Fig Tree

• Ofelia's rebellious nature is enhanced here: tracking LS as she wander into the forest alone, emerged in her book, representing this childhood escapism of Fascist Spain
• Ofelia non-diegetic voiceover (subjective access) of 'once upon a time, the woods were home to creatures full of magic and wonder,' relates the fairy tale to the rebels and the aggression of the fascists taking over the forest: 'but now the fig tree is dying.'
• LS arcs around Ofelia, pulling back into a LA ELS of the uterine shaped fig tree (feminine fantasy) that 'is dying.'

  This death + uterine imagery mirrors the Falangists removing female control over their reproductive system and turn them robotic mothers.
• Her non-diegetic line 'a monstrous toad has settled in its roots' is metaphoric of the state of the forest + childrens' lives being overtaken by fascism.
• MLS of Ofelia entering the phallic fig tree pans to her green dress (meticulously chosen by costume designer Lala Huete to tie her into nature) slowly peeling off the branch, symbolic of her rebellion.

  
  

  Her removal of the dress separates her identity from the 'Alice' mould she was forged into by the adult world, she is an Alice that doesn't follow rules, doesn't conform, and disobeys.
• Intertextual reference to Alice, her entrance into the tree acts as her fall into the fantasy world: Ofelia has fallen into the fairy-tale she consumes taking a journey down an enclosed space.

  
  

  Del Toro removes the romantical beauty of AIW in MS of the sludge and bugs as she craws into the tree reflects the harsh reality, magical realism.
• Like Mark Kermode said, 'it is the poetic vision in which the grim realities of war are mirrored by the underworld'
• A LA centre framed shot with fairy dust specs floating around Ofelia as a golden ring forms around her silhouette - proleptic of her return to being a princess in death.
• She comes across the CGI toad that is a critique of fascist immense greed (Vidal feast), Navarro (cinematographer) employs MLS + OTS shots positioning Ofelia + toad as opponents: mirroring children under fascism.

  
  

  Her diegetic line 'aren't you ashamed? living down here growing fat whilst the tree dies' is euphemistic of Del Toro's critique the greed of Falangists (Franco regime) and the roman catholic church that allowed suffering.
• The toad is pure evil seeking to destroy that which is attempting to grow (women (the yonic fig tree), Spain, children), brutalising and destroying innocent futures.
• LS, trucking camera uses the trees to smoothly blend Ofelia and the fascists, the horrors of the Spanish civil war permeating children's lives.

  
  

  He could be making a comment on the destruction the fascist regime had on childhood wonder
• When transitioning to Vidal, the golden enhancement of the forest is removed and replaced with colder tonnes

  
  

  This is also reflected the fascist force(representative of the fascist fighters) of cold blue, strict and perfect uniform: as though they have not spent a moment in the forest.
• Flowing camera pushes inwards and arcs around Vidal, hovering at a LA MCU focusing on his cruel face with constant frown plastered on it.

  
  

  The camera moves with Vidal, in MCU his sadistic, cruel face is kept foreground (power and leadership) against two soldiers appearing miniscule against his dominance.

  Vidal clean shave (extra step to grooming) reflects immaculate desires.
• After Vidal screams 'hey', we cut to a LA MS.

  In which Sergi Lopez encapsulates the robotic form of Vidal as he lifts his arm, holding the medication (dramatic irony) before dropping it in the same strict form.

  Whilst V is not a literal monster, he is worse than the monsters in the film (magical realism)
• Del Toro starkly juxtaposes the LA crowd shot of the rebels to the fascists.

  There is a harsh silence with the fascist juxtaposed to a golden hue with non-diegetic leitmotif of the hero with the rebels.
• Magic realism is reflected with the beautifully constructed but dark fantasy sequences, some verging on horror (pale man + toad) with graphically violent renderings of factional fighting in Northern Spain.
• The trials are lessons that allow Ofelia to distinguish right from wrong, learn and mature, understand consequences.