One sequence of Pans Labyrinth that properly utilises sound effectively is the Pale Man sequence from the middle of the film. This sequence creates its atmosphere through a clever use of diagetic and non diagetic sound which gives depth and character to the Pale Man and makes us fear for Ofelia’s safety. Through the use of a close sonic perspective on the sound objects make in this scene we are able to recognise the importance of certain objects such as the knife and the pale mans fingertips.

The knife, specifically, makes a very piercing and exaggerated sound. This is to show the audience that this object will play an integral part in the story at a later point and to keep a watch on the knife and what happens to it. We know this pays off because later on the knife is used as the final test for Ofelia which she turns down.

An important non-diagetic sound to mention is after Ofelia has left the realm of the Pale Man and she shuts the hatch. After the hatch has been shut a sound remains, a drumming which resembles that of a heartbeat. This shows Ofelia’s terror and relief from escaping the clutches of the Pale Man. It also has demonic undertones that fit in concordance with the gothic themes of the Pale Mans lair. This all helps to envelop the viewer in the terror and dark world of the Pale Man.

In the final sequence of Pans Labyrinth, some important editing choices are made to confuse and bewilder the audience. It makes the sequence more tense and creates even more illusion and mystery around whether the fairy tale world has any truth to it or not. This is brilliantly crafted to show ambiguity and to heighten the suspense and sadness due to the events of this final segment.

One editing choice in particular is when the camera is focused on Ofelia having a conversation with the Faun, and then the camera switches to an over the shoulder shot from Vidal’s point of view and the Faun is no where to be seen. This reinforces for people that the fairy tale world could all just be a figment of Ofelia’s imagination and have no truth to it. This is important for the film because when Ofelia is killed moments later, we are lead to believe that she has a happy ending and lives graciously in the underworld. However if it was all just a figment of her imagination then Ofelia, an innocent 11 year old girl, simply dies mercilessly at the hands of a ruthless killer.

After Ofelia’s death there is another effective editing choice implemented to show the connection between the fairy tale world and the real world. This is when there is a flash of light that then switches the scenery and clothing of Ofelia to that of the underworld where she is a princess and important, from that of the real world, where she lies dead at a young age due to events that were not even her fault. For the audience this is emotional manipulation because we are unsure whether to feel happy or sad for Ofelia due to the ambiguity surrounding her death.

I believe the Pale Man sequence is an excellent example of the usage of mise en scene in Pans Labyrinth. The entire set is a complete disconnection from the rest of the film as it has very distinct props and set pieces that create an atmosphere of terror and worry around what will occur down there.

The walls are decorated with blood, signifying the danger and horrific events that may have taken place in that very hall previously. This immediately puts the audience on edge and makes them uneasy. This is exaggerated once we enter the main hall because at that point, we see the paintings on the wall that display the Pale man stabbing and eating a child. Because we are so invested and worried about Ofelia’s safety and we know for a fact that she is doomed to die due to the opening shot of the film, this makes the audience more wary of the surroundings, especially since the Faun warned Ofelia of the danger that lurked down there.

The Pale Man himself is masterfully crafted. By using a rubber suit rather than CGI he looks and feels human. Despite this, he sits proudly and terrifyingly at the head of the table, watching over the feast in front of him. The design choice of having his eyes in his hands causes him to be this fear inducing yet impractical and tame monster. It shows a vulnerability in him, causing Ofelia to escape unscathed from his clutches.

Furthermore, the feast is designed to target Ofelia’s main vulnerability at the time by exploiting her weakness of not having eaten for the majority of the day due to having been denied supper for being muddy and dirty. This makes the feast a symbolic way of showing how Ofelia is still a child and can disobey rules and go against the grain without questioning it.

Cinematography, I believe, plays it’s part most heavily during the opening scene. This is mainly due to all the establishing shots and expert camerawork to create an atmosphere and give life to the world and characters. An integral use of cinematography in this opening scene would be the introduction of the colour filters. These colour filters play a key role in the film as they denote for the audience the mood of the scene and whether it is mythical or real. Its the use of these gold and blue filters and colour palates that make a particular shot in this sequence quite as powerful as it is.

The shot I am referring to is the one where the camera pans upwards in an ELS shot between the underworld and human world. It shows definitively for the audience the separation in distance between these worlds but at the same time the harmony between them as they can be connected with one simple upwards panning shot. The blue filter is utilised in the underworld whereas the gold filter is utilised for the human world, implying that at this stage of the film the human world is perhaps less sinister. However we know that this constantly changes throughout the film to suit the mood and the context of the scene.

Additionally, there is a shot that provides some insight as to the nature of the magical happenings in Pans Labyrinth. This shot is the over the shoulder shot from the insect creature that is revealed to be a fairy. The creature is watching what is happening to the humans and observing Ofelia. This is perhaps an indication that the fairy tale events and themes in the film are real and not just a figment of Ofelia’s imagination to distract her from the horrible real life events occurring.

The opening sequence of Pans Labyrinth is a prime example of how Guillermo Del Toro uses the different film form elements and his own personal aesthetic to establish an interesting and engaging environment and atmosphere for his film.

Del Toro uses the core elements of cinematography to set a tone for the film. During the sequence, we are introduced with a shot of Ofelia, the lead, dying. This is shot with low key lighting, which shows the audience a darker and more sinister tone. The blue filter used on this shot is used often in shots of the human or “real” world. An important shot for the film is the transition from the underworld to the real world. This is done in one smooth movement, but the dramatic change in filter (blue underworld, yellow real world) establishes the aura of mystery around the underworld and grants a sense of confusion for the viewer. In addition, the camera moves dynamically through the environments as it sets the scene. This shows the world as alive and moving, whilst allowing for less cuts to keep the flow of the piece.

Mise en Scene is incorporated to a necessary degree to accurately represent the time period and tone of the world. The characters are dressed in appropriate clothing and we are clued to the wealth and prominence of the military through the expensive Rolls Royce cars and heavy equipment. The prop of Ofelia’s fairy tale book plays a significant role because it hints to the audience to be unsure of what is real and what isn’t in the world of the film. Additionally, we see a skull in the real world after the transition from the underworld. This is an example of vanitas, a technical device where a skull represents a foreshadowing of death or pain.

Editing plays a key role in the crafting of Pans Labyrinth. Because of the slower pace in editing there is more of an emphasis on long, static or tracking shots to establish character or environment. An interesting editing choice for the opening scene is the use of a reverse shot for Ofelia’s death. This is a clever way of implying a change in time without explicitly stating it with a screen card. We are introduced to Ofelia with a shot of her demise. This is an important editing choice because it means throughout the entire film, the prospect of death hangs over our main character. This causes the viewer to be more concerned and worried for her safety and grants extra suspense.

Sound also contributes a vital amount to the overall feel of the scene. The choice of having Ofelia breathing heavily in a close sonic perspective as the only diagetic sound is impactful because we feel the pain and suffering of the young girl who has met her unfortunate death. During the moments of suspense or tension in the opening scene the shot is accompanied with some low key non diagetic sound to create a richer atmosphere for the viewer. The mysterious introduction of the insect creature is the first bridge between the underworld and real world created onscreen. It is accompanied with an unnatural, loud percussive wooden sound to enhance the aura of uncertainty around the mystical side of things in the story.

During this opening scene a lot of the storytelling revolves around narration or screen cards. This means not much can be attributed to performance. Despite this, Sergi López provides an instantly harrowing and intimidating performance as Vidal from his first moment on scene.

The opening scene shows a fair amount about representation and ideology in the ’40s. Specifically, the way age is treated by the characters. We see from a very early point in the film that the adult characters are fixed and rooted in reality whereas children are unable to disconnect themselves from fiction and live in the real world. This is integral because it fuels the uncertainty around the existence and truth of the underworld and all that is shown as fairy tale like and mystical.  Carmen, Ofelia’s mother, has a dislike and distaste for Ofelia’s interaction and love for fairy tales and fiction. This is shown through the manner in which she addresses Ofelia reading in the car. As the youngest and least mature, Ofelia is given final priority when it comes to attention and importance. She is quickly forgotten by the military and manages to walk straight away from them towards the woods without being noticed.

Additionally, we see an imbalance of power between the male and female characters almost instantly. We see Carmen as weak and in pain with her pregnancy, whereas every male character we are introduced to, bar the doctor, is regimented and military. They seem powerful and in control, being tasked with helping Carmen in her sickness in order to please their superior officer, Vidal. In particular, Vidal is made to look strong and sinister as soon as he is introduced. The way in which he grabs and crushes Ofelia’s hand after her failed handshake indicates the authority he holds and the enormous ego he has.

Ethnic backgrounds and racial diversity do not play such a large part in this opening due to the setting and context of war torn Spain. However, we still see symbolism and indication of a Catholic underlying message with the fairy tale story and due to the fact that the fascist party of the time had strong Catholic beliefs and would force these beliefs on others.

Del Toro has an incredible way of manipulating lighting and camerawork to create a very apparent aesthetic and style for his films. This is apparent through the use of specific lens filters and underlying colours in the frame to show a specific mood or to foreshadow danger or misfortune. He makes sure that the frame looks exactly how he wants it to. For example, the use of warmer colours for the introduction of the real world and Ofelia shows his clever way of setting the tone just with colours.

In many of his works, Del Toro uses Gothic themes and dark imagery to create a mood. This is shown in Pans Labyrinth with the darker take on a fairy tale story and prominent use of explicit violence with no boundaries on realism. Although it seems gratuitous and unnecessary, it actually contributes heavily to the larger picture of the war in Spain and horrific events occurring there.

Del Toro often aims to make his films harrowing or haunting for the viewer but in a more subtle way than average horror movies. He achieves this through messages and themes that are maybe not instantly obvious, but do make an impact on the viewing experience. Pans Labyrinth is a prime example of this goal of his, with a violent twist on fairy tale adventures giving a harsh and gruesome reality around what is loved by children worldwide.

Pans Labyrinth is set just prior to the second world war, in the wake of the Spanish civil war. At the time, there was an enormous imbalance in wealth and power in Spain. In the film, we see how this war has wrecked the country and caused the people in it to be starving and homeless. The military in Pans Labyrinth represent a Fascist right wing viewpoint that is not shared by many people in the modern era. The Fascist regime in Spain was harsh and unforgiving, requiring hard physical labour and difficult work from its people.

In conclusion, the opening to Pans Labyrinth is a perfect way to establish the context and the characters whilst enveloping the viewer in the lore and environment of the film. Del Toro achieves this feat with his expert use of all the film form elements and his incredible knowledge and interest in the context of the time period. Specifically, the use of the opening shot of Ofelia plays an integral part in the film because it gives the rest of the film a dark undertone which perfectly compliments the already sinister mood of the piece.

Pans Labyrinth (2007), directed by Guillermo Del Toro, shows a harsh look at Spain in the aftermath of the civil war while enveloping the audience in a fairy tale environment with rich lore and immersive techniques.

The film uses gore and a darker tone in order to subvert audience expectations of such a situation. Usually the fairy tale theme is used to show a lighter tone with high key lighting and easy to understand motives from the antagonists. This is not the case for Pans Labyrinth. The aura of mystery and confusion around the plot and characters is much thicker and more intriguing than a standard fairy tale story.

We are introduced to Ofelia, a young girl who enjoys reading books and using them as an escape from the horrible reality of Spain at the time. This is immediately shown through her curiosity and will to explore and try and understand her surroundings and create scenarios in her head that may not actually be taking place.

The antagonist, Captain Vidal, is cold cut and cruel. He thinks of himself as regimented and law abiding, but it is obvious to the audience that he takes extreme pleasure in the horrific acts that he commits in the film. We see his daily routing and how he is structured and committed to what he has been tasked with. His loyalties and dedication lie in 2 places, his mission to eradicate the rebels and passing on his legacy to his soon-to-be son.

We feel sorry for Ofelia for having almost no allies at the start of the film. Her mother is her only friend, but even she has a strict dedication and commitment to her husband, Vidal.

Sadly, her mother dies later in the film. By this point we feel that Ofelia has no friends or allies to side with. This invokes an emotional response for the audience because she is a vulnerable young child and has no one to turn to in her hour of need of completing the mysterious tasks presented to her by the Faun.

Pans Labyrinth is a detailed and expertly crafted narrative that uses a perfect blend of low key lighting and occasional high key to present the tone and experience in exactly the way it needs to be to generate sadness and excitement from the viewer. The characters are played fantastically by their respective actors. Child actors are notoriously underwhelming, but Ivana Bequero delivers the role with powerful emotion and a very real feeling to her performance. Despite fantastic acting from everyone, Doug Jones absolutely stole the show in every scene he was in as the Faun. A mysterious and terrifying character that had to be equal parts heartwarming and heartbreaking required some Oscar worthy acting, and it was delivered flawlessly.

My favourite shot in the film would have to be when the resistance are attacking and have the high ground on a hill, at this point Vidal and Garces are hiding behind the trees and the camera does a wonderful tracking shot around the tree and behind Vidal as he strolls uphill firing on his enemies.

Overall, Pans Labyrinth deserves a huge amount of praise for its fantastic direction and performance, with respectable SFX for 2007. It cannot be described as an uplifting experience, but it combines the weird with the real seamlessly. Additionally, the protagonist being young and vulnerable means it is more likely to receive an emotional reaction from the audience.