Film essay

discuss how aesthetic’s are used to communicate themes in City of god & Pand Labyrinth make references to specific sequences in your answer

The use of sound helps to create meaning in pans labyrinth by giving the spectator a good idea of the feel of the scene. An example of a  scene where this is done is in the pale man scene. The use of the soundscape of the labyrinth this is the creepy noises in the background, this dissonance shows the audience that it is a old creepy place which is unwelcoming and has not been entered in a very long time. the way this is done is through the change of music from when she is in her bedroom to when she enters the labyrinth, it goes from quite and slow music to loud and fast music. This is then further emphasised by the foreboding noise that sounds as though it could be coming from the Pale man, by using the Asynchronous sound it helps to give them more interest by not letting them see it further emphasises the idea of the labyrinth being unknown territory for Ofelia but also the audience. Creating that connection that the spectre has with Ofelia as they are both in this unknown together. This shows the Spector that the labyrinth is a unknown and large area this is further shown by the tracking back shot to then show this long hallway with Ofelia at the end by the door. There is a Leitmotif in the labyrinth this use of recurring sound helps make the spectre feel as though they are also stuck here.

The use of the cinematograph helps to give the spectre an understanding of her point of view this is demonstrated through the use of the point of view shot to the ceiling. When the camera is looking up it spins around to show all these pictures of the pale man killing children the music matches this but also the camera spins around this makes the spectre feel disorientated and confused as there is a lot to take in with the camera moving in a circular motion this is a bit of a sensory overload as we have just seen the pale man and now it is focusing on the surroundings and the rest of the room it keeps the Spectator on the edge. The cinematography is mainly medium come ups (MCU) of Ofelia showing her facial expressions and the way she is standing. This is to give the spectre an intimate and personal feel connecting them with Ofelia and giving them sympathy for her as she is presented as small in comparison to the rest of the room, further emphasising the idea that she is still just a child. This gives that idea of empowering the weak and small such as the rebels in the civil war. The mise en scene and the colour palette in the scene helps to further make Ofelia stand out as a character. the surroundings are very heavy with the colours like brown an burgundy which are monochromatic colours to then Ofelia wearing mint green which traditionally mean greed, this idea is expanded when she eats the grape which awakens the pale man. She stands out and is different to the other colours showing that the sectors focus should be mainly on her as she does not fit in and is not meant to be there proving that she is an outsider in this place. The Mise en scene helps to further the spectator understanding of Ofelia as a character. She is presented as well kept and well dressed as she is wearing smart clothes, her hair is neat and tidy and she does not look scruffy or dirty. whereas her surroundings are seen as sandy and old which juxtaposes her to her surroundings telling us that even though she is still a child she is also very mature and tidy this empowers her as both a female character but also a child showing the main themes of young Vs old and the dominance of the patriarchy.


In the scene where Vidal hosts the dinner the editing is key to understanding the scene but to be understand this we need to first understand the directors intentions in this scene del toro intended to present the ideas of patriarchy an example of this is when Vidal and carmen are talking about how they met and there is a shot reverse show but when we see carmen it is over Vidal's shoulder but when we see Vidal it is not over carmen shoulder. this is showing us that vidal is the superior character and this is that idea of the patriarchy being Negative for both people but society as a whole the way spanish society is presented in this film is very much in a negative light showing how the dictator who are patriarchal are ruining society as the people are starving and having to fight for their own freedom and this idea is presented by using Vidal who is the antagonist as a mouthpiece for the patriarchy. through the fascist regime this is mirroring how Del Toro views it. The film is a way for him to place the idea of how the patriarchal dictatorships are draining and ruining society.

In City of God the use of colour in the tender trio introduction scene is used to present the themes of power, poverty and conflict in the Favelas but with the tender trio they are represented but not in a negative way. The use of colours and lighting do this as it is heavily based on the colour yellow which is connoted with happiness, loyalty and honour. This presents the tender trio made up of shaggy, clipper and Goose, they all represent the loyalty they have to their people also living in the favela as when they rob the truck the audience still views them positively as they give to the people of the favela. They also juxtapose with Lil Ze who has no honour whereas the Tender trio show the idea of honour amongst thieves as they don't kill they just rob because they need to get in order to provide for their families. We see the idea of conflict as the police are presented in a negative way through the conflict they have with the Tender Trio, The police stop the people of the favela taking the gas that they need and by doing this the police are seen as they only serve the rich and don't care about the poor and the poor are the people that the spectator aligns with.