Pans Labyrinth Flashcards
Who is the director of Pans Labyrinth?
Guillermo Del Toro
Who was in charge of Cinematography?
Navarro
Who was in charge of Mise en scene?
Caballero
Who was in charge of Mise en scene?
Caballero
What was the Institutional context for Pans?
- 19 million dollar budget
- Del Toro had difficulty securing funding
- De Toro had to give up his salary to have the film made the way he wanted
- rejected by every major and independent film studio
- received widespread critical appeal
What was the historical and political context?
- Franco ruled over Spain 1939-1975 as a dictator, overthrowing the second Spanish Republic with national forces
- The film follows conflict in Spain in the civil war, between the Republicans and Nationalists
What were Del Toro’s arteur traits?
- Del Toro prefers prosthetics to CGI
- often uses violence in his films, Del Toro doesn’t like ‘hero wounds’, wants to keep audiences on edge for what will happen to characters
- utilizes children, women/femininity represented positively
- Catholicism and religious imagery frequently appears linking to Del Toro’s upbringing in a Catholic home
Pan’s key characters?
- Vidal
- Ophelia
- Carmen
- Mercedes
- The Pale Man
- The Toad
- The Faun
What do the monsters in pans represent?
Del Toro states that all the monsters represent ‘institutional evil’
- Toad + Fig tree - Toad is representative of fascists/nationalists/Franco’s regime destroying Spain from the inside (fig tree). The fig tree also resembles a women’s reproductive organs linking to the abuse and idea of women being used by fascists.
- Pale Man - represents greed of fascists/corrupt power
- Faun - represents fairytale
Use of amplified sound of stopwatch in introduction of Vidal’s character?
- Conveys idea of Vidal being in control of Carmen and Ofelia as soon as they arrive at the farmhouse
- Loud, overwhelming amplified sound reinforces idea of Vidal being a dominant figure at the farmhouse, omnipresent figure
Ofelia’s dress has polysemic meaning?
- represents values for women in Franco’s Spain
- conveys the representation of Ophelia’s defiant as she rejects the dress, linking to the representation of her as a defiant character against oppressive power
- Links to the idea of class in Franco’s Spain, the strict class system
Low angle in sequence where Vidal attacks farmer’s son?
constructs the idea of Vidal being a ruthless character, through his emotionless facial expression, constructing his character type as an antagonist.
What relevance does the montage during Carmen funeral have? As well as the long shot on the empty wheelchair?
- this montage conveys the idea of women being undervalued in Franco’s regime, once they outlive their purpose, eg. having children, they are worthless. It conveys this with the fast-paced editing which conveys the idea of it being rushed.
- The shot focusing on Vidal looking solely at his son during Carmen’s funeral, links to the idea of him never caring about her and the idea that he only was with her for the sole purpose of producing an heir.
- The prolonged shot on the wheelchair creates an emphasis on the idea of common simply being used and then disposed of
What is the purpose of the visual parallel between the pale man and the banquet that Vidal holds?
It links the idea of the monsters in Pans representing institutional evil, as it constructs the idea of the nationalists being the same and as the pale man hoarding resources from those who need them, killing anyone who interferes.
Is the significance of Mise en scene with the Nationalists?
- The use of dark blues for the nationalist costumes links to the idea of conveying a sombre impression, the general and happiness that many people lived in under Franco’s rule, It also links to the idea of monolithic values held in Franco’s regime
- The use of setting in the farmhouse for the nationalists base also reinforces this idea of control as it almost creates a claustrophobic impression through the use of dark blue navy tones which reinforce this impression of being controlled
