Pan's Labryinth : Scenes Flashcards
(11 cards)
What are three key scenes of Pan’s Labryinth?
1)Ofelia and the Toad/ Captain Vidal with Los Maques
2)Pale Man
3)Dinner table
What is the mise-en-scene of the Toad scene?
Setting- Inside the tree with uterine imagery is symbolic of Ofelia growing into her feminine identity and a reminder that her narrative holds one of dual identity- into womanhood and fantasy. However, inside the tree is one of danger and consumption of the toad as he consumes the life of it. The symbolism of the toad reflects that of Vidal and a masculine identity that controlled women throughout the Spanish Civil War- Del Toro conveys the idea young women in Fascist Spain had little power and acts as a political comment of criticization. The idea that nature is corrupted by war and destruction is mirrored in Vidal’s scene with Los Maques as they make their way into the forest.
Colour- The golden tint inside the tree is representative of the treasure that the toad holds. The colder tones outside contrast with the warmer tones of the inside to seperate the real world from the fantasy world, which Ofelia as a character combines.
Clothing- Ofelia’s dark green and white dress contrast to her earth green undergarment under which she takes off when entering the tree. It may illustrate her inner identity is in connection to the fantasy world and she is in a position of vulnerability due to her lack of safety with the unknown. Vidal’s costume is a blue uniform which matches all his soldiers- it unifies them all and presents a sense of deindividuation while emphasising the mass of glistening, gold badges in the light. This may symbolise the fascist idea of being proud for fighting for your country and to uphold strong Nationalist values, like Vidal, presenting him as performative. He takes off his glove which reveals the ring on his finger of the hand he checks the fire with- this is symbolic of dual identity as the ring represents the family values whereas the glove is resemblant of his violent, dangerous and killing nature.
Props- The antibiotics that Vidal takes shows the weakness of Los Maques and indicates their struggling position which Vidal worsens. It also acts as foreshadowing for Doctor Ferraro’s later death, highlighting the cyclical structure of the power Vidal has, weakening anyone who is in his way. The use of stones that Ofelia has indicates her fantasy world also involves violence as she has to kill the toad.
Lighting- The low key lighting inside the tree creates the shadow of Ofelia’s outline, adding to the aesthetic to indicate a whimsical and dream-like effect. The high key lighting of the forest with the brightness coming through the trees contrasts with this and presents the tree as more threatening and dangerous in contrast to the outside world.
What is the performance of the Toad scene?
Ofelia:
-Eye contact with book and tree- her narrative is defined by fantasy elements, the book guides her to the tree indicated by her slow paced walk, suggesting a trance-like effect
-Wide eyes and open mouth in awe of the tree and toad- reminder of the power dynamic. It highlights a sense of control the mission has over her, which could be explained by it being her purpose as Princess or the influence of the faun
-Shaky voice, lack of clarity and low volume to illustrate her fear which contradicts the strong statement, ‘I’m not afraid of you’- the juxtaposition of delivery and meaning indicates Ofelia is presenting a front and attempting to grow up or appear stronger
Captain Vidal:
-Strong posture, open body language through the gesture of holding up antibiotics which highlights the fact he dominates space even though it is Los Maques’, may be symbolic of the sense of ownership and belonging he has over his country through his Nationalistic values embedded into the Falangist ideology.
-Disgusted facial expression through frown and flared nostrils shows his hatred for the opposing side
-Vidal’s soldiers have a fast pace in movement as they change their body language to suit Vidal, expressing submission and his power over the army
What is the cinematography of the Toad scene?
Tracking shot of Ofelia indicates she controls the fantasy story. This is mirrored with tracking shot of Vidal to highlight his power over the army and how he is the leader
Low angle full body shot of Ofelia when she enters the tree creates a whimsical-like effect as her shadow stands out against the outline of the forest behind her, emphasising the fantasy element and her control over it
Medium close ups of Vidal to long shot of the forest demonstrate the mass of his soldiers and to indicate where Los Maques are hidden
Low angle of Los Maques from the bottom of the forest creates a power dynamic that Los Maques have the higher ground (literally and figuratively) as Vidal’s army is unable to find them
What is the editing of the Toad scene?
Parallel editing is symbolic of the dual identity the film holds- one of fantasy and violence. It contrasts Ofelia’s narrative along with Vidal’s as he aims to tackle Los Maques and she aims to prove her Princess title
The pace of the editing is slow when inside the tree to mirror Ofelia’s slow movement and highlight the fear she feels. The pace of editing is also slow in Vidal’s scenes to indicate the looming tension between the opposing sides
What is the sound of the Toad scene?
Ofelia’s breathing which is quiet and restricted indicates the tight confinement of the fig tree and emphasises her fear.
Vidal’s echo of shouting with a loud volume throughout the forests illustrates his ability to dominate space.
The loud sound of horses galloping is mimetic of the rising tension of the plot as the army hunts down Los Maques, and also shows the aggressive nature of the soldiers
Water droplets inside the tree create an uneasy atmosphere and emphasise the small space
When Vidal drops his hand with the antibiotic in, there is a music note that indicates a ‘thud’ or change in tone, creating movement. This illustrates the power he holds and his anger worsening.
What is the mise-en-scene of the Pale Man scene?
Setting- The hallway is mimetic of a Church with its ancient paintings, arches and paned glass. This may be a link to Del Toro’s criticization of the Christian Church in relation to fascism as they were in full support to General Franco during the Spanish Civil War. The idea that the Pale Man, a vicious, hungry monster is in a church-like surroundings may be symbolic of Vidal and Franco using the Catholicism side of his fronted personality and traits for their own gain. The immense amount of food on the banquet table, including grapes which Ofelia eats, links directly to the Dinner scene where Vidal is at the front of the table, positioning identical to the Pale Man. As they discuss rationing at the table, it highlights the over-consumption of people in power and their craving to hurt the hungry. Therefore, the Pale Man’s surroundings are used to mimic the Captains.
-The shoes in a pile indicate the Pale Man’s ruthless, large amount of killings but also a link to Nazi Germany where Jewish prisoners shoes were stacked in piles. Del Toro may be suggesting a resemblance between the actions of Hitler and Franco and acting as a societal comment against totalitarian regimes and dictatorships that control them.
Colour- Use of golden, warm lighting- through dagger and book elements the magic side of the ‘magic realist’ aesthetic Del Toro proposes to the audience. Ofelia’s room is desaturated and a cold blue which indicates the bleakness of the real fascist world she is living in. The rich gold hues are linked to the fascists and Church’s greed.
Costume- Ofelia wears a light green which contrasts to the golden surroundings. This implies this is an unnatural setting for her both physically and mentally.
Props-The use of the white chalk opening a gate way into the Pale Man’s dinner shows how Ofelia uses her innocence (symbolised through the colour) to pave her way into the World of fantasy and imagination. The hourglass is used to be emphasise the sense of urgency Ofelia feels and increase the feeling of doom. Del Toro may be suggesting that people were running out of time in the Francoist regime to change their ways and that if they stuck to their destructive patterns, they would stay stuck and eaten (figuratively) by facism, its absorption of corruption, and Vidal. The golden dagger is linked to the aesthetic of Del Toro’s work including golds in the fantasy world to symbolise their richness compared to the bleak, blue reality of Rural Spain.
Lighting-The low-key lighting created through the darkness inside the hallway with reflections of the windows light creates a pattern that makes the hallway appear endless. This contrasts the further darkness in the banquet hall where the dark shadows around the room create a sense of capture and foreshadowing of Ofelia’s possible capture
What is the performance of the Pale Man scene?
Pale Man- Closed body language and still for the start to show that as a monster, he has no power unless touched or interacted with through the banquet which expresses him as a monster of deviance. His body language is frantic, disorderly and slow. His erratic body movement through gestures like reaching out to see present him as reckless and dangerous. He eats the fairies aggressively and carelessly, showing the desperation of hunger he has
Ofelia- Fast movement through running highlighting her desperation to leave. She uses a loud volume with ‘No!’ when the door is shutting on her out of the lair and a desperate tone to indicate she knows her possible fate. Ofelia uses a disgusted facial expression through furrowed brows which indicates her disliking of the Pale Man and how she is a victim
What is the cinematography of the Pale Man scene?
-Tracking shot of Ofelia emphasises her power over the story and her ending
-Close up zoom in on hour glass- emphasises danger of time running out
-Sharp focus on the Pale Man’s hand with his face being out of shot. Illustrates the danger of Ofelia as he is getting nearer and the power of sight
-Camera moves away from Ofelia as she enters the lair to highlight her swallowing through the surroundings
What is the editing of the Pale Man scene?
-Pace quickens when the Pale Man is nearer to her to show the increases intensity of tension and fear
What is the sound of the Pale Man scene?
-Ofelia’s breathing emphasises the danger and fear she feels
-Hourglass running indicates her time is running out, may be symbolic of Del Toro’s view of fascism, only so much time before it disintegrates
-The diegetic noise of the fairies tweeting in high pitched- they act as Ofelia’s guidance but are ignored. May be a societal comment to not ignore warning signs of fascism or being influenced by it/leaders of it
-Groans of the Pale Man mixed with the diegetic squelch when he eats the fairies which emphasises the disgust and gore of the situation
