Component 2a: Global Film – Daisy Samra's Film Studies Blog

Mock Exam

17th Mar 202017th Mar 2020 by daisysamrasfilmstudiesblog, posted in Component 2a: Global Film

My mock exam result is… an A! Yay! (see my exam answer below)

Component 2a: Essay – Cinematography

22nd Jan 202023rd Feb 2020 by daisysamrasfilmstudiesblog, posted in Component 2a: Global Film

‘Explore how aspects of cinematography are used to enrich meaning in your two chosen films.’ Make detailed reference to particular sequences in your answer.

Plan:

Introduction –

The directors of Pan’s Labyrinth and Wild Tales both creatively employ cinematographic techniques to manipulate the audience and create meaning.

Pan’s Labyrinth –

low angle shot of ruins
crane shot of landscape + destruction
close-up of book = absorbed in it
bedroom sources of light
camera movement + push in on bed
low angle shot of Captain
wide aperture
tracking shot
camera arcs around Captain
handheld steadicam = floaty feeling
long lens but zoomed in = rebels’ perspective
close-ups for importance
cold blue lighting at end = reality

Wild Tales –

centrally framed slideshow
crabs to show guests
camera dances around

Essay:

The directors of Pan’s Labyrinth (Guillermo Del Toro, 2006) and Wild Tales (Damiàn Szifron, 2014) both creatively employ cinematographic techniques to manipulate the audience and create meaning.

Throughout Pan’s Labyrinth, Guillermo Del Toro uses a variety of techniques for effect, ranging from camera movement, to shot types.

In the opening sequence, the audience is forced to take in the destruction of the rural landscape through an initial low-angle shot, looking up through the ruins of a cathedral. This is followed by a crane shot, which glides over a skull, a symbol of death, and rises over the wall to reveal the extent to which the area has been destroyed, war-torn, but since neglected. A wide shot allows the audience to see a significant amount of the land and shows that it all shares a similar fate.

Two of the main characters are introduced in this film through a close-up of the object that most defines them. First is a close-up of a storybook, which precedes a shot of Ofelia, suggesting that she is completely absorbed in what she is reading. A book is the most fitting object to represent Ofelia, as she often gets carried away by the magical realm. Her focus on the fantasy leads her to neglect the real world and the consequences that must be faced in it.

Throughout the opening of the bedtime sequence, the camera continues to move: it arcs around the bed then pushes in on Ofelia and Carmen turning into a mid-shot after initially being a wide shot, which showed how small they were in the Captain’s big, dwarfing bed. This gives a dreamy feel to the sequence and makes it more engaging, as when the camera pushes in, the audience focuses in on their conversation.

The sequence progresses into the Captain’s lair, with a low-angle shot of the Captain making him appear imposing and intimidating. It is also shot on wide aperture, which makes the background blurry whilst focusing the foreground; therefore, the Captain is the complete focus of the audience, as he would expect of people in his presence.

Once the Captain leaves the room, a tracking shot is used to follow his journey to the farmers. The fact that the camera follows him gives the Captain importance and suggests that what he does is of interest to the audience. Similarly, once the Captain has killed both farmers, the camera arcs around him and begins to track his return journey, implying that he is more important than any of the other characters who were there.

In the fig tree sequence, a handheld steadicam is used, giving the camera movement a floaty feeling. The camera arcs around Ofelia fairly slowly, feeling dream-like and allowing the audience to take in her reaction to wonders such as the giant fig tree.

The start of the fig tree sequences uses the well-known cinematic technique of the characters moving from left to right on-screen to show they are leaving to set out on an adventure. Equally, once they return home again, they move from right to left on the screen, signalling their return to the audience.

During the long shots of the Captain and his soldiers in the fig tree sequence, a long lens is used; the shot is compressed and filmed from a distance away, but the camera is zoomed in, making it seem as if someone is watching from far away with binoculars, which we later see that the rebels are. This puts the audience in the perspective of the rebels.

As Ofelia is about to enter the fig tree, the camera dollies back and tilts up to show her going into the tree opening. The entrance creates a frame within a frame and, additionally, Ofelia is centrally framed, so the audience’s attention is pulled towards the centre of the screen where she stands. The low-angle shot looking up at her from inside the tree shows her importance once she is in the fantasy world, as here she is ‘Princess Moanna of the Underworld’.

Once Ofelia is back outside the tree, the lighting is cold and blue, showing that she must now face the consequences of the harsh real world. The camera arcs around her to show her reaction towards her dirty clothes and allows the audience to take in the full extent of her muddiness. At the end of the sequence, the camera moves back into a long shot, dwarfing Ofelia and making her seem vulnerable and alone in the rain.

These various techniques throughout the film allow the audience to respond to the characters, such as feeling intimidated by the Captain through the use of low-angle shots of him, or being able to empathise with Ofelia because sequences are filmed at her height. Meaning is also created through the use of lighting: cold, blue light for the fascists compared to warm, orange light for the rebels.

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In the wedding sequence of Wild Tales, the camera techniques drastically change from beginning to end, the change in story being marked by a change in cinematography.

As the short begins, the screen shows a slideshow of childhood photos centrally framed, which draws the audience’s attention to it. The camera slowly pulls out from this into a wide shot of all the guests, whose attention is also drawn by this slideshow. Blue light is cast on the guests, as if it is the screen reflecting on them as they watch. Additionally, there are some flashing disco lights, implying the location and event.

Next, the camera crabs right to show the full extent of the guests, but the focus remains on the projector screen that displays the pictures. A sequence of wide shots establishes the setting and the sheer number of people present.

Romina and Ariel enter the room, with a spotlight on them, suggesting that they will be the main characters for the duration of the short. The camera moves through the crowd towards them as the open the curtain, then arcs around each of the couple individually, showing them hugging their family members. The camera almost dances around them, increasing in speed as the song increases in energy; however, it favours Romina over Ariel. The lighting makes it hard to distinguish the couple from the rest of the crowd, hinting at the over-crowdedness. Additionally, the camera remains at a lower angle, again making the room feel crowded. However, there is later a high-angle shot to allow the audience to see the large number of people in the room.

Steadicam is used at the start of the sequence, smoothly moving round the characters. In contrast, towards the end, the handheld camera is more shaky and unstable, accurately reflecting the situation and feelings of the characters.

As Romina speaks to a couple of her guests, pointing out the different groups in the room, the camera remains focused on her, instead of where she is pointing, to show that Romina is more important than them. Her attention is drawn by Ariel’s co-workers, and the camera zooms in on them, with Lourdes centrally framed. Romina moves away from the couple and becomes isolated in the frame. It is also shot with a shallow depth of field, making the background blurry, and the camera tightens in on Romina, who is visually and emotionally alone. A long lens is used, allowing people to walk between her and the camera, which shows that the room is bustling and busy and makes it feel like Romina is being watched.

The camera arcs around the couple as they dance, which feels rather disorientating, and Ariel moves up and down out of the close-up shot, whereas Romina’s face remains fully in shot. The focus is entirely on them, the background is not visible, and the room’s lighting is much darker, although Ariel and Romina are lit up. Ariel is slightly more shadowed, suggesting that he has committed the dark deed of adultery and Romina is seeing a new side of him.

Ariel’s mother interrupts their dance, moving into the centre of the frame and visually separating Romina and Ariel, foreshadowing how she attempts to come between them later, by encouraging Ariel to press charges. As everyone stops dancing, so does the camera.

Once Romina has run out of the room, there is a close-up of Ariel, using a long lens to make it seem as if all the guests are watching him from a distance. Next, there is an interesting shot where the camera is attached to the door and swings at a 90º angle as Romina and Ariel, in turn, push it open and run down the corridor. This allows the audience to see both Romina and Ariel approach through the kitchen, then run away, all in a single shot.

A low-angle shot tracks Romina down the corridor, and gives the sense that she is going to topple over, from the unusual angle, and this reflects her mental instability at this moment in the film. A cut to Ariel shows him centrally in a frame within a frame, looking through the doors in the wrong location.

A bird’s eye view shot of Romina leaning over the balcony on the roof shows the city street far below, and implies that Romina is going to attempt to commit suicide. The following sequence, however, is filmed like that of a romantic one: there is a wide-shot of Romina and the kitchen worker centrally framed together, with the city lights glimmering in the background, that is very stereotypical of a romance, meaning our expectations are subverted. Additionally, this is shot on wide aperture and with a long lens, giving it a shallow depth of field and making the sequence feel very intimate.

In the stairway that Ariel is running up, there is dark, green lighting that could be foreshadowing his imminent jealousy. The kitchen worker is shot on a long lens once Ariel is on the roof, as if Ariel is the one looking at him. The camera occasionally shifts focus to the kitchen worker, as a reminder that he is still there, witnessing the confrontation between Romina and Ariel.

Back in the ballroom, the dancing recommences and there are flashes of red lighting amongst the blue as Romina walks over to Lourdes, showing her anger and suggesting that she is about to act on it. Romina invites Lourdes to dance and the camera is attached to them whilst the spin, again contributing to the dizzying effect of the sequence. The spinning is shot at a high shutter speed, allowing it to be seen more clearly. The shots of each of the women is done from over the shoulder of the other.

The camera moves closer to Ariel, who seems to have recovered slightly from the shock. There is a bang, followed by a wide shot to see everyone’s response to the scary noise. A mid-shot of Ariel shows that it was just a champagne bottle. The camera tracks Ariel as he moves over to the cake table, and it suddenly moves down as Ariel goes to pick up a knife. There is another wide-shot of the room to see the reaction to Ariel brandishing a knife. The shot is focused on Ariel, but shifts focus to his friends, as they warn him, then back to Ariel, to see his response.

Similarly to him looking at the knife, Ariel looks down at the cake on the floor, and the camera follows his gaze, putting the knife into context. After shoving cake into his mouth, Ariel walks over to Romina and there is a shot of just her looking up at him. This is succeeded by a shot of Ariel’s face, looking down at her, then followed by a similar shot of Romina looking at him, although slightly closer to her face. As Romina stands up, there is an over-the-shoulder shot, showing her reaction.

Romina and Ariel start dancing, and this sudden turn of events is emphasised by a shot of Ariel’s parents, which zooms in on them both looking shocked. Reflective of their first dance, the rest of the room becomes darker, with only them lit up, and this also suggests that they are only focused on each other now; they have long given up on caring what others think.

There is a close-up of their faces, and they gaze at each other, seeming more in love now than at the start. They move over to the cake table, and things progress, until they begin to have sex in the room. In the background of the shot, the final guest can be seen hurrying out of the room, leaving the newly-weds alone. The camera pans down to the floor, showing the cake topper and the increasing amount of cake that falls, implying their romantic endeavours.

In this short, the camera techniques often reflect how the characters feel; for example, the use of long lens shots implies the characters are being watched or feel as if they are being watched. Similarly, the transition from steadicam to shaky hand-held camera mimics the deterioration of the relationship between Romina and Ariel, making the later events seem even more disorientating and crazy to the audience.

Both films have very different cinematography; although both at points have floaty, arcing camera movement, such as in the fig tree sequence in Pan’s Labyrinth, and the opening of the wedding sequence in Wild Tales, when Romina and Ariel greet their guests. A big difference is the use of a hand-held camera in Wild Tales, the movement of which becomes very shaky and unsteady. The lighting in Pan’s Labyrinth seems to be of greater importance, as it distinguishes the characters into the two roles of ‘fascist’ or ‘rebel’, whereas Wild Tales appears to use lighting more for visual effect than hidden meaning. Overall, there is a variety of techniques in both films and these very much add to the meaning of the film and the response of the audience.

Essay – Take Two:

The directors of Pan’s Labyrinth (Guillermo Del Toro, 2006) and Wild Tales (Damiàn Szifron, 2014) both creatively employ cinematographic techniques to manipulate the audience and create meaning.

Throughout Pan’s Labyrinth, Guillermo Del Toro uses a variety of techniques for effect, ranging from camera movement, to shot types.

In the opening sequence, the audience is forced to take in the destruction of the rural landscape through an initial low-angle shot, looking up through the ruins of a cathedral. The following crane shot glides over a skull, which is a symbol of death, representing the loss of lives that war causes. It is then reinforced that the environment has also been partially killed by the war, as a wide shot allows the audience to see the extent to which this has occurred and observe the since neglected area.

At the very end of the first sequence, the Captain is introduced after a close-up of his pocket watch. This could imply that he is mechanical and precise, as one would expect of a military leader, and is therefore defined by his role, having little personality aside from his designated position. The clock could also suggest he is conscious of time, as if he is aware that he is replaceable and, therefore, does have the luxury of time to get things done. The audience later learns that the watch was his father, which he smashed as he died so his son would know his time of death. This reinforces the idea of the watch as a countdown to the Captain’s death, or at least a symbol that time is limited.

Sources of light are used by Del Toro to distinguish characters by their allegiance to either the rebels or the fascists. One example of this is in the bedtime sequence, where Ofelia and Carmen lie in bed together: Ofelia is bathed in the warm, orange light of the fire, whilst Carmen lays in the cold, blue light associated with the Captain, implying her conformity to his regime and the control he has over her, like his soldiers. The light Carmen is placed in supposedly comes from outside, reinforcing her position as adult in the situation; she has experienced the real, outside world, while Ofelia has been sheltered and protected by her. On the other hand, the orange light Ofelia is placed in is used in the fairytale realm sequences and also has connotations of the rebels in this film. Ofelia herself is rebellious throughout the film, both to the Captain’s commands and her mother’s expectations, so the light associated with rebels seems to be fitting for her. Additionally, a dividing line is created between the different lights, reflecting the duality of the film and the real versus fantasy worlds that are at play. The line separates Ofelia from her mother, indicative of the opposing sides that they support and ultimately end up on; however, they manage to overcome their differences for the time being by cuddling in each other in bed, only visually, not physically, separated.

The sequence progresses into the Captain’s lair, with a low-angle shot of the Captain making him appear imposing and intimidating. This places the audience literally beneath him, meaning they are more able to empathise with others in the same position, such as the Doctor, who enters later in the scene. The camera height could reflect rank, as the Captain is higher in rank than anyone else, including the audience. It is also shot on wide aperture, which makes the background blurry whilst focusing the foreground; therefore, the Captain is the complete focus of the audience, as he would expect of people in his presence.

In the fig tree sequence, a handheld steadicam is used, giving the camera movement a floaty feeling, fitting for fantasy realm and matching Ofelia’s meandering movement through the woods until she reaches the fig tree. The camera movement is reflective of her distraction from the real world, as she has her head in a book. The camera arcs around her fairly slowly once she has reached the tree, feeling dream-like and allowing the audience to take in her reaction to wonders such as the giant fig tree.

Inside the tree, the camera keeps changing its direction of movement, from right to left and back again, to show the confusing and twisting nature of the tree. A wide shot of Ofelia and the toad shows their relative sizes: the toad towers above the tiny Ofelia. There is a similar close-up of the rocks to earlier, but this time it shows them to be covered in mud, emphasising the sheer dirtiness of the tree that meant Ofelia could not even keep the valuable objects clean. A whip pan is used as the toad’s long tongue emerges, to show its excessive and scary length, and once it has deflated, the camera tightens in on the key – the object of importance, so the audience spot it at the same time as Ofelia and are aware of its presence.

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In the wedding sequence of Wild Tales, the camera techniques drastically change from beginning to end, the change in story being marked by a change in cinematography.

As the short begins, the screen shows a slideshow of childhood photos centrally framed, which draws the audience’s attention to it. The camera slowly pulls out from this into a wide shot of all the guests, showing there are many of them, so the hosts of the party must be popular. The attention of all the guests is also drawn by the slideshow, suggesting it is important and of interest to them. Blue light is cast on the guests, as if it is the screen reflecting on them as they watch. Additionally, there are some flashing disco lights, implying the location and event and putting the audience into the party spirit, along with the guests.

Next, the camera crabs right to show the full extent of the guests, but the focus remains on the projector screen that displays the pictures, implying the people shown in them are still more important than individual guests. A sequence of wide shots establishes the setting and the sheer number of people present.

Romina and Ariel enter the room, with a spotlight on them, suggesting that they will be the main characters for the duration of the short. The camera moves through the crowd towards them as the open the curtain, then arcs around each of the couple individually, showing them hugging their family members, but remaining focused on them and the way they act around others. The camera almost dances around them, increasing in speed as the song increases in energy; however, it favours Romina over Ariel, placing the audience more in her position and making us more likely to empathise with her later on. The lighting makes it hard to distinguish the couple from the rest of the crowd, hinting at the over-crowdedness. Additionally, the camera remains at a lower angle, again making the room feel crowded. However, there is later a high-angle shot to allow the audience to see the large number of people in the room.

As Romina speaks to a couple of her guests, pointing out the different groups in the room, the camera remains focused on her, instead of where she is pointing, to show that Romina is more important than them. Her attention is drawn by Ariel’s co-workers, and this is shown by the camera zooming in on them, with Lourdes centrally framed. Romina moves away from the couple and becomes isolated in the frame. It is also shot with a shallow depth of field, making the background blurry, and the camera tightens in on Romina, who is visually and emotionally alone. A long lens is used, allowing people to walk between her and the camera, which shows that the room is bustling and busy and makes it feel like Romina is being watched.

The camera arcs around the couple as they dance, which feels rather disorientating, and Ariel moves up and down out of the close-up shot, whereas Romina’s face remains fully in shot, implying that her reaction is the one of interest. The focus is entirely on them, the background is not visible, and the room’s lighting is much darker, although Ariel and Romina are lit up. Ariel is slightly more shadowed, suggesting that he has committed the dark deed of adultery and Romina is seeing a new side of him.

Similar to him looking at the knife, Ariel looks down at the cake on the floor, and the camera follows his gaze, putting the knife into context. After shoving cake into his mouth, Ariel walks over to Romina and there is a shot of just her looking up at him. This is succeeded by a shot of Ariel’s face, looking down at her, then followed by a similar shot of Romina looking at him, although slightly closer to her face, allowing the audience to fully gauge how she is feeling. As Romina stands up, there is an over-the-shoulder shot, showing her reaction.

Wild Tales – Performance

17th Jan 202017th Jan 2020 by daisysamrasfilmstudiesblog, posted in Component 2a: Global Film

The Wedding Sequence (01:24:56) – ‘Hasta que la muerte nos separe‘:

There is exaggerated happiness from the moment Ariel and Romina enter the room: they jump to hug family members and they pull away beaming. Romina even kisses her now mother-in-law on the cheek, which highly contrasts their behaviour towards one another later in the film. Romina points out her friends, moving to hug them and they all look extremely happy for her. Ariel pulls Romina in for a kiss, but looks at the camera part way through, suggesting that he is more concerned about the appearance of their love to others, rather than the reality. The enthusiasm is lifted even more by the DJ waving his hands in the air and commencing the dancing.

The sequence cuts to Romina and Ariel taking pictures with different groups of wedding guests. The pictures are vastly different: in the first, Romina and Ariel comfortably smile, the second is a crazy picture with their friends and the final one is very formal with older guests. These show their change in personality depending on who they are with and again suggests the idea that the whole wedding is a performance that Romina and Ariel must convince their guests of.

The conversation between Romina and a couple is nauseatingly nice, with compliments flowing back and forth. Romina seems distracted, however, and looks over to the table that Ariel is socialising with. At it, a woman (Ariel’s co-worker, named Lourdes) seductively flicks her long hair back, whilst talking to Ariel, and the two laugh and chat together. Romina excuses herself from the guests and picks up a glass of champagne, throwing it back, which suggests she is in need of comfort.

Once Lourdes has realised it is Romina calling her phone, she turns away and begins fake laughing to cover for herself. This sets up the character as artificial and unlikable, she chooses to turn away and not face the consequences of what she has done. Romina looks furious, understanding the truth, and seems betrayed. Ariel goes over to her for their first dance, but Romina is reluctant to take his hand. Despite Ariel looking at her, she averts her eyes, implying that she is so disgusted by what she thinks he has done, that she can’t even look at him, he is not the man she thought she was marrying.

Meanwhile, Ariel continues to look around the room, ensuring that no one else is aware of the awkwardness between him and his wife and seems confused by Romina’s questioning, before laughing it off and dismissing her claims as ridiculous. Romina goes to move away from him, but Ariel pulls her back in towards him, not letting her leave. The couple swap partners and Romina appears more comfortable in her father’s arms, leaning into his chest to cry, feeling able to be vulnerable as she knows it is a safe place.

On the other hand, Ariel is distracted from dancing with his mother by craning to see Romina, suggesting that he does care about her, but perhaps also that he is aware of her current volatile nature and does not want her to disrupt the perfect wedding picture by causing a scene. His mother is unaware of his anxiety, and fusses over him, sorting out his collar, which hints at her protectiveness which will be intensified later.

Ariel awkwardly interrupts Romina and her father and reassures Romina, which seems to calm her down, but she suddenly pressures him to answer, needing to know the truth. He tells her and she runs off, upset. Ariel hesitates before chasing after her, suggesting he does not want anyone else to know that something is wrong.

On the roof, Romina is comforted by a kitchen worker, who tells her to stop worrying about what people think. She pauses, seemingly taking a moment to decide something, and then closes her eyes and leans in to kiss him gently. This progresses into the kitchen worker kissing her back, and by the time Ariel walks out, the two are having sex.

Ariel walks out in a rush, showing that he is concerned about her and wants to find her, but this soon turns to shock when he sees Romina and the kitchen worker together. The chef jumps away and pulls up his trousers, implying his embarrassment, whilst Romina is not so ashamed. Rather, her eyes widen and she aggressively points her finger at Ariel, as if telling him off and warning him. Ariel’s response is to vomit, showing his absolute shock and how overwhelmed he is. Romina is not affected by this, and storms off, back to the party.

She strides into the room, not caring about keeping up appearances anymore, and waves wildly to the DJ, re-commencing the music. Everyone starts dancing, jumping and clapping enthusiastically and Romina looks smug at this distraction. Ariel is lifted up by his friends, but cranes to see through the door, where the kitchen worker gestures excessively, as if he is telling the story of what has gone on to his colleagues.

Having been put down, Romina has a determined look about her, and sets her sights on Lourdes. She vindictively invites Lourdes to dance, putting on a pretence of not wanting her to leave. They spin around and Romina throws Lourdes into the mirror, although acts shocked, as if it were a complete accident. Ariel sits by Lourdes side in the hallway, suggesting he cares more about her well-being than Romina’s.

Romina continues on with the celebrations and is drunkenly affectionate towards her friends, shouting for the cameraman to kiss Milli. Her continuation of this demand soon seems crazy, but Romina no longer seems aware of how she appears to others.

Ariel re-enters the room, shouting aggressively at Romina and looks intently into her eyes to gauge a response. She does not give him one, coming across as insensitive and cruel. Instead, she forcefully throws the bouquet, again seeming crazy and angry.

Ariel drops to the floor sobbing, overcome with emotion. His mother rushes to comfort him and hugs him tightly. Meanwhile, Romina instructs the cameraman to keep filming, showing her complete lack of concern for Ariel. This causes the mother to flip, and she attacks Romina, but is pulled away by the two fathers.

Romina picks herself off the table, heavily breathing to show her pain and anger. She tears off her hair extension and throws it on the floor, showing her exhaustion with everything. Doctors enter and one delegates people to the others, suggesting he is in charge. Neither Romina nor Ariel respond to the doctors, both seeming in a state of shock. Romina is apparently more in shock and appears dazed, crazy and as if she is not really present. The doctor clicks in her face to get her attention, but she stares off into the distance.

Ariel manages to limp over to a chair, but Romina is unable to even sit down properly, and she slides off the chair onto the floor, which could represent her physical and mental instability. On the floor, she pulls away from the doctor, seeming afraid, vulnerable and pitiful to the audience. Her friends crowd round, stroking her hair in an attempt to comfort her. Similarly, Ariel’s mother rubs his chest soothingly; however, he abruptly stands up and rips off the blood pressure monitor, putting a hand up to stop anyone helping him.

He staggers off out of shot and in the next shot, we see him remove his finger from the champagne bottle he has just opened and chug from the bottle. He wipes his mouth and again gestures his friends away as he staggers over to the cake, still swigging from the bottle. Putting down the bottle, he instead picks up a knife, causing a doctor to tentatively move towards him, worried that Ariel might do something dangerous.

However, Ariel scoops up the cake and cuts a large wedge, shoving most of it into his mouth, which could suggest his intense need for comfort. Romina laughs, relieved, but this soon returns to crying. Ariel shakes out a napkin and uses it to wipe his mouth, showing that he still uses his manners and can be neat; although, he then throws it away from him.

Walking over to Romina, Ariel gestures and shrugs, before holding out a hand towards her, offering a sign of peace. Romina looks up at him, then at his hand, considering whether to take it and then she does, being pulled to her feet by Ariel. As soon as she is on her feet, Romina snatches her hand away, claiming her independence back and not fully forgiving him yet.

Ariel puts his arms in a dance hold and Romina slowly places her hands in his and they begin to sway, slowly dancing. Ariel tentatively moves in to kiss Romina and it soon develops into a more passionate kiss. Observing from a distance, Romina’s father is given a sandwich, that he proceeds to eat, as if eating a snack at the cinema. He seems to enjoy the show until it progresses even further, with Ariel lifting up Romina and carrying her over to the cake table. As Romina and Ariel begin to have sex on the table, tugging at each other’s clothes, the guests stream out of the room, giving them some privacy.

Wild Tales – Mise-en-scène

16th Jan 202017th Jan 2020 by daisysamrasfilmstudiesblog, posted in Component 2a: Global Film

The Wedding Sequence (01:24:56) – ‘Hasta que la muerte nos separe‘:

The opening has a warm, colourful colour palette, showing the variety and love in the setting. The couple are revealed by the opening of red curtains, reminiscent of theatre curtains, which suggests that we are at the start of a performance and Romina and Ariel are about to put on a show.

The dialogue between characters is very congratulatory, as Romina and Ariel greet their family members. During the dancing, Romina and Ariel keep getting separated by the crowds, foreshadowing later how they feel distant from each other.

Romina and Ariel move round the tables and Romina glances over to where Ariel is chatting with one of his co-workers, whose chair is pulled out much further than anyone else at the table, drawing attention to her and allowing Ariel to lean over her. The co-worker, Lourdes, has tattoos that are revealed as Ariel walks away, as she flicks her long hair. They could hint at her villainous nature that will lead to the breakdown of Ariel and Romina’s relationship.

On the roof, city lights glitter in the background, similar to the disco lights in the hall. The kitchen worker is wearing a white uniform, matching with Romina and foreshadowing the connection which they will soon form. They are both also wearing their designated uniforms that show the role they play: he is a kitchen worker and she is a bride, albeit an upset one.

Romina’s make-up runs as she sobs to the kitchen worker and after they have slept together, she becomes much more dishevelled in appearance, whereas Ariel remains mostly neat. This implies that Romina is the one mentally unravelling, whilst Ariel is still relatively stable, not having fully absorbed what Romina is saying.

Before Ariel sees Romina with the kitchen worker, there is a single shot of her shoe, lying alone on the floor. This could be a reference to Cinderella: Romina has run away from her ‘prince’ and he tries to find her before it is too late.

During the confrontation between Romina and Ariel, pathetic fallacy is used to emphasise Romina’s mood. Thunder rumbles and there are flashes of lightning, showing her anger, whilst wind whips ferociously, suggesting the current turbulence in Romina and Ariel’s relationship.

Back in the main room, the dancing re-commences, along with the disco lights. This time, the lights flash green and blue, suggesting the envy and sadness that is felt by the main characters at this moment.

Romina spins round with Lourdes, their white and black dresses, respectively, contrasting each other. However, despite Romina being clothed in white, the colour of purity and innocence, she has lost this by her husband’s actions. She is shown to be tainted by her unkind actions through the blood stains on her dress after she throws Lourdes into the mirror.

Lourdes is tended to in the hallway, sat on a white sheet that contrasts her bright red blood. Additionally, the blood is streaked in such a way in that it looks like her blood vessels have been exposed from beneath the skin. This makes her injuries look more intense and horrifying than they perhaps are.

Towards the end of the sequence, the bride and groom cake topper remains visible for some time. The happy figures contrast Romina and Ariel’s feelings towards each other and remind the audience that this is supposed to be a wedding setting. During the height of the fighting, the cake topper is knocked over, now more accurately reflecting the couple’s relationship as it lies forgotten on the floor.

As Ariel shouts at Romina, his shirt is visibly partially untucked; both of the couple are now dishevelled and have been affected over the course of the night. They are seen to be more equal again, both having put up with the other’s cruel actions. Later, Ariel’s buttons are even partly undone. After Romina has been pushed into the table by Ariel’s mother, she picks herself up and walks across the room, a trail of blood following her to show she is now physically injured as well.

Ariel stands up and walks over to pick up a bottle of champagne. He opens it and it fizzes wildly out, perhaps mimicking the building up of the tensions and then the sudden explosion of emotions.

At the end, the lights in the room dim, giving Romina and Ariel privacy and cake crumbles onto the floor, implying that they are having sex. The camera remains focused on the cake topper, which now more accurately reflects the relationship between Romina and Ariel.

Wild Tales – Editing

15th Jan 202017th Jan 2020 by daisysamrasfilmstudiesblog, posted in Component 2a: Global Film

The Wedding Sequence (01:24:56) – ‘Hasta que la muerte nos separe‘:

The sequence begins with a black screen that remains for some time, giving this final short a longer interlude than any of the others, therefore preparing the audience that this is the last section. The screen fades from black to show grainy childhood photos on a projector screen, of people who we do not yet know.

From Romina and Ariel entering the room to them hugging various guests is all one lengthy shot, establishing the venue, main characters and event. There are alternating shots between the bride and groom, of them greeting their guests, allowing the audience to see them as individuals apart from each other for the first time.

As the pace of the music picks up, so too does the pace of editing, evoking excitement in the audience, as they are caught up in the fast-paced celebrations. There is a graphic overlay of an old camera recording screen that shows Romina and Ariel sharing a kiss. This could emphasise how all their actions are being watched and they put on a show for others. A jarring cut transitions between the energetic moving shots to a more classic, still wide-shot of the whole room.

Later, there are rapid cuts in a montage-like sequence of Romina and Ariel taking different wedding pictures with their guests. Each photo contrasts the previous one: the first is sweet, the second a cheesy one with friends and the final is a formal photo. The rapid nature of the cuts between each of the pictures could suggest how quickly Romina and Ariel’s emotions/behaviour can change. After this, a couple from the final photograph give Romina a gift and their conversation takes place through shot-reverse-shot.

There is contiguity editing of Romina and Ariel moving round to the tables to talk to their guests, as the audience does not see the, fully walk round each table. However, the sequence of Romina phoning Lourdes whilst looking in the mirror plays out in full, without the need to cut. This is because of the camera angle allowing the audience to see Romina and Lourdes at the same time, using the mirror, making the sequence more efficient.

Ariel walks over to Romina to begin their first dance and their subsequent conversation occurs using the shot-reverse-shot technique again. As their argument intensifies, so does the pace of the cuts, meaning the audience has a chance to see each person’s reaction to the other’s response.

Once Romina runs off, we cut between Ariel and Romina to determine that the two are in different locations and Ariel has not succeeded in finding her. However, there is a shot of Romina running through the kitchen where the camera is attached to the door, and there is no cut between this and Ariel then running through the same door.

The conversation between Romina and the kitchen worker on the roof is largely shot using shot reverse shot; although, frequently Romina is looking away from him on her solo close-up shots. Additionally, Romina still has more screen time, so that the audience can fully take in her reaction to the kitchen worker’s advice.

As Ariel walks out onto the roof, there is a glance object shot of Romina’s shoe, isolated. This implies that Romina has committed suicide by jumping off the roof but, after a reaction shot, the next shot establishes that she is still very much alive and having sex with the kitchen worker.

Back in the main room, Romina swings round Lourdes. During their conversation, shot reverse shot is again used whilst they are spinning round. As Lourdes falls to the floor, there is match on action to show the impact of her landing.

Whilst Romina and Ariel argue, there is shot reverse shot to show their reaction to each other and their changing emotions. There is match on action of Ariel’s mother attacking Romina, showing her extreme rage towards Romina.

After the fighting, the camera cuts between Romina and Ariel, who are on opposite sides of the room, being helped. They are in the same situation, being similarly helped but they are separated from each other, reflecting their relationship. A reaction shot shows a weary Ariel wiping his eyes, before he eventually decides to walk over to Romina.

As he looks at Romina, there is essentially a ‘glance object shot’ of her on the floor, then the camera cuts back to Ariel looking at her. During Romina’s decision making over whether she will take Ariel’s hand or not, the camera cuts back and forth between him holding his hand out and a close-up of her face, showing her indecision and reluctance. Overall, towards the end of the sequence, there are fewer cuts, because a handheld camera is used and there are often quick, almost jerking motions, such as the camera moving down to show the knife on the table, instead of using a glance object shot.

Wild Tales – Sound

14th Jan 202017th Jan 2020 by daisysamrasfilmstudiesblog, posted in Component 2a: Global Film

The Wedding Sequence (01:24:56) – ‘Hasta que la muerte nos separe’:

As the sequence begins, there is loud, diegetic music playing – the well-known song, ‘Titanium’. The DJ speaks over the top of the track to announce the arrival of the bride and groom and there are background noises of clapping and squeals. The rest of the dialogue is largely drowned out by the music, giving the party atmosphere and suggesting that the comments are not very important.

At the end of the song, there is a dramatic change in music to an upbeat, energetic, Latin-sounding song that is played by a band, called Klezmer music – traditionally played at Jewish celebrations. This is equally as loud and again purports to come from the world of the film. There is gentle music playing in the background, underneath the dialogue of Romina and the guests in the sound mix.

As Romina and the guests look over to where Ariel is standing, the camera follows their gaze, focusing on Ariel and his co-worker who are engaged in conversation. The sound mimics where the camera lies, by Ariel and Lourdes’ conversation being louder in the sound mix. However, the camera still is at a distance, meaning the dialogue has a higher volume than it would in reality and the sound and cinematography combined make it seem as if Romina can hear the conversation, which would certainly not be possible in real life.

When Romina stands by the mirror and phones Lourdes, the audio of Lourdes speaking through the phone is heard from Romina’s perspective because, although we can see Lourdes in the mirror, the camera is positioned physically closer to Romina. This places the audience on the side of Romina, we hear what she hears, so we empathise with her.

‘An Der Schönen Blauen Donau. Op. 314’ begins playing, signally that the first dance is about to commence and, again, it is a very well-known piece of music, that acts as diegetic sound. This music lowers in the sound mix, as Romina and Ariel have a conversation, to shift the audience’s attention towards the dialogue. The music seems to follow the rhythm of the conversation and accompanies Romina’s feelings: the crescendo oocurs as Romina begins to dance, having hesitated for a significant period of time. It starts slowly, reflecting Romina’s reluctance, then picks up pace once Romina continues dancing and as she begins to get angry.

Romina runs out of the room and Ariel follows, but eventually loses her, aurally signalled by the sound of the music again in the background of where he is, which cannot be heard in Romina’s location. Instead, there are the sounds of the city where Romina is, such as a siren, which could also suggest that Romina may do something criminal or someone may get hurt. Thunder rumbles, reflecting Romina’s transition to rage from sadness.

Once Romina re-enters the hall and waves for the DJ to play music, a very frantic, foreign-sounding piece begins to play, that the guests get caught up in, lifting Romina and Ariel into the air. The music is so loud that Ariel’s protests get drowned out, his dialogue is much lower in the sound mix and he is overpowered, just as he has been by Romina. Cheers and shouts accompany the music, showing the enthusiasm and joy of everyone, ironic as Romina and Ariel’s marriage crumbles before them.

The music lowers in the mix slightly as Romina shouts over to Lourdes, but her voice is still almost drowned out by it. As Romina returns to the centre of the crowd with Lourdes, the volume increases again, overpowering Lourdes pleas for Romina to stop. The loud crash as Lourdes slams into the mirror is accompanied by some screams and signals the end of the boisterous music.

The audio suddenly changes as the scene moves from the main room into the hallway through the background ding of a lift. This location is much quieter, a sudden contrast to the previous scene. Back in the main room, there are background sounds of glass being cleared away and the floor being vacuumed, until Romina gestures for music to be played whilst she cuts the cake. Quiet diegetic music starts playing, beneath the dialogue in the sound mix and there is a loud smash as Romina pushes the cake table, knocking over a glass.

Ariel enters the room, but his voice sounds almost echoey and quite far away, before rising in the mix as he moves closer. During their conversation, the background noises are very quiet, allowing the audience to fully focus on what plays out between Romina and Ariel. Footsteps can be heard as the mother approaches to intervene and Ariel gasps suddenly, overwhelmed with emotion as he shouts at Romina, before falling to the floor and loudly sobbing.

His mother makes an animal shrieking noise and rushes to attack Romina and as she does, the background noises increase in volume, suggesting a general kerfuffle and confusion. The sound of crunching glass can be loudly heard as Romina moves across the glass, although her heaving breathing signals her pain and anger.

All the background noises return to being quiet and have a distant feel, as though Romina cannot really hear them; the loudest sounds are her breathing and the glass she walks on, whilst the other noises are heard as if from the dazed Romina’s perspective. A wide shot shows the doctors’ entry into the room, signalling the end of the audience’s stint in Romina’s perspective and this is marked by the increase of the background noises in the sound mix; we have become an objective observer, who has some distance from the events.

The doctors’ actions have accompanying sounds; for example, the air pressure monitor being used. There are continued background noises of crunching glass, but all of this is interrupted by a loud, off-screen bang and shocked gasps, implying that it is a gun. However, it is soon revealed that the noise was actually Ariel popping open some champagne and Romina takes a few deep, relieved gasps at the realisation.

Ariel moves over to the cake table and, again, there is a well-known sound that signifies a violent object; although in this case, it is the Foley sound of the knife as he picks it up. There are more scared gasps and even a scream, but they soon realise they are not in danger when Ariel uses the knife to cut a slice of cake. He is seemingly deeply satisfied by the comfort the cake provides, sighing appreciatively as he eats it. Pacified, Ariel walks over to Romina, offers his hand and, on her acceptance, the non-diegetic music track ‘Fly Me To The Moon’ by Bobby Womack begins, as if accompanying their dancing. The music is reminiscent of a love film, when the main characters obtain their ‘happy ever after’, implied by a romantic final scene. All is forgiven and, thus all is resolved.

Wild Tales – Cinematography

13th Jan 202017th Jan 2020 by daisysamrasfilmstudiesblog, posted in Component 2a: Global Film

The Wedding Sequence (01:24:56) – ‘Hasta que la muerte nos separe‘:

The sequence is shot on wide-screen but it is not anamorphic. As the short begins, the screen shows a slideshow of childhood photos centrally framed, which draws the audience’s attention to it. The camera slowly pulls out from this into a wide shot of all the guests, whose attention is also drawn by this slideshow. Blue light is cast on the guests, as if it is the screen reflecting on them as they watch. Additionally, there are some flashing disco lights, implying the location and event.

The camera crabs right to show the full extent of the guests, but the focus remains on the projector screen that displays the pictures. A sequence of wide shots establishes the setting and the sheer number of people present.

The camera almost dances around them, increasing in speed as the song increases in energy; however, it favours Romina over Ariel. The lighting makes it hard to distinguish the couple from the rest of the crowd, hinting at the over-crowdedness. Additionally, the camera remains at a lower angle, again making the room feel crowded. However, there is later a high-angle shot to allow the audience to see the large number of people in the room.

One shot is from the point of view of a recording camera, showing Romina and Ariel sharing a kiss. The lighting is yellow to show the warmth in the room – they are in the company of friends and are enjoying themselves. Another interesting shot is one that seems to come out of the mouth of a sousaphone.

Romina moves over to the mirror, coming into the frame of a seemingly out-of-focus wide-shot, which is actually focused on her. There is a rack focus in the mirror, shifting the focus from Romina to Lourdes. In the mirror, Romina surrounds Lourdes, suggesting she is imposing. The shot turns into an over-the-shoulder shot, which is focused on Romina then shifts its focus to Lourdes. Flipping to the other side of Lourdes, there is a mid-shot of Romina in the background, that is shot using a long lens to emphasise that Romina is watching her. There are a couple of focus pulls to move the audience’s attention.

Ariel comes up to Romina and offers his arms out for a dance; the camera pans down to his hand, focusing on the ring on his finger, an ironic symbol of love and loyalty, as we are already suspicious of his infidelity.

A dutch tilt as Romina is placed on the floor makes the audience feel dizzy along with her. There are flashes of red lighting amongst the blue as Romina walks over to Lourdes, showing her anger and suggesting that she is about to act on it. Romina invites Lourdes to dance and the camera is attached to them whilst the spin, again contributing to the dizzying effect of the sequence. The spinning is shot at a high shutter speed, allowing it to be seen more clearly. The shots of each of the women is done from over the shoulder of the other.

In the hallway, there is bright light, contrasting the previous darkness of the main room. The lights have also been switched on in the main room, suggesting that the party spirit has been ruined. Ariel walks in and the camera moves to reveal his mother by his side, supporting him and encouraging him to press charges against Romina.

Romina and Ariel’s mother fight, and a long lens is used to film Romina as she lifts herself off the table, giving the sense that she is being looked at by everyone in the room as they await her reaction. She walks across the glass, with the camera moving down quickly to follow her gaze as it lands on the glass. The camera then moves around to show the destruction that Romina has caused. Romina remains in focus, and her friends can be seen in the background.

A wide shot shows the extent of the chaos, before the doctors walk in to check on everyone. A wide shot of a cleaner in the background shifts focus to a doctor, who makes his way over to Romina.

Wild Tales Contextualised

8th Jan 202017th Jan 2020 by daisysamrasfilmstudiesblog, posted in Component 2a: Global Film

1. Define a portmanteau film. What are other notable examples from recent years?

Portmanteau films are also known as anthology films, a series of short forms that are linked through a common theme. In the case of ‘Wild Tales’ the unifying theme is violence and revenge, shown to different extremes and in different ways. Sometimes, each short film is directed by a different director, such as in ‘Paris, je t’aime’ (2006). Other examples of portmanteau films are ‘V/H/S’, ‘Flesh and Fantasy’, ‘Four Rooms’ and ‘New York Stories’. ‘Love Actually’ is another well-known film, which demonstrates the qualities of a portmanteau film, although the stories are linked more strongly than other films, through the connection between the characters and not just the theme.

2. Give a brief synopsis of each of the stories in the film. Which are the most effective? Why do you think these stories have been chosen?

The first story is about two characters on a plane having a conversation and discovering that they both had bad experiences with the same person. Other people join in, until the characters realise everyone on the plane knows the same ‘Gabriel Pasternak’. His plot to bring them together and kill them is uncovered, but there is nothing to be done, and the characters all plunge to their deaths.

The second story is about a waitress who realises the only customer in the diner is the man who caused her father’s death. The cook offers to poison his food, the waitress refuses, but the cook proceeds to poison the dish anyway. The waitress serves him, ignorant of the poison that lies in his meal, although once she finds out, she tries to stop him and his son, who has since entered, eating it. The man attacks her after she throws the plate of food, and they end up fighting on the floor, until the cook stabs the man repeatedly with a knife and he dies.

In the third sequence, a driver attempts to overtake a slow roadhog. The slower driver refuses to move over, but eventually the first driver pulls away ahead of him. Unfortunately, his tyre goes flat, so he pulls over to fix it. Meanwhile, the slower driver catches up and stops, getting out of his truck to smash in the first driver’s window and urinate on it. The first driver retaliates by driver the other man’s truck into a stream, then drives away until he chooses to return in an attempt to run over the man. He ends up swerving into the stream and the other man breaks into his car, hanging the first driver with a seatbelt and setting the car aflame. Both men ultimately die in the fire and the emergency services believe it to be a “crime of passion”.

The fourth sequence is of a demolition expert, whose car keeps getting towed. He challenges the towing office, but they refuse to do anything and he gets increasingly exasperated, smashing in a window when trying to obtain a refund for his fine, which costs him his job and his marriage. As a result, he places explosives in his car and blows up the towing office without injuring anyone. This gives him status as a hero, and his wife and daughter even visit him in prison with a cake for his birthday.

In the fifth story, the son of a rich couple is involved in a hit and run, causing the death of a pregnant woman. The father tries to pay his employee to take the blame, but winds up with more people involved and has to bribe his lawyer and the local prosecutor as well. He becomes frustrated at the ever-increasing fees, telling his son to confess. Lower prices are negotiated and the groundskeeper is taken away by the police; however, his head is bashed in by the angry crowd before he is escorted into the car.

The final story is set during the wedding of Romina and Ariel. Romina finds out that Ariel cheated on her, so runs up to the balcony and sleeps with a kitchen worker, who tried to comfort her. When Ariel finds her, she promises to sleep with every man who looks at her, take all his money and if he tries to get a divorce, pretend he is to blame. The reception continues, Romina and Ariel returning and Romina dances with the woman who slept with Ariel, swinging her into a mirror. Ariel’s mother is enraged at how Romina has behaved towards her son, attacking Romina but being pulled away by the two fathers. Romina and Ariel eventually make-up: their dancing evolves into kissing and then having sex as everyone else rushes out of the door.

3. The literal translation of the title is Savage Tales. How is this a more appropriate title and how well does it apply to each of the stories in the film?

All of the stories have violence in them, some to greater extremes than others; for example, I found the end of the fifth story very violent and found it difficult to watch the groundskeeper’s head being bashed in. The third sequence is particularly savage, as there is very little ground for the extreme actions that come out of road rage; the slower driver did not have much reason to pull over and taunt the first driver and he was hogging the road completely unprompted. I felt the first one was entertaining and there was no visible violence. Equally, in the fourth one, nobody was hurt and I found the demolition expert’s revenge rather funny. In the second sequence, the violence at the end was defensive, to protect the helpless waitress, and I did not particularly feel sorry at the man’s death. The final sequence shows more of a mental revenge than a physical one, although some of the characters obtain injuries along the way.

4. What does the viewer learn about Argentine society from watching the film? Does this accurately reflect the political and social reality?

The film suggests that Argentine society is rather cut-throat, with many people out for revenge if they feel someone has wronged them, even slightly. This is evident through the driving sequence and the towing story, as the triggers were rather minor, and some of the characters in the first sequence were not really deserving of their fate. In the final sequence, one of the wedding guests talks about the country not being very safe, and Romina agrees but replies that things are getting better. This again presents Argentina as a dangerous country that people may not want to live in.

In the film, there are social inequalities and injustices; for example, in the fifth story, an innocent groundskeeper is killed for taking the blame for a hit and run committed by his employer’s son. This coercion shows the corruption of a society that enables wealthy citizens to bribe the less well-off into being held accountable for their crimes and ultimately paying the price, in this case, with their life. Therefore, the film could be critiquing capitalism and its impact on the poor.

5. Are there aesthetic differences between each of the stories? How do the aesthetic support the story being told?

Cinematographer Javier Julia and director Damian Szifrón discussed shooting each segment differently, but ultimately decided that keeping them the same would provide a more dreamlike and immersive experience for the audience.

However, the lighting and setting for each story are rather different.The first sequence is almost entirely contained on the airplane, with very artificial lighting, suitable for the story in which all the passengers have been lured and trapped there by ‘Gabriel Pasternak’ for apparently wronging him in some way. At the very end, it cuts to outside in a garden on a very sunny day, which highly contrasts the story and somewhat adds to the humorous effect.

The second story is set on a dark, rainy night and the diner itself is very dark and dingy. This shows the situation the waitress is currently living in, partly as a result of the man. The interior of the diner and kitchen is rather harshly lit, again suggesting that her situation is the harsh reality for some of the less fortunate Argentinians.

The third short has much more of a rural setting. Similar to the second, the setting seems deserted and empty, aside from the main characters. The roads are more rough tracks and the presumed heat makes it feel claustrophobic, despite the vast openness. The lack of buildings or much vegetation again adds to the isolating feeling.

Highly contrasting with the previous one, the fourth sequence is set in an urban area. It is dark and dreary, making each of the towing incidents seem more repetitive and infuriating. The colour palette reflects the demolition expert’s seeming exhaustion with life and the depressing nature of the events. Interestingly, it is at the end, when he is locked up in prison, that the man is most free throughout the whole sequence.

The penultimate short is set in a wealthy family’s house. This could be to show a different side to Argentine society, we are seeing a story from the rich man’s view. The house is nothing exceptional and the day is fairly ordinary; this story is less concerned with extremes, it seems. At the end, the groundsman leaves the property and is ambushed by a mob of people, one of whom smashes his face in. It is interesting to consider that, in this story, the poor man is killed by the ordinary man, whilst the rich one remains safe inside.

The final short is also contained within the wedding reception venue, but it has a lot of flexibility. Frequent changes in lighting vary the atmosphere and location. Additionally, at one point, Romina runs out of the room and goes up to the roof, giving her freedom from the crowded room below. The hallway is used as an escape from the craziness of the room; Lourdes is taken out into it, once she has been inflicted with injuries by Romina swinging her into a mirror. Right at the end, the story comes full circle by Romina and Ariel sleeping with each other, in the same room that they threw accusations at each other and seemed most likely to break up. Everyone hurries out, leaving them alone, after having been watched by so many just a few moments before.

Wild Thoughts on Wild Tales

18th Dec 20196th Jan 2020 by daisysamrasfilmstudiesblog, posted in Component 2a: Global Film

Wild Tales (Damián Szifron, 2014) is an Argentinian anthology film composed of six short standalone stories. First is a sequence on a plane, where two of the passengers discover that they knew the same person, Gabriel Pasternak. It is then slowly revealed that other surrounding passengers also know Pasternak, one way or another. Eventually, the passengers uncover Pasternak’s scheme to get everyone who has wronged him on the same plane, drug the pilot and plunge them all to their deaths.

In the second sequence, a waitress is serving the only customer in the diner, when she recognises him as the man responsible for her father’s suicide. She confides in the cook, who offers to put rat poison in his food, but the waitress refuses. The cook independently decides to add the poison anyway, believing the man deserves to die, and the waitress unknowingly serves him the poisoned dish. The man’s son arrives and, finding out about the poison, the waitress rushes to stop them both eating the food. The man becomes aggressive, but the cook steps in, stabbing him to death, as the waitress lies in the pool of his blood. The police arrive and arrest the cook, whilst the son is tended to by the ambulance crew.

The third sequence is of a man driving his car along a road and coming up behind another driver, who refuses to let him overtake. This causes anger in the first driver, but he manages to get past, gesturing rudely at the other man once he has passed. Unfortunately, his tyre goes flat so he has to pull over, and as he is replacing it with his spare tyre, the roadhog catches up. He also pulls over and starts an argument between the two, proceeding to smash the man’s front windscreen in, urinate on it and moon the driver, until the driver retaliates by pushing the truck in front into the stream. Both men eventually end up in the stream, after the first driver drives away but returns in an attempt to run over the other. The second driver hangs the first using a seat belt and sets fire to the truck. It goes up in flames and both men die inside, only their skeletons remaining when emergency services arrive at the scene.

The fourth sequence is about a demolition expert, whose car is towed, enraging him and causing him to argue with the towing office until he eventually relents and pays the fine. As a result, he misses his daughter’s birthday party, disappointing his wife and child. The next day, he attempts to get a refund, but when he is refused one, the man flips and starts smashing in the partition window. He is arrested and splashed all over the news, causing his wife to seek a divorce and his place of work to fire him. His car is towed again, and the man repeats the same process. The next time his car is towed, it is filled with explosives, which he detonates once his car is at the towing office, destroying the place but injuring no one. He is arrested, but celebrated on social media and by his fellow prisoners and his wife and daughter visit, bringing a cake for his birthday.

In the fifth sequence, the son of a rich couple returns home, having run over a pregnant woman in a hit and run. It is all over the news, with the local citizens calling for justice. The father and his lawyer come up with a plan to make the groundskeeper take the blame by offering him half a million dollars. The groundsman accepts, but the plan is foiled when the prosecutor notices that the car mirrors are not adjusted correctly for the groundskeeper’s height. The prosecutor is brought in on the plan, but the rich father becomes fed up with the ever-increasing expenses and agrees to allow the son to confess. A better price is negotiated and the groundskeeper is escorted away by the police, a cloth bag covering his head to keep his identity secret. However, from the gathered crowd, a man pulls out a hammer and strikes the groundsman repeatedly on the head, presumably killing him.

The final sequence is arguably the most wild: a bride finds out that her groom has cheated on her, so runs off to the balcony, where a chef comforts her. They begin to have sex, but are interrupted by the husband, and a confrontation ensues, where the wife promises to sleep with every man who looks at her, spend all her husband’s money and take acting lessons so she can blame him if he tries to get a divorce. They return to the party, and the bride dances with her husband’s co-worker, with whom he cheated on her, and swings her round, throwing her into a nearby mirror. The woman is taken away to be treated by medics, having obtained many superficial cuts and being covered in blood. Romina, the wife, tells the photographer to continue filming, despite her husband crying. The mother of Ariel (the husband) attacks Romina, but they are separated by the two fathers of the couple. Romina falls to the floor and Ariel stands up, walking over. He holds out his hand, pulling Romina to her feet and they dance, which progresses to kissing and then them having sex by the cake table, as everyone rushes out to leave them in private.

The film certainly was a wild ride from beginning to end! I particularly enjoyed the first story set on the aeroplane, although the ending to the tow truck story was most satisfying. I thought the final short was the most crazy, but was suitable on which to end the entire film, as it showed forgiveness after all the revenge and violence earlier on. I really enjoyed the film, because I never knew what to expect, although I found some of the extreme violence difficult to watch. I was hoping the stories would all be linked in a shocking way, but equally, the ending was not disappointing, only a little abrupt, perhaps.

Pan’s Labyrinth – Sequence 5

13th Dec 201923rd Mar 2020 by daisysamrasfilmstudiesblog, posted in Component 2a: Global Film

Pale man sequence (00:55:21 – 01:02:19):

Mise-en-scène:

The start of the sequence has a grey colour palette, showing Ofelia is in the Captain’s world, but when she opens the door, the colour palette becomes warmer and more orange. The change in lighting makes Ofelia’s dress appear green, whereas before it seemed grey/blue. This suggests Ofelia is now in her element, she has escaped the constraints of the Captain’s world.

The storybook Ofelia opens has an art style reminiscent of ‘Alice in Wonderland’, with a variety of pastel colours. It contrasts the plain and basic room in which Ofelia sits, even the window is small and seems to have bars on it. However, the bars look dilapidated, suggesting that, although Ofelia is a prisoner, nothing can stop her escaping to the magical realm where she belongs.

Ofelia uses the magical chalk to draw a door that turns out to very thick and weighty, suggesting it is fortified and there is danger ahead. The vaulted ceiling makes the chamber seem gothic and ancient. The chequered floor could be another reference to ‘Alice in Wonderland’ and suggests that it is all a game to Ofelia, she does not understand the consequences of her actions.

The corridor curves around as Ofelia is going deeper into the lair, and the small windows show there is no escape. She emerges into the large chamber, which is dominated by a large banquet table, with a figure at the end, reflecting the earlier banquet held by the Captain. It is a deliberate parallel to put the Captain’s banquet to shame.

There is a long crabbing shot of a table laden with fantastical, over-exaggerated food, including jellies and fruit, the type of food that would be missed during a period of rationing. The food is overflowing, in high contrast to the strict control the Captain keeps on the food reserves in the real world.

The Pale Man was likely a previously obese person, but has not eaten for a while, so is now rather saggy. He is slumbering but his presence makes the viewer nervous, as he could awaken at any moment. The room is decorated with murals of the Pale Man eating children – horrifying for the audience but reminders of him at his best. The murals suggest he is a creature of myth and legend.

The pile of shoes on the floor are a visual reference to the concentration camps at Auschwitz and suggest that the natural end point to fascism is an event like the Holocaust, fascism leads to the deaths of innocents. The fire burns bright, which could imply the creature belongs in Hell – it is diabolic imagery. Alternatively, the fact the fire is lit, even though the monster is asleep, could suggest he is an eternal being and will live forever. The creature is sat on a throne-like chair, showing its power and the belief of self-importance it has.

The three doors are set into an almost skull shape, connoting death, and they are each different but look magical. The key Ofelia uses is gnarled, with a twig-like body, but is still shiny gold at the end, suggesting it is both important and a fantasy object.

From the banquet, Ofelia picks up a large, glistening grape that is superior to an ordinary grape. It is the large size that makes the fruit so tempting to her; the grape fills her mouth, but she is not satiated by a single grape, and despite the fairies’ warnings, she proceeds to pick up another grape, showing her intense desire for food and the pure temptation of what is in front of her.

The sequence ends with Ofelia escaping, ironically, from the fairytale world back into the harsh, confining world of the Captain, demonstrating the scariness of the monster that means she feels safer in the hands of the Captain, someone already known to be evil.