La La Land – Deep Dive

Context –

La La Land was produced by Summit Entertainment for a modest $30 million in comparison to the $200 million budget for Rogue One released in the same year. However, the budget was a big step up for Chazelle, who first directed Whiplash in 2014 with a $3.3 million indie film budget in order to establish himself and gain funding for La La Land, his passion project. Chazelle and his college roommate Justin Hurwitz wrote the script and score for La La Land first, and after the success of Whiplash were able to secure Lionsgate’s support. The film was an unusual proposal for a big Hollywood studio and Chazelle was given artistic freedom, shooting it on location in Los Angeles in 42 days.

La La Land is a nostalgic musical genre film, looking back on early jazz and Golden Age of Hollywood cinema. Its release in 2017 perhaps reflects or offers the desire to escape during the Trump presidency, much as musicals were at their height as escapist entertainment during World War II. The film uses intertextual references, such as Sebastian swinging round the lamppost like Don in Singin’ in the Rain’, which evokes fond memories of the films and the period of cinema in which they were created. Chazelle also utilises the cinematography of the film to pay tribute to musicals, filming big musical numbers in seemingly one take (there are a few hidden cuts) just as classical Hollywood musicals did.

The film’s nostalgia has been criticised for its erasure of black influence on jazz and racial conflicts that are tightly linked with the genre. Additionally, the desire to look back is usually associated with conservatism, which is what contributed to the election of Donald Trump, with his slogan of ‘Make America Great Again’. Therefore there is an odd irony in the nostalgic sentiment the film conveys that reflected contemporary feeling, and the escape into the past that it provides from a turbulent time under the Trump administration.

Chazelle uses a 2:55:1 Cinemascope ratio in the film, which mimics the style of ‘Fred and Ginger’ musicals in the 1930s, but is rarely used today. This serves to display the vastness of Los Angles in addition to referring back to classical Hollywood. The film shows off LA in iconic locations, such as the Griffith Observatory, although the interior location had to be shot on a designed art noveau-style set because the real Griffith Observatory had undergone renovations which made it look too modern and did not fit the dreamy, nostalgic feeling Chazelle was aiming for.

Aesthetics –

La La Land blends the past and present in its aesthetics, from the use of the 2:55:1 aspect ratio, to the props and costumes. Apart from Seb’s 1982 Buick Rivera, most of the cars are modern including Mia’s Prius, which forms part of a visual joke about everyone in LA driving a Prius, but there is also the inclusion of some 1960s French and Italian cars to hint at the past.

The costumes in every scene are bright and colourful, from the variety in the opening ‘Another Day in the Sun’ scene to Mia’s bold blue dress for the party and her iconic yellow one. This shows the vibrancy of the people in LA and allows them to stand out from their backgrounds.

However, the backgrounds are also made beautiful, despite being typically bland locations, like the Freeway 105 in the opening number. The regular locations root the film in reality, but are coloured and lighted to give a more ‘fairytale’ feeling. This fits with Chazelle’s aim of making a “love song to Los Angeles” in the same way as other films have done to New York or Paris, for example, with their more recognised and typically beautiful setting.

A particularly aesthetically striking scene is the dinner at Sebastian’s apartment, with very dark lighting and green tones, which create a claustrophobic feel and reflects the intensity between the two characters, who are having an argument. Throughout the film, Chazelle straddles the line between reality and fantasy, using the film’s aesthetic to manage this. Particularly, the editing affects the response to the different scenes, with long takes in the musical scenes to allow the expansion of the film as it bursts out on the screen. In contrast, the more mundane, everyday life scenes have a much faster pace of editing.

Representation –

Age: Originally cast with Emma Watson and Miles Teller, Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling eventually ended up playing the parts of Mia and Sebastian, which changed the ages and perspectives of the characters. Instead of being fresh-faced, idealistic young adults, they became more weary and experienced. Sebastian particularly has a jaded and cynical perspective on life that would have not been possible with the younger Miles Teller. Similarly, Mia became more of a struggling actress who is fed up of the constant rejections rather than someone new to the game. This change in casting gives more urgency to the characters’ dreams, as they have spent (or wasted, as they sometimes feel) so much time on them already to the detriment to the rest of their lives.

Gender: The film has a male and female lead, which should provide balance, although there is some criticism that Mia is a passive character, fitting with typical portrayals of women in media and relationships. Sebastian takes charge by finding Mia to ask her out, persuading her to write and perform her show and driving her to her big audition. Additionally, she is encouraged to admire and support his artistic pursuits, as he teaches her to love jazz and she repeatedly watches his performances, whilst he fails to show up even for her opening night.

However, it is arguably Mia who drives the narrative, as we are first positioned with her and then follow the story of her success and fulfilment rather than Sebastian’s. The story explores her birth as an artist, as she ultimately creates something new with the film that breaks conventional casting and writing processes and makes her famous. In contrast, Sebastian is stuck in the past, recycling the old and only remixing when forced to by his friend. Therefore, it is Mia who achieves most success and is able to walk away from Sebastian with her new family and life at the end, rather than live in the past.

Ethnicity: There has been significant criticism for the lack of African-American representation in the film, especially with its focus on jazz which is historically rooted in black experiences. The only major black character in the film is Keith, played by John Legend, who is criticised by Sebastian for not staying true to what jazz really is. This is highly problematic for a white character to try and protect ‘pure jazz’, whilst suggesting his black friend has sold out to become commercially successful. Sebastian is also presented as the one to teach us and Mia about jazz, which is similarly problematic as he passes over the black influence on the genre.

Ideology –

Mainstream Hollywood films often present dominant ideologies, reinforcing societal expectations, often in terms of gender, relationships and power. La La Land initially seems to fit with the dominant ideology that heterosexual romance is most common and men are more active than women in striving for their dreams. Additionally, the idea of the American Dream plays a big part in the film, where both main characters believe they can achieve their high aspirations and they ultimately do, although as is typical for presentations of the American Dream, it fails to acknowledge whether everyone really can achieve this, including minorities. For example, whilst Keith is very successful with his modern jazz band, we see his success through the eyes of Sebastian, who views it as selling out and not a pure love of jazz, therefore this challenges the notion that Keith is happy, fulfilled and has achieved the American Dream.

The film does show a problematically nostalgic return to the past, glazing over racial discrimination, homophobia and gender inequality whilst it focuses on its white, heterosexual leads. It is almost self-consciously apolitical, and seeks to return to a world where this was accepted; Sebastian’s protection is of a jazz that was not political and not engaged with the Civil Rights movement.

However, through the character of Mia, the film is able to challenge the idea of nostalgia and question the benefits of living in the past. Although she has been criticised as a passive character and seems to fit with dominant ideology when she finds success, but also settles down with a family at the end, we can apply a feminist interpretation to her, which critics such as Anna Leszkiewitz have promoted.

The film initially positions us with the character of Mia as we discover her dreams, ambitions and struggles in life, whereas Sebastian only first appears as a main character after 17 minutes of the film. Additionally, Mia is always the audience member watching Seb, which contributes to the idea that she is passive, yet the camera is more often focused on her reaction to what she is watching, rather than the performance itself, suggesting her importance. Leszkiewitz supports this by arguing that “We rarely see [Seb] perform if not through [Mia’s] gaze, and we see her emotionally develop through her evolving reactions to his music.”

The first time Mia and Seb actually meet is in the restaurant where Seb is playing piano. Mia enters the restaurant whilst we are positioned with her, and the audience expects to see Sebastian through her eyes, thus inverting the male gaze; however, Chazelle cuts away before we see him and positions us with Sebastian in his car, taking us through his perspective before returning to the restaurant, where Mia and Seb’s gazes meet as equals.

Spectatorship –

Audiences respond differently to films based on factors such as where they watched the film, age and gender, all of which can have an affect on how they interpreted La La Land. In particular, the gender and racial criticism of La La Land shows that people can take an oppositional reading, where Sebastian’s obsession with jazz is self-indulgent and self-righteous, compared to Keith’s innovative and exciting take on jazz. The film has also been criticised for appearing a male fantasy about artistic integrity, in which Mia is a passive audience member, who supports him but fails to actively pursue her own dreams.

However, the film challenges what it is to be the audience: its intertextual references make the audience conscious that they are experiencing a film and creates an active role for them to spot the references. Similarly, in the film, Mia is a consumer of art and enjoys jazz, cinema and theatre, but goes on to be active in her role towards them; for example, she continues the movie date by taking Sebastian to the location in Rebel Without a Cause and uses the setting for her own purpose, rather than just mimicking the film. Mia is ultimately the one with the dream-life at the end of the film, we follow her from her house on her journey and then as she stumbles across Seb’s bar and whilst she again watches him, she is the active one able to walk out and back into her real life as a movie star, not just Sebastian’s girlfriend. This is perhaps not the preferred meaning of the text, which focuses on the relationship between the two and the dreams that drive their life, but the sacrifice that has to be made.

Beasts of the Southern Wild – Deep Dive

Context –

Beasts of the Southern Wild is an independent film, as it is funded by non-Hollywood financing, has elements of risk-taking, and has a personal vision that values art over money. The focus of the film on poverty and natural disasters does not align with mainstream cinema output and it only had a limited release in four US cinemas, having been produced by Court 13 for $1.8 million and funded mostly by Cinereach, a not-for-profit organisation. The film went on to gross $21 million worldwide, although the motivation for making the film was driven by the desire to tell the story rather than profit, which can be seen by the exploration of a character (Hushpuppy) above pure action and entertainment. Additionally, the film forgoes a typical Hollywood happy ending, instead opting to leave the viewer questioning the fates of the characters in their world.

Beasts of the Southern Wild focuses on a natural disaster and the impact this has on its main black characters, reflecting the reality of the 2005 Hurricane Katrina, which disproportionally affected people of colour and those in poverty. New Orleans particularly felt the effects and Zeitlin “live[s] in New Orleans [so] was interested in telling a story about people who are staying in South Louisiana and why they’re holding on.” The governmental response to Hurricane Katrina was criticised for being slow and ineffectual in a way that it might not have been had the demographic of those affected been different. Zeitlin claims he did not intend the film to be a political one, but it certainly resonates strongly today in light of the Black Lives Matter movement.

The film was very well received at Sundance Festival, and has won 74 awards, which generated enough publicity to warrant its screening in 318 cinemas. In addition to its festival awards, Beasts of the Southern Wild was nominated for four Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Actress, making Quvenzhané Wallis the youngest nominee in history at just age nine. The announcement of Oscar nominations caused a rise in box office takings, acting as great publicity for the film.

In order to aid a wider release, Beasts of the Southern Wild was distributed by Fox Searchlight Pictures, part of the Fox conglomerate. Using a major studio for distribution means the film’s release benefits from their experience and resources, so Beasts of the Southern Wild was able to attract audiences on the big screen and encourage press reviews. The blu-ray and DVD release, also by 20th Century Fox, then took an additional $11 million.

Aesthetics –

Zeitlin’s aesthetic inspiration comes partly from documentaries and he wanted to utilise close, detailed shots of nature to mimic a child’s fascination with the world around them. He also takes opportunities in the film to create beautiful shots without the need to drive on the narrative; for example, when Hushpuppy looks for her mother in the Elysian Fields scene, there are soft twinkling lights to create a beautiful yet strange environment, reflecting Hushpuppy’s wonder as she enters.

Representation –

Age: The focus of the film is on Hushpuppy as a child of six, compared to the adults around her, including her father. She respects his authority and follows his example, shown by her referring to what “Daddy says” in her narration as she grows up with him as her only parental influence. Wink is shown to be important in the community, as he instructs on how to blow up the levee and is central to the community. As a father, Wink shows two sides: he teaches Hushpuppy how to survive, but also has angry outbursts as a result of his illness, which Hushpuppy does not fully understand. For a child, she has a lot of independence, even having her own house and cooking, but she desires a closer bond with her father and her mother who she does not know. Hushpuppy takes on leadership from her father at his death and she is the one to stand up to the aurochs without fear.

Gender: Wink reinforces the idea of strength as a masculine quality to Hushpuppy and taunts her for “being a stupid little girl” at times, instead praising through calling her “the man” when she accepts his challenges of strength. Hushpuppy engages in an arm wrestle and learns skills from her father, such as catching and gutting fish and is influenced by his promotion of strong masculinity, feeling uncomfortable when dressed in a stereotypically feminine way in the hospital.

Ethnicity: The film offers representation of a community which includes black people and everyone has the same experience. However, there has been criticism of the film for its use of troubling stereotypes, made worse by the fact that Zeitlin and co-writer Lucy Alibar are both white. bell hooks’ criticises the child version of the ‘strong black female matriarch’ that Hushpuppy represents and argues that Wink embodies all the racist stereotypes that media presents as part of black masculinity. All the inhabitants of the Bathtub are presented as poor, dirty and animalistic, unwilling to be helped by ‘civilisation’, as represented by the hospital. The adults are drunk, aggressive, angry and inattentive, which is a concerning portrayal particularly of the black characters.

A positive aspect of the film is the casting on non-professional actors to play the roles. Dwight Henry plays Wink and personally experienced the impacts of Hurricane Katrina, making him a suitable choice to portray a character who endures a similar catastrophe as he “understand[s] a lot of what the people in that movie, who live on that island, what they go through.” Similarly, Quvenzhané Wallis is naturalistic in her performance because part of her personality and world-view were incorporated into the character, which means the characters are more reflective of real black people and their experiences.

Ideology –

As an independent film, Beasts of the Southern Wild does not necessarily reflect the dominant ideologies of American culture, such as capitalism and emphasis on family above community. Therefore, it is interesting to apply a Marxist lens to the film, which encourages a challenge to Hollywood’s traditional narrative structure and advocates for the freedom of the viewer to interpret the film as they choose.

In some ways, Beasts of the Southern Wild does not adhere to Marxist film principles, as Zeitlin positions the audience with Hushpuppy and encourages a certain emotional response to her through his shot choices; for example, close-ups of her face when her father is dying. Additionally, the Bathtub community takes a somewhat background seat to the relationship between Wink and Hushpuppy, which fits with dominant American ideology of family over friends.

However, the film overall addresses the situation a specific community is going through and their shared experiences, using Hushpuppy as the connection between the audience and this community. The film challenges accepted society by showing it as a threat to the Bathtub community, such as the forceful removal of them from their home, when they are taken to the hospital and made to conform with Hushpuppy wearing a dress that makes her uncomfortable.

Throughout the film, community and nature are praised instead of capitalism and wealth, which fits with the desires of Marxist theorists. In fact, the two worlds are separated, both literally, with “the wall that cuts [Hushpuppy and her community] off” and societally. The Bathtub community has low income and living standards, which challenges what portrayed on-screen in mainstream cinema. This representation is particularly important in the modern world, where Trump’s presidency sought to exploit social divisions rather than ease them. We are encouraged to support the ‘underdog’ community and admire their survival in the challenging situations, although audience perspective can vary based on personal experience.

Spectatorship –

Independent films often aim to challenge the viewer more, which fits with them as an active spectator, who is able to take away a different reading of the film. Zeitlin’s focus on character rather than action creates more of an emotional connection between the viewer and Hushpuppy, which influences their interpretation. Some audience members take an identification view, where they are able to imagine themselves in Hushpuppy’s situation and empathise with her, whereas others may have an assimilation view, where they are only able to feel sympathy, not empathy, and have to witness the character from an external position.

This can also lead to asymmetry of emotional response, as the viewer is unlikely to feel the same level of emotion as the character; for example, Hushpuppy’s grief in Wink’s death scene is far more extreme than the audience could possibly feel towards that event. Our position with Hushpuppy throughout the film makes us more likely to feel a response towards Hushpuppy’s grief than a direct response to Wink’s death.

The focus on Hushpuppy is central to the film and Zeitlin employs to keep her at the centre of our attention, noticeably through her voice-over, but also in lengthy close-ups on her face with shallow depths of field to encourage our empathy towards her. Although the introduction of the fantasy aurochs could disrupt the audience’s immersion, they allow the audience into Hushpuppy’s imaginary world, making us even closer to her. Additionally, the use of handheld camera, non-professional actors and genuine locations all make the film feel more real and can intensify the emotional response for the viewer.

Wild Tales Contextualised

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.

Pan’s Labyrinth Contextualised

1. Synopsis:

The story follows a young girl called Ofelia, who moves to the countryside with her pregnant mother, Carmen, in order to live with Captain Vidal, the father of Carmen’s unborn son and a fascist. When Ofelia goes exploring, she meets a faun who sets her three magical tasks to prove she is Princess Moanna of the Underworld: first, she must retrieve a key from inside a huge toad that lives in a dying tree. Next, she has to get a dagger from a banquet hall where a monster rests, but avoid the temptation of eating any of the food. Initially, Ofelia gets distracted by her mother’s pregnancy pains and forgets to complete the challenge, and when she does get round to it, she fails by eating some plump grapes. The faun is enraged and says she can no longer continue with the challenges.

In the meantime, Carmen gives birth to her son, but dies in labour, and the communist rebels that have been hiding out in the woods take over the mill, having been informed by Vidal’s housekeeper and sister to the leader of the rebels, Mercedes, and aided by Doctor Ferriero.

The faun returns and allows Ofelia to proceed with the tasks, the final one involving the kidnapping and sacrificing of her infant brother, so she can open the portal to the Underworld. Ofelia refuses to obey the faun and is instead shot by Captain Vidal, who chased after her through the labyrinth. When he exits the labyrinth, however, he comes face to face with Mercedes and the rebels, who take his child and shoot Vidal.

Ofelia’s dripping blood opens the mortal, as it is “the blood of an innocent”, and she returns to her rightful place in the Underworld, alongside her father, who has waited patiently for years fro her spirit to return.

2. When and where do the events in the film take place?

The film is set in Spain in 1944, 5 years after the end of the Spanish Civil War, and a still fractious and tension-filled time for Spain. The fascists’ control of the mill shows them doling out meagre rations of bread to the local citizens and reinforces the food scarcity and the harshness of the rule at the time. The film takes place in the Spanish countryside, with Ofelia and her mother residing at a military outpost, where the Captain is stationed to eliminate any rebels.

3. Briefly, what was the Spanish Civil War about? When and how did it start and end?

The Spanish Civil War began in 1936 as a coup attempt by the Nationalists that turned into a civil war between the Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany backed Nationalists and the Soviet Union backed Republicans. Prior to the Republican government, Spain was ruled by Alfonso XIII, a king who enjoyed interfering in parliamentary affairs. He worked with General Miguel Primo de Rivera to topple the government and establish a dictatorship led by Primo de Rivera. After 7 years of dictatorship, the Spanish grew resentful and, although the king sacked Primo de Rivera, he was too closely associated with the dictatorship, so was forced to abdicate once Republican and Socialist candidates won in municipal elections. However, in 1933, the son of Primo de Rivera established a far right group, called the Falange Española, committed to overthrowing the government. This was the group that fronted the military coup that started the Civil War. The war lasted 2 years and 254 days, ending with the surrender of Republican Spain. General Francisco Franco established a Nationalist dictatorship that lasted until his death in 1975 and this provides the context for the film, set after the war but during the dictatorship.

4. Which of the factions does the Captain represent? Why is he stationed at the mill?

The Captain represents the far-right Nationalists, who staged the coup then overthrew the government. His political stance is implied through his hypocritical ownership of luxuries, such as his razor and cigarettes, whilst he rations the most basic of supplies for others. His military behaviour and uniform also identify him as a leading part of the militaristic Nationalist dictatorship. The Captain is stationed at the mill to hunt down the remaining rebels hiding out in the forest and to enforce the fascist regime in the countryside. He carefully rations food supplies and keeps them locked away, thus the mill’s purpose as a “supplier of fundamental communal needs… has been perverted” and this accentuates the cruelty of the regime that the Captain represents.

5. Which of the factions do the people in the mountains represent? Why are they hiding?

The people in the mountains represent the rebels who fought against the fascist regime. Rebels such as these were either communist or socialist republicans and had to remain in hiding, otherwise they would have been wiped out by the fascists. Some rebels still had hope that they could reclaim their country from the fascists, whilst others fled to neighbouring countries. The rebels in the film are likely local people who moved into hiding in the forest after the Falangist troops won the war and were stationed at the mill.

6. Which of the factions do the political and religious elite support? Why?

The political and religious elite come together at a banquet held by the Captain. The banquet itself is a symbol of corruption and greed – those who rule fill their stomachs, whilst the ordinary people starve. A priest attends this meal and says: “God has already saved [the rebels’] souls. What happens to their bodies hardly matters to him.” This suggests that the Catholic church is complicit in the corrupt regime, as the priest does not seem to care what happens to the rebels. His uncaring and dismissive nature is not what one would expect of a holy man, who is supposed to help and guide those in need.

7. Which of the factions do the peasants support? Why?

The mass of the repressed population, who bowed to the regime are not seen much in the film. It tends to focus on the rebels versus troops and not the general people; their needs are discarded in favour of fighting and the impact upon them is not really mentioned. At one point in the film, local villagers line up at the mill to collect their rations of bread and this is the most they are seen. However, we can assume that the peasants would support the rebels, as they are not treated well under the fascist regime: they are searched and shot simply for hunting rabbits in the woods. Additionally, characters such as Mercedes represent the working peasants, and she is affiliated with the rebels, acting as a spy within the Captain’s camp.

8. What role do women play in the two factions?

The two main women, Mercedes and Carmen are shown to be similar, through their affection for Ofelia, but are on opposing sides: Mercedes is on the side of the rebels, acting as an informant, whilst Carmen is married to the Captain, showing her alliance and collusion with fascism, even if she does not partake in any of the violence. Carmen eventually dies, her connections with the powerful Captain, not saving her from death through the birth of his son. This shows how fascism ultimately leads to death for everyone, not just its opponents. In order for fascism to prevail, innocents must be sacrificed (with the birth of the Captain’s son representing the rise of fascism and the death of Carmen symbolising the loss of innocent lives.)

There are few, if no other women in the film, Ofelia herself still being a girl, not a woman. However, Ofelia does not seem to come under a faction: she goes against the Captain’s orders, so does not comply with the fascist regime, but lives at the heart of the fascist base, uses their resources and is, to some extent, under their protection. Ofelia’s connection to nature in a way affiliates her with the rebels, who live in the natural environment and she does not expose Mercedes, despite knowing that she is a spy. Ofelia’s age allows her a certain degree of ignorance about the political situation and she chooses to focus on the fantasy realm and escaping the harsh, miserable world she lives in, likely without knowing the reason behind its cruelty.

9. How is food an important symbol in the film?

Food is rationed for the masses, shown by the fascists’ careful control of the pantry and the small portions given to local citizens. However, Vidal is seen having a feast with other important people, which is perhaps a criticism of the hypocrisy of the regime. Equally, this banquet is mimicked in the second task, and Ofelia cannot resist the food, which could suggest even someone closely associated with the Captain is hungry for more food or at least more appealing food.

In one part of the film, two farmers are searched and eventually killed by the Captain, because they are believed to be rebels. However, in actuality, the men were just out hunting rabbits in the forest to get food for a sick family member. This emphasises the limits on food: the men do not have enough for their family and are unable to even go hunting in their local area. The Captain finds the rabbits after he has already shot them, and they are later seen again when he gives them to Mercedes to cook. She comments that they are too young, showing that the farmers were so desperate, they had to kill young rabbits, which would not have been as substantial as fully matured ones. The fact the Captain takes the rabbits for himself again shows his corruption and power at the cost of the local ordinary people.

10. How is poverty an important theme in the film?

Poverty is important and highly contrasted by the Captain, who has enough money for luxuries such as a record player, shaving soap, a shaving blade. Additionally, Ofelia is given a brand new dress by her mother, which must have been either bought or made with materials that cost money. On the other hand, the rebels wear dirty clothes and have a lottery ticket, symbolising their need for funds in order for survival. The general population seem to live in poverty, obtaining their food from the carefully controlled mill, which shows the corruption of the regime: it leaves the masses to starve whilst its leaders eat well and control the supplies.

11. How is time an important theme in the film?

Time is shown to be important in both world; the Captain regularly checks his pocket watch, showing his military precision. He comments on the cars arriving “15 minutes late”, at the start of the film, and his pocket watch is actually shown onscreen before his face, which implies the qualities he has, such as obedience and precision, are more important than the man who holds them; he is replaceable as a leader by anyone who is similar to him.

Time is also of importance to Ofelia in her challenges. The faun tells her she only has until the next full moon to complete all the tasks, adding a sense of urgency to them. In the second task, she is also given a sand timer, so she can monitor the time she spends in the banqueting hall and escape before it is too late. However, Ofelia is not regulated by time in the same way as the Captain, she doesn’t start the second task until she has dealt with her mother’s pain, and when she does do it, she leaves the sand timer in the doorway, instead of carrying it with her, as the Captain always carries his pocket watch. It is never clear if Ofelia completes the challenges before the full moon, but she is eventually successful so it seems irrelevant.

12. How is disobedience an important theme in the film?

Disobedience is presented in a positive light in the film: Ofelia, Mercedes and the Doctor are symbolic of disobedience. Ofelia is the film’s protagonist and the hero of the fantasy realm, Mercedes and the Doctor are both on the side of the rebels, risking their lives by remaining in close proximity to the Captain, whilst secretly helping the rebels. Mercedes and the rebels appear to prevail at the end of the film, as they kill the Captain and take his son to raise him in a better environment. In contrast, the Doctor dies, but his death is seen as admirable and courageous: he chooses to disobey the Captain and die as a martyr for his beliefs. During his confrontation with the Captain, the Doctor says “To obey just like that for the sake of obeying, without questioning, that’s something only people like you can do, Captain”, associating the Captain with obedience and therefore implying that obedience is bad through the association. Both the Captain and Carmen are symbols of obedience and, ultimately, they both die. However, unlike Ofelia and the Doctor, their deaths are not seen as sacrifices for the greater good, so their deaths do not evoke much reaction from the audience.

13. How and in what ways does Pan’s Labyrinth draw on fairy tale and fantasy tropes and archetypes?

Key fairytale characters are the hero and the princess, who has to be rescued. Ofelia combines these roles, as she is Princess Moanna, who has to be rescued from the cruel real world to return to her underground kingdom, but she is also the one completed the tasks so that she can escape. In the sense of fantasy characters, she is the ‘chosen one’, who goes on an adventure and must complete challenges with a set time limit. There is naturally the villain character, or Captain Vidal in this case, although his role is not simply to foil the hero. This is where ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’ is more sophisticated than a general fairytale or fantasy film, as it deals with the serious real world consequences of the Spanish Civil War. The film is also set in a real country and has characters that are representative of real people.

The faun and fairies are the mystical creatures who aid Ofelia in her quest. There are also fantasy monsters in the form of the giant toad and the Pale Man. The film opens with an exposition reminiscent of a fairytale “Once upon a time…” and closes with a seemingly happy ending, as Princess Moanna is reunited with her father in the underground realm.

14. How is fascism portrayed in the film?

Fascism is portrayed very negatively throughout the film: it is shown to be the cause of depravation in the local area in terms of food and resources for the villagers and it is clearly very corrupt and hypocritical, emphasised by the banquet scene. The rebels seemingly prevail at the end, having killed the Captain and rescuing his child from his influence; therefore, this suggests that they are the ‘good guys’ that the audience should be rooting for throughout. The coldness and cruelty of fascism is demonstrated by the Captain’s acts of violence: he shoots two innocent farmers, tortures several rebels and tells the Doctor to save his child over his wife if he has to make the choice.

15. How does Guillermo del Toro employ uterine imagery in the film?

The uterine imagery is particularly prominent in the fantasy world. In the first task, Ofelia has to retrieve a key from a toad that lives inside a fig tree. The tree resembles a vagina and the fallopian tubes through the shape of the opening and the twisted, stunted branches. The resident giant toad could reflect the growing foetus inside Carmen’s womb and Ofelia’s aim to defeat the toad in the challenge could be as a result of her resentment towards her unwanted brother.

16. How are maternal instincts presented in the film?

Although Carmen in the only mother shown in the film, Mercedes is shown to have strong maternal instincts, trying to protect Ofelia and run away from the Captain with her. Carmen is affectionate towards Ofelia, but is often dismissive of her interest in the magical and her love of books.

To some degree, Ofelia is more protective of Carmen than Carmen is of her: she cuddles her mother in bed, obtains a mandrake root to make her mother less sick, and is often reluctant to leave her mother, neglecting the second task in order to stay by her mother’s side. Carmen does comfort Ofelia when she is scared and seems to care for her unborn child, despite it being the cause of her pain.

Both Ofelia and Mercedes are protective of the newborn child, as Ofelia takes him and escapes from the mill. She refuses to hand over the infant to the Captain, and it ultimately costs her her life. Mercedes and the rebels take the boy from the Captain, before killing him, and Mercedes is the one to hold the child at the end of the film and it is suggested she will look after him.

17. What is the significance of faces and shaving in the film?

Shaving is significant in the film as it shows the importance of presentation and appearance to the fascists. There is a whole sequence in which the Captain shaves, emphasising his attention to detail, arrogance and need to look presentable and well-kept. The possession of shaving implements highlights the hypocrisy and corruption of the regime, as these were resources that the many did not have access to at the time. The soldiers are all very tidy and clean, which contrasts the slightly dirty and unkempt rebels, on whom hiding out in the woods has taken its toll.

18. What is the significance of flowers in the film?

Flowers are often a symbol of beauty, purity and innocence. At the end of the film, it said that Ofelia (or Princess Moanna) left traces behind of her time on Earth in the form of flowers. This allows the character of Ofelia to live on in the world in nature, with which she was strongly connected and is therefore a satisfying conclusion.

The story about the rose that Ofelia tells whilst resting her head against her mother’s pregnant stomach is rather unusual. She describes a rose that would make a person immortal, but it cannot be reached, as it is high up on the top of the mountain, protected by thorns. She ends the story by saying that the rose was alone and unable to fulfil what it was put on the Earth to do. Her story emphasises her love for the fictional and shows that she wants to pass on her stories to her younger brother, but it is difficult to determine the relevance of this story in the wider context of the film.

19. How does Guillermo del Toro operate a ‘one for them, one for me’ filmmaking policy?

Guillermo del Toro seems to alternate between making popular films and films that satisfy his artistic desires, but are frequently more unusual and less financially successful. That being said, one of his personal films, ‘The Shape of Water’ made $194 million dollars box office worldwide and was very well critically received, claiming the Oscar for Best Picture in 2018, along with a collection of other accolades. Del Toro’s ‘policy’ means his popular films financially enable him to make films that he wants to, without certain restrictions that would potentially limit his creativity.

20. How far is Pan’s Labyrinth representative of Guillermo del Toro’s oeuvre?

Del Toro as an effective and idiosyncratic fantasy/horror auteur is evidenced in his earlier films such as Cronos (1993), The Devil’s Backbone (2001) and Crimson Peak (2015) as well as in his much more mainstream Hollywood work such as Hellboy (2004) and Pacific Rim (2013).

21. How did the critical reception of The Devil’s Backbone influence the production of Pan’s Labyrinth?

‘The Devil’s Backbone’ was nominated for and won several awards, generally being well-received by critics and the public alike. This allowed del Toro to continue with the second of the three films set during/after the Spanish Civil War, which was ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’. As its predecessor was well-received, ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’ maintained many similar elements to ‘The Devil’s Backbone’.

22. Was the film financially successful?

The film had a budget of $19 million, contributed to by several companies from different countries, including Spain, Mexico and America. The film eventually grossed at over $80 million worldwide. Additionally, it was much acclaimed, going on to win many awards, including the BAFTA for Best Foreign Language Film.

23. Why is the year of release of The Devil’s Backbone and Pan’s Labyrinth significant?

Interestingly, ‘The Devil’s Backbone’ was released in November of 2001 (in the UK) and is set in 1939, the final year of the Spanish Civil War. ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’ was released five years later in November of 2006 (UK release date) and is set in 1944, five years after the end of the civil war and, therefore, five years after ‘The Devil’s Backbone’ was set.

24. Why no CGI?

There are some elements of CGI in the film, but these often work alongside the animatronics and complex make-up that are more prominent and enhance the final product. The film is very immersive as a result of its carefully chosen effects and they create a magical yet realistic product.

25. Why did GdT write the DVD subtitles himself?

Guillermo del Toro was unhappy with the subtitles for ‘The Devil’s Backbone’, so chose to translate them for ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’ himself, in order to maintain a greater level of accuracy to the film. He actually described the English subtitles for ‘The Devil’s Backbone’ as “for the thinking impaired” and thought that they were “incredibly bad”.

(Look at the “context starter questions” on the “Contexts Of Film” mind-map. How many could you answer? Add your answers to the end of this post.)