We were tasked to analyse the key elements of film form of the “first bedtime sequence” of Pan’s Labyrinth (00:11:14-00:17:52). This involved a detailed analysis of cinematography, sound, mise-en-scène, editing and performance during this sequence.
Cinematography
The first scene of this sequence takes place in Carmen’s bedroom. The colour palette of the room is overbearingly grey and blue, emphasising the fact that this room is in fact owned by Captain Vidal. The only warmth of the room lies in the invitingly orange fire, juxtaposing the oppressive gloom of the greys and blues. This fire represents a small glimmer of hope in Ofelia’s seemingly hopeless life.
The camera then tracks Ofelia’s movements towards the bed, establishing her importance to the narrative. It then rests on a two shot of Carmen and Ofelia in the bed. This is followed by a long take throughout which the camera periodically pushes in and out unnoticeably. This emphasises the intimacy between the two characters. As the conversation continues, the shot becomes increasingly tighter and eventually the two characters fit the entire frame which reinforces their profound affinity for one another.
As we pedestal down, there is a transition into a CGI sequence featuring the foetus of Ofelia’s unborn brother. The imagery throughout is hellish and diabolical, perhaps referencing the evil that lies in both reality and the Underground Realm. The camera then glides, depicting the large scale of a peculiarly designed rose. Afterwards, the reappearance of the strange insect Ofelia spotted in the woods signals a change in colour palette from the devilish crimson to the familiar greens and browns of the forest. As we transition back to live action, the camera arcs around the bed to show Ofelia and Carmen are still lying in the bed.
We then cut to Vidal silently working away in his gloomy lair. Here, Guillermo del Toro utilises a low-angle shot to reinforce his power and authority over the Falangist army. We cut to a closeup of his pocket watch for the second time in the film, reiterating its vital importance to Vidal. As the doctor enters the room, he is accompanied by a number of soldiers that are out of focus. Through this, the viewer can surmise that they at Vidal’s beck and call if need be. As the conversation ensues between Vidal and the doctor, shot/reverse shots are implemented to depict the doctor as holding a higher power over the captain. This is done to imply that the doctor holds the answers to Vidal’s persistent line of questioning. As the captain stands up, a low-angle shot is used to establish he is now the authoritative figurehead in the conversation – we look up at Vidal and down on the doctor.
We then cut to a dark, moonlit exterior setting which accentuates the blues and greys of the colour palette which emphasises that this is the captain’s territory. A feeling of claustrophobia is created as the camera proceeds to push in towards the Falangists and the two rebels which further builds tension and suspense. The camera cuts to a low-angle shot looking up at Vidal, the camera then swings round during which the captain smashes the farmer’s nose with the bottle. We alternate between this low angle shot of the captain, portraying his stoic expression and a closeup of the farmer’s bloody face.
We cut to a wide shot as Vidal calmly shoots the two rebel farmers, during which the soldiers remain emotionless. The camera’s movements proceed to exclusively follow Vidal, keeping him centrally framed. This reinforces the fact that he is the centre of attention during this scene.
Sound
The first sounds heard are the subtle diegetic sounds of Ofelia’s footsteps on the creaking floorboards. In addition to this, we hear the comforting sounds of the fireplace crackling as well as the shuffling of bed sheets. The characters initiate in hushed dialogue which is ironically high in the mix. This emphasises the intimate bond the characters share. Afterwards, Carmen struggles to breathe, through which the viewer can infer that this is due to the previously established pregnancy.
The fantastical non-diegetic composed score then begins to slowly rise in the mix, foreshadowing the fact that we are about to enter the Underground Realm. As we enter the CGI sequence, the subtle diegetic heartbeat sounds emphasise the profound affinity Ofelia is developing with her unborn brother. Ambient wind noises are gradually added to the mix which have an ominous quality to them as the camera proceeds to glide around mystically. As the previously seen insect appears, the skittering sound is initially high in the mix but gradually fades out as it moves further away from the screen. As Ofelia continues to tell her story, a choral religious score rises in the mix, making her story seem important and authentic.
As we cut to Vidal in his lair fixing his watch, a rhythmic diegetic ticking sound rises in the mix. This reinforces its importance to Vidal and can also be attributed to his mechanical and measured approach. As the doctor and the captains’s conversation concerning his unborn child ensues, a ticking sound can be heard low in the mix which foreshadows that Carmen doesn’t have much time remaining. As the soldiers enters, their footsteps can be heard lower in the mix than the captain’s which reinforces his authority and power over them.
During the exterior scene, the important objects receive a distinctive sound – for example the the bottle and watch. As Vidal begins to smash the farmer’s face in, we hear the audible shattering and crunching of his nose. Moreover, the sounds get increasingly wet as Vidal persistently smashes the bottle on his nose. The score then rises in the mix as the situation becomes increasingly distressing. Finally, the emphatic gun shot used to kill the second farmer instills fear in the viewer.
Mise-en-scène
The opening sequence utilises a cold, blue colour palette with the interior design consisting of gothic materials, such as dark wood and a traditional fireplace. The lighting is soft on Ofelia and Carmen which is reflective of their warmth and purity towards each other. Carmen’s bed frame depicts the faun’s horns which suggests to the viewer that we will soon enter the Underground Realm. Ofelia wears humble fabrics which emphasises her innocence whereas Carmen dons expensive silks – suggesting that she is relatively materialistic. Both characters also wear naturalistic makeup.
As we descend into Carmen’s womb, the appearance of the foetus is extremely evocative of the fantasy genre. In addition, the distinctive use of CGI and a crimson, devilish colour palette is a Guillermo del Toro trademark. The depiction of the purple rose signifies royalty which perhaps links to Ofelia being the Princess Moanna. The presence of thorny, foreboding branches instills apprehension in the viewer and the sudden appearance of the insect signals the transition back to reality, this also gives us a sense of familiarity as we have already seen this creature before in the forest.
As we cut to Vidal’s lair, we are greeted to a visual spectacle of mechanical imagery. The captain is meticulously fixing his watch in the foreground, while a cog-like water wheel churns in the background. Once again, the captain’s uniform is extremely decorated which emphasises his position at the top of the regime. In addition to this, the ‘over-realistic’ set design (such as Vidal’s spyglass) in this scene exemplifies del Toro as an auteur.
The doctor who subsequently enters is well-dressed, making him appear professional. He is, however, less extravagantly dressed than Vidal. During their conversation, the captain smokes which is a typical antagonistic trope but this also symbolises his control over the distribution of resources throughout the area.
During the exterior scene, Vidal’s accompanying soldiers are all homogeneously dressed, sporting dull, grey uniforms. This suggests that they are fully compliant to Vidal’s commanding orders and have no personality of their own. The lighting is additionally harsh, juxtaposing the warmness of Ofelia’s room. The farmers wear ragged, dirty clothing which emphasises the fact that they are poor.
After an intense conversation between the characters, del Toro utilises an extremely graphic use of blood, in order to repulse the viewer on a visceral level. Through this, the captain is given a psychopathic quality – showing no empathy. Finally, the shocking reveal of the rabbit reinforces Vidal’s apathetic attitude towards the rebels’ lives, he shows no remorse for the fact that he has brutally murdered two farmers.
Editing
The opening scene of the sequence utilises a long take depicting Ofelia and Carmen in the bed, illustrating their intimate relationship. Through this, our attention is focused exclusively on the two characters’ conversation and any distractions are kept out of frame. The long take slows the pace of the film to a halt and readies the viewer for Ofelia’s story.
As Ofelia begins to tell the story, a hidden cut is aptly used to transition into the CGI sequence. Afterwards, there is another hidden cut to transition from the womb to the purple rose. The fact that we have changed locations is almost unnoticeable to the viewer and this creates a dream-like effect. The motion of the CGI is the same speed as the ensuing camera movement which naturally transitions us back into live action.
Del Toro then uses a crossfade to transition to Vidal’s lair, informing the viewer that both events are occurring simultaneously. As Vidal continues to fix his pocket watch, there is a glance object between Vidal and a closeup of the watch which further reinforces its importance to him. During the captain and doctor’s conversation, a shot/reverse shot sequence is implemented for the purpose of continuity editing. At the end of the scene, a J cut is used as we hear Vidal instructing the troops outside before we see it. This is done to inform the viewer that little time has passed between the two scenes.
During the exterior scene, another shot/reverse shot sequence is utilised between the captain and the farmers. Through another use of a long take, del Toro intelligently builds tension and suspense during the characters’ dialogue. The viewer can surmise that this is the calm before the storm. As the brutal violence ensues, there is a stark juxtaposition between the previous slow paced long take and the fast-paced editing of the violence. There is a series of reactionary shots, alternating between a low-angle shot of the captain’s uncaring face and a closeup of the farmer’s destroyed face. Afterwards, the pacing becomes sedate again, implying to the viewer that the storm is over.
Performance
During the bedtime scene, Ofelia begins by habitually climbing into Carmen’s bed. Through this, the viewer can infer that they can only have this bond when the captain isn’t present. Ofelia silently expresses that she is terrified of the outside world through her persistently anxious facial expressions.
The two characters speak quietly to one another to emphasises the fact it is night as well as to emphasises their affinity for each other. Throughout the conversation, Carmen shows some discomfort both gesturally and audibly. The viewer instinctively realises that this is due to the previously established fact that she is pregnant with the captain’s unborn child. Ofelia tells her story very eloquently and confidently, suggesting that she has done this many times before.
We cut to Vidal meticulously fixing his watch at night, perhaps implying that he is a workaholic. His scrupulous focus is only broken by the entry of the doctor, who nervously awaits the captain’s approval before he starts talking. During their conversation, it becomes clear that Vidal is used to being obeyed due to his subtle hand gestures which signal the doctor to immediately become silent. As the doctor challenges the captain about his child’s gender, the viewer can surmise that he is unused to being opposed. Vidal sneers, emphasising the fact he is unimpressed with his opinion. This dismissiveness could potentially imply that the captain is concealing a number of insecurities.
During the exterior scene, the farmers breathe heavily and tremble in fear as they are spoken to Vidal, reinforcing his position of authority. Conversely, Vidal expressively emphasises his enjoyment of power he possesses over the farmers through his dismissive manner of speaking. As Vidal begins to brutally murder the farmer, his facial expression is strikingly stoic. Furthermore, his emotionless demeanour remains during the aftermath of the murders which suggests he holds no remorse whatsoever.
Otis Morley’s A-Level Film Studies Blog 