Week 7 ISP:
Ending sequence Pan’s Labyrinth: Film Form elements (10 markers)
Cinematography:
In terms of camera within the cinematography used in the ending sequence of Pan’s Labyrinth, the point of view constantly changes between Ofelia and Captain Vidal along with the camera angle. This is used within the sequence to represent chaos and disorientation after Vidal being drugged by Ofelia. Within this, from Vidal’s point of view we see how he cannot see the faun suggesting his close off mind and therefor lack of imagination. The camera also uses a long shot of the labyrinth after Ofelia is killed. The dripping of red blood across the refection of the moon on the labyrinth suggests pain and immediate danger, as well as referring to the menstrual cycle and how Ofelia was conceived by the moon, thus reinforcing the idea of femininity in the story. Within the sequence the camera uses a bird’s eye view angle to show Ofelia dying at the end. This creates meaning as it could show how Ofelia’s soul is rising up into heaven or returning to the underworld as a princess, therefore having religious connotations suggesting there is an afterlife. In terms of light in the scene, there is a high contrast using high key warm yellow light, in which is seen through the explosions. This also creates a silhouette of Ofelia as she tries to escape with her brother. The use of the colour red suggests a sense of danger and apprehension, however the yellow colours, associated with the underworld, could show that Ofelia is approaching her death and therefore close to becoming a princess, representing light and warmth. Also, light is used in cinematography as it uses low key blue light to represent the maze in the end scene. Blue is seen whenever we see Captain Vidal reflecting his anger and showing how the tension builds, up as well as letting the audience know something bad is about to happen.
Mes-en-scene:
In terms of mes-en-scene used in the ending sequence of Pan’s Labyrinth, gothic imagery, similarly seen in the underworld and her fairy tale books, is used as we see the faun’s head at the entrance to the labyrinth. This craetes meaning as it uses fallopian imagery to suggest coming of age, further emphasising the fertility and Ofelia’s transition from girl hood to woman hood, reinforcing the idea that this is a feminine story. Also in terms of mes-en-scene, the film uses a close up of the moon, demonstrating how Ofelia discovered she is daughter of the moon, as well as representing the importance of menstrual cycle and how the story of Pan’s Labyrinth is a bildungsroman. In the sequence, we see Ofelia wearing red shoes, similar to those seen in the Wizard of Oz, suggesting a link between fantasy worlds and fairy tales. The red shoes could possibly be seen as a manifestation of who Ofelia wishes to be, as they are represented as a more feminine version of boots being that they are seen as more active shoes to suit her curiosity. In the ending sequence as Ofelia runs through the labyrinth the stone wall of the maze parts for her to meet Pan. This is also spoken about in the bible story of Moses, which suggests religious connotations and gives the impression that she is viewed as holy and god-like, relating to how she later becomes a princess in the underworld. Lastly in terms of mes-en-scene, the chalk door drawn by Ofelia however recognised by Mercedes later on in the scene, could suggest the empathy that Mercedes feels towards Ofelia’s imagination and how she is reflecting on her own childhood and the ways in which she was similar to Ofelia, linking to whether the older generation believe in the fantasy world or if it’s just the younger generation like Ofelia.
Sound:
In terms of sound within the ending sequence of Pan’s Labyrinth, close sonic perspective is used as the camera does a close up shot of Vidal’s pocket watch, similar to the opening sequence. The diegetic sound on screen demonstrates Vidal’s obsession with time and the legacy he will leave for his son, which reflects the importance of his masculinity and ongoing fascist regime within the story. As well as the sound of the watching ticking, showing how it is counting down to his death and that he is running out of time. Also within the sequence sound is used to create meaning through the use of Foley sound which is edited in to create a creaky and nature sounding noise surrounding the Faun’s movements. This shows how the Faun was frail and appeared week, however over time has become younger and more agile, turning younger as Ofelia grows and matures. Towards the end of the sequence Mercedes hums a lullaby for Ofelia on screen which later fades into and becomes non-diegetic music in the scene. This provokes response as the song has no words, making it similar to the Spanish national anthem, highlighting how Mercedes and Ofelia represent the opposition to the fascist regime and how the song represents their different political and social views. Also within the sound, Foley sound is used on-screen in the last scene as Ofelia is welcomed into the underworld with applause. This is significant as it suggests show she has been welcomed and excepted as a princess in this new world. Lastly in terms of sound, the film ends with a voice over in contrast to how the film started with factual text. The voice over uses dialogue to suggest how the fairy tale has been told and is coming to an end. As well as this non-diegetic music is incorporated which also mimics the sound of dripping blood as Ofelia dies, representing how the story come to a controversial end, challenging the happy fairy tale ending an audience would normally except.
Performance:
Within the ending sequence of Pan’s labyrinth performance is used to create meaning and response through the character of Captain Vidal. In the scene Vidal cannot see the Faun that Ofelia is talking to, suggesting he has a closed off imagination and restricted views, linking to his fascist ideology which he strictly follows. This could also provoke a response in the audience as this could be because Vidal was earlier drugged and therefore is a consequence of his disorientation and inability to think straight. Also in terms of performance, the Faun is seen to get younger as Ofelia gets older and matures, becoming more agile and less stiff with its movements. This could represent the younger generation and suggest how if you believe in the fantasy world you stay young, unlike the adults who have aged as they do not believe in fairy tales. Performance is also significant in the film as it portrays Ofelia and her younger brother as the innocent victims. This creates meaning as it suggests how children are made victims of the war and viewed as powerless and weak by Franco’s regime. This presents the younger generation as a symbol of hope and the future of Spain, rejecting fascist ideology and showing imagination within children as a form of rebellion. Also within terms of performance, Captain Vidal shoots emphasising his hatred towards women, which is similarly suggested as the Pale man devourers two of Ofelia’s fairies earlier in the film. This is also provokes a response as it takes away what is most important to Ofelia, being her femininity and fertility which is made significant throughout the film. Lastly, Vidal is seen shot in the right side of his face suggesting that Spain has been blinded by the rule of right wing politics and that fascism has overpowered the ability for the Spanish to see clearly.
Editing:
Editing creates meaning and response in the ending sequence of Pan’s Labyrinth through the use of parallel action. Parallel action is used as we see Captain Vidal chasing through the labyrinth after Ofelia while simultaneously in the film, Ofelia runs away. This creates a sense of urgency and suspense, showing the growing tension as Vidal comes closer to catching up with Ofelia. Parallel cation is also used when the point of view changes from Ofelia to Vidal when he is talking to the Faun. This represents the different viewpoints, emphasising the comparison between the imagination of the younger generation and the restricted closed off views of the older generation. In terms of editing, the end sequence of Pan’s labyrinth using action/reaction editing also known as the Kuleshov effect. This is explored when Vidal shoots Ofelia n her womb, we see Vidal fire the gun as well as Ofelia’s reaction when the blood appears on her hands. This creates meaning as it shows emphasises Vidal’s hatred towards women and how even the innocent victims of war end up hurt and in Ofelia’s case dying. Also within the editing of the film in the ending sequence there is a voice over at the same time a flower is shown blossoming from the tree, further reinforcing the idea of femininity and new life, suggesting how Ofelia was reborn into the underworld as a princess.
Emma Coe Film Studies 