Pan’s Labyrinth: Representation

“How far do each of the films you have studied represent key characters in ways that reinforce or challenge the audiences expectations?”

Vidal (left) is made to represent that evil fascist regime of the Civil War. Ofelia (right) represents that good in the film, and thus a direct contrast to Vidal and his faction.

Essay Plan:

– Vidal represents the fascist regime in the war so I will focus on an analysis of his faction instead of him specifically.

– I will do the same for Ofelia as she represents the moral and good forces in the film, so I will avoid specific analysis of her and more so the faction she stands for.

– The soldiers are shown to be evil primarily through performance and mise-en-scen, but Vidal is made to be a dominant and intimidating presence via cinematography also.

The good faction directly contrasts the evil via mise-en-scen and performance, but specific characters like Ofelia and Mercedes are shown as good people via cinematography, like Vidal, also.

Version 1:

Cinematography, sound, editing, mise-en-scen and performance are all very important in creating representations that reinforce the audiences expectations. Characters that represent the good and evil factions are represented as such via the fundamental aspects of film form that make the audience see them in a certain way.

In the fig tree sequence, Vidal and his men are established as cunning and ruthless members of a fascist regime through mise-en-scen, sound and cinematography. As he and his men take off on horse-back, the non-diegetic composed score quickly picks up into a dramatic and intense mixture of trumpets and drums, signifying a grand entrance. This symbolises the patriotism and pride he and his troops have, and also makes them seem like a more intimidating and imposing presence, reinforcing the audience expectation of them as evil fascists, likely due to the context of the Spanish Civil War. He and his men are also represented as evil via mise-en-scene, as their uniforms are extremely neat and tidy, organised and decorated. They show great patriotism amongst the army, and also serve as a direct contrast to the clothes worn by the good characters in the film. They symbolise the wealth and strict protocol of the army, while the more ragged and dark-coloured clothes of the protagonist show that they are poor, and more honest and kind. Performance is also used to build an imposing and obsessed representation of the antagonist forces in the film. This is seen in how Vidal seems completely concentrated on the abandoned campsite once he reaches it, and stares intently off into the woods in search for the rebels.

In this same sequence, the forces of good are shown as a direct contrast to the forces of evil, represented through mise-en-scen and sound to portray them as moral and just characters. When the scene cuts from the Captain and his men to Ofelia leaving the mill, the non-diegetic composed score picks up into a fast-paced mix of horn instruments that give the scene a light and happy feel, reflecting Ofelia’s feelings of excitement and adventure. This gives her character a more welcoming demeanour, as opposed to the intense music that plays as Vidal and the troops leaves the camp. Ofelia’s outfit is also much more quaint and simple than Vidal’s, made up of much lighter and warmer colours that fit into the scenery of the woods more. This represents the difference between her and Vidal, as she is represented as a person less obsessed with her appearance and removing rebels, but instead going on a fantastic quest. She does not move with aggression or intensity, like Vidal, but a calm and peaceful pace, with a content yet curious look on her face, a direct contrast to the intensity with which Vidal and his men search for rebels. This is how the key characters are represented in ways that reinforce the audiences expectations, but it also challenges them by representing the rebels in a way that puts them into a positive light. From contextual knowledge, the rebels that the fascist nationalists were hunting were communist, and used guerrilla style combat methods to fight the nationalists. When they are showed at the end of Vidal’s side of the scene, they are dressed in dark and brown clothes that let them blend more into the environment, and these more simple and humble uniforms make them seem more kind and less boastful than the soldiers. The non-diegetic composed score picks up in the mix at their reveal, and has a light yet dramatic tone, that is less dark and foreboding than that what plays when the soldiers ride away, and so portrays the rebels as forces of good who directly oppose the forces of evil. Therefore, the film uses mise-en-scen and sound and performance to create representations of key characters that challenge and reinforce the audiences expectations.

In the first shaving sequence, mise-en-scen, performance and cinematography are all used to represent Vidal, who represents the forces of evil, in a way that reinforces the audiences expectations of a fascist Captain. As he shaves, the various items scattered around his room symbolise his wealth, such as the gramophone, razor, and cigarette, which also provides smoke that gives him an intimidating appearance. These all show his control over resources and rations, and is also shown by the fully stocked log shelves and large fireplace, mug, and table in the dining room. The Captain also seems completely focused as he shaves, looking intently in the mirror and taking great care as he prepares for and then shaves himself. This, combined with the diegetic music playing from the gramophone, which has a classical and traditional tone, implies that Vidal sees himself as a sort of patriotic hero, and views this shaving as a ritual of masculinity, basking in his authority. This reinforces the audiences expectations of how fascist soldiers of high ranking likely viewed themselves during the civil war.

We also see the difference in uniform and representation of Vidal through cinematography as ways that the audience’s expectations are reinforced. When Vidal is in the dining room, he polishes a very clean and expensive looking boot, symbolising his wealth and attention to detail when crafting his appearance. Hid uniform is blue, which matches the colour palette at night, symbolising his control over the environment. Even as he polishes this boot, he seems extremely intent, as if it was the most important thing to him in that moment, showing his obsession with how he presents himself as a Captain. When Mercedes enters, her uniform is almost not a uniform, as it is of simple brown and green colours, similarly to the rebels and Ofelia, showing where her true allegiance stands, but also representing her as a more humble and hipness character than Vidal. It also shows the difference between the traditional roles of women and men in the film, which from context, we know were very prejudiced and often put women in lower roles whereas men had higher roles of authority and power which is shown through cinematography in this scene. When Vidal stands, there is an over the shoulder shot from behind Mercedes of him putting his hand on her shoulder. This keeps Mercedes at eye level but is a low angle shot facing up at Vidal, showing how much taller and intimidating he is than her. This also represents his authority, obsession with maintaining control through fear, and authority over Mercedes as a Captain. However, this traditional expectation of the characters is challenged when Mercedes stands up to Vidal, when she says that the rabbits are too young to be cooked. This does not sound like much, but no one else in the film, even the doctor, has shown defiance to the Captain, instead saying what he wants them to say and following his lead. However, the Captain is shown more in this scene, and so he is represented as more powerful and intimidating than Mercedes, who represents the good in this scene.

To a large extent, Pan’s Labyrinth uses cinematography, sound, and mise-en scen and performance to represent key characters in ways that reinforce and occasionally challenge the audiences expectations. The audience is made to view characters in certain ways that may differ from or, mostly, confirm their pre-conceptions of them through the tone of the non-diegetic composed score, cinematography that frames them in ways to convey their character traits, performances that convey emotion and psychology, and mise-en-scen that contrasts key characters and the forces they represent.