Visual/narrative pleasures (C1)

• References to folklore/art such as Celtic art 
• Historical context shown through eyes of a child created two contrasting worlds within the film:

  Expressed through Ofelia (escapes cruel world with fairytales) and Vidal (violent, sadistic fascist officer)
• Paganism motif:

  Moss-covered ruins of labyrinth, the toad’s tree 
• Religious themes:


  Temptation of the Pale man’s table, sacrifice of Ofelia’s brother, eternal life, daily bread soldiers hand out 
• Del Toro is a big fan of Goya’s dark paintings:

  Dark colour palette, similar colour palette, chiaroscuro lighting to imitate Goya’s dark shadows 
• Pan's Labrinth has an allegorical narrative:


  Relates fantasy, fairy tale, surrealism and horror genres to political context
• Structural feature --> series of three tasks/tests
• Antithetical features:

  Juxtaposing between two worlds of postwar Spain and Pan’s Labyrinth which provides contrast and commentary on the other
• How is the juxtaposition between the two worlds shown?

  Shown through binary oppositions (male/female, young/old, obedience/disobedience, fascism/collectivism, innocence/evil)
• Symmetrical and circular features:

  Ofelia’s death at beginning and end of film which casts shadow over her attempts to save the world during film
• Cinematography:

  -Camera angles --> dominance, elicit fear, low angles/high angles

  -Frequent CUs --> intimacy, intensity, unease

  -Fluid camera movements --> engage audience to feel part of story, seamless between worlds

  - Focus on darkness over light 
• Editing:


  - Continuity editing (Del Toro doesn't like to distract from story): occasional panning, cuts --> absorb into world
• Sound:

  -Lullaby leitmotif --> innocence

  -Pleonastic sound --> amplify intensity
• Performance:

  -Sergi Lopez (Captain Vidal) --> ruled by order, cold/detached, little expression emphasises brutality

  -Doug Jones (Faun) --> ambiguous, swift movements, tall and overbearing so we don’t know whether to trust his motives 
• Mise en scene:

  -Del Toro uses imagery audience are familiar with to develop understanding/engagement: intertextual references to fairytales/films

  -Striking colour --> distinguish between fairytale/reality, represent internal world of characters 

  -Significant props (knife, key, chalk, mandrake) --> act as structural parallels