the car, she looks at her mother, showing little worry. This shows that her mother’s illness has been happening for a while now and that it is normal to her now. Ofelia wonders off from her mother, after her mother telling her to wait, which shows she is very curious and disobedient; this being a common theme for the making of the film.
When the fairy jumps out at her, her fear disappears. This shows that she is unafraid of fantasy elements, and that her curiosity of the fantastical is larger than her fear for it. When the mother calls for her, she sounds worn out and tired, showing that this sickness is taking a toll on her.
From the short time that we see the captain in this sequence, we discover a lot about his character. His concentration on his ticking clock shows his obsession with time, and want for people arrive on time. His good posture establishes the formal nature of the captain, and his ‘need’ to look good.
Ryan Stainsby's Film Studies Blog 