The directors of both Pan’s Labyrinth and Wild Tales employ aspects of mise-en-scene and cinematography to convey meaning throughout their films and have a wide range of effects on the audience.
Guillermo del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth focuses on the Spanish Civil War. An election in 1936 brought to power a leftist Popular Front government causing Fascist and extreme-right forces to respond with an army mutiny and coup attempt that turned into a civil war. The film is set in 1944 after the fascist victory as the remaining rebels are routed out and killed.
Ofelia goes out on an adventure, searching for her first task located inside of a mysterious tree. Simultaneously, Captain Vidal rides out with his men to search for the last remaining Republican survivors. At the start of the sequence, the camera pans from right to left for both of these journeys, indicating to the audience that they are both venturing out on a journey at the same time. The smart, gold and blue uniforms worn by the soldiers and the powerful looking horses they ride symbolise their strength and the harsh, quick camera movement shows that they ride with purpose, whereas the rebels have adopted dark brown clothing as they are forced to live in the forest in seclusion. This wealthy appearance of the soldiers also contrasts Ofelia’s green dress that’s appearance is reminiscent of the Alice in Wonderland books which also explores the fantasy world and shows her strong connection to the fantastical while its green colour is representative of the style of clothing of the rebels, demonstrating her efforts to go against the Captain’s oppression and the influence of her mother to follow her own path, with much more gentle arc movements used in variation to the soldiers, suggesting to the audience that she is lost in the elements of the fantasy world as it has a floaty and dreamy effect.
Once Ofelia arrives at the tree, a wide shot focuses on her movements, moving into a close-up shot and arcing around her to reveal a large tree that has captured her gaze, tilting up to show the large size of the tree is comparison to her and showing its significance to the audience, allowing for them to empathise with her challenge as its presented as being extremely difficult. In the interior of the tree, damp and dark tunnels twist continuously with the camera positioned at Ofelia’s height to indicate to the audience that she is the main focus for the story’s progression. Black CGI bugs surround and crawl over her which helps to evoke feelings of disgust from the audience and show her courage as she is entering a place that no one else would want to venture in to. Upon transitioning to the Captain’s world, the appearance differs as he is located in a large open space which looks more inviting and less threatening than the tree, making the audience want to spend less time focusing on Ofelia because of the conditions she is having to endure. Also, the warm colour palette of the fantasy world in comparison to the cold blue colour palette associated with the Captain’s world as can be seen when Ofelia journeys towards the tree remains warm, although has now transgressed to become slightly darker as she is underground and the tree is a mysterious and yet fantastical place. This also shows a collision between the Captain’s world and the fantasy world which further adds to the influence that he has over her.
When the soldiers reach their destination in the forest, the Captain steps down from his horse to search for signs that might indicate signs of rebel activity in the area. A medium shot focuses the audiences attention on his commanding body language, transitioning to a close-up shot that fully focuses on his actions and dialogue, separating him from his soldiers and showing his superiority over them. The use of a long lens shot when looking at the Captain has the effect of appearing to focus on him from a distance, placing the audience on the side of the rebels, viewing the action from their perspective as the Captain taunts them to come out and fight rather than hide. The warm colour palette associated with the fantasy world is present when focusing on the Captain as he is in the forest, a place of fantasy and home to the rebels which shows he is out of place there but the camera positions him as being in control and therefore allows for the audience to fear him. An opposite pan from right to left shows the soldiers are returning from their journey as they saddle up and return to the mill, similar to the movement of turning over a page in a book.
When returning to Ofelia in the following scene, she continues her search through the depths of the tree looking for any sign of her task, with the camera movement alternating, appearing to differentiate from the typical pattern of moving from right to left and then left to right. This movement depicts the nature of the environment she is in as disorientating for her and is therefore unsettling for the audience who are made to feel lost with her as she clambers through the dark and winding tree, stumbling through slime and covered in mud. Ofelia’s encounter with a giant toad seems representative of the baby living inside her mother with this uterine imagery showing the effect that the baby is having on her and foreshadows her mothers death as the toad is causing the tree to decay through sickness.
Finally, after completing her task by retrieving the key, Ofelia emerges from the tree, covered in mud and noticeably feeling distressed rather than accomplished, indicated by a change in the colour palette, switching from the typical warm and bright palette when she headed out on her journey to a cold dark blue. These grim colours associated with the Captain’s world shows his returning influence and while she is left dishevelled by the ordeal and aware of the trouble she has caused, the audience are aware of her transformation from a little girl on a fantastical adventure to fearing the serious consequences of her actions at the hands of the vile Captain.
Another film that appropriately uses mise-en-scene and cinematography to convey meaning is the portmanteau film Wild Tales, directed by Damián Szifron, showing six different stories, all connected by extreme themes of violence and revenge.
Focusing on the wedding sequence, the scene begins with the camera pulling out to a wide shot which shows the vast amount of guests present at the wedding all focusing an a montage of old childhood photos that present the idea of innocence which contrasts the events later in the sequence and help the audience infer information about the couple. The setting is bright with a rich appearance as champagne glasses, golden chandeliers and tuxedos contribute to a disturbing feeling when Romina later threatens to take everything away from Ariel. When the bride and groom first appear, they emerge from behind a curtain, implying to the audience that their relationship is a facade and they are putting on a show as a steadicam pushes in on them, centrally framing them before arcing around them to focus on them greeting their parents, showing the audience that they are the main stars of the show and placing us as a spectator to the intimacy of the opening scene. Ariel’s appearance as unshaved gives the impression that he shows a lack of care towards his wife, foreshadowing his unfaithful nature and contradicts the caring attitude that we were originally led to believe that he had, replaced with suspicion at his unloyal nature.
After the jubilant dancing finishes, the change in location produces a shift from dark lighting to warm yellow lighting as the guests all happily eat in a far less crowded setting with much slower and less frequent stable shots. Romina talks with her guests, pointing out how she is related to each table and a long lens is used to make the audience feel as if they are a a part of this crowd before the camera pans to the left, centrally framing the bride in a close-up shot, isolating her within the frame as a shallow depth of field allows for the focus to be on her reaction as she watches her husband flirting with a woman across the room. A zoom on her face shows the importance of the woman and is followed by a reaction shot of the brides face which shows the importance of the revelation to the progression of the narrative. The camera tracks the bride as she moves towards a table with a mirror shot placing the woman in the centre of her focus as a wrack focus shows that the number she has dialled on her phone to test whether her husband has been cheating on her is answered by the woman, moving focus from the phone to the woman. This mirror shot could also foreshadow her apparent dual nature later on in the film after the husband confirms her suspicions.
After confronting her husband and feeling overwhelmed at his revelation that he has cheated on her, Romina escapes this distressing situation by leaving the room and frantically runs down a long, narrow hallway away from the guests towards the rooftop. As she runs, the camera is positioned on the ground looking up which contributes to the trapped and claustrophobic feeling present in the narrow hallway as she feels betrayed and alone. On the rooftop, pathetic fallacy is used to demonstrate her ferocity as she lashes out at him as a bolt of lightning simultaneously strikes behind her, positioning her in a mid-shot showing that she commands the frame and allows the audience to understand the seriousness of her threats while the camera is consistently handheld and the scene constantly breaks the 180 degree rule further indicating her change to a controlling attitude. When she returns, the white wedding dress, a symbol of purity and innocence, becomes tainted with blood when she discovers the truth of her husbands deceit and throws the woman he had been cheating on her with into a mirror, symbolising that her innocence has become fragmented and has stained her as a person which can’t wash out and return to its original white colour just as she can’t unlearn what she has discovered.
Both Szifron and Del Toro use aspects of mise-en-scne and cinematography to convey meaning throughout their films to have a wide range of effects on the audience. Del Toro uses cinematography to show perspective, using camera height to position the audience with specific characters while using mise-en-scne to differentiate each set of groups from the other, setting Ofelia apart from the Captain and with the rebels. Szifron also uses cinematography to position the audience with characters, allowing the audience to empathise with Romina through techniques that convey the feelings of the characters. Mise-en-scene also creates empathy for characters through the use of symbolic imagery that depicts a characters changing emotions as their life falls apart.
Pan’s Labyrinth: Fig tree sequence (Cinematography)
Intro: The directors of both Pan’s Labyrinth and Wild Tales employ aspects of cinematography to convey meaning throughout their films to have a wide range of effects on the audience.
Fig tree sequence:
When following the horses and Ofelia, the camera pans from right to left indicating that they are venturing on a journey with much more gentle and slower arc movements with Ofelia as if she is lost in a fantasy world as it gives a floaty and dreamy effect compared to the harsh and quick movement of the horses with a warm and bright colour palette that suggests the effects of the Captain have disappeared for the time being as they are in the forest which is the rebels’ territory. The use of long lenses when looking at the soldiers places the audience on the side of the rebels as we can see the action from their perspective
Shots are closer into Ofelia as she is exploring on her own. As Ofelia arrives at thetree, a wide shot moves into a close-up shot, arcing around her to reveal the tree, tilting up to show the large size of the tree in order to show how small Ofelia is in comparison which also shows its significance.The camera then dolly’s back and tilts up to show her enter the tree that uses the frame within a frame technique which focuses the audiences attention on her movements down into the tunnel, then panning to the left to show a close-up of the dress waving in the wind, suggesting its going to fall off, creating fear and dread at what could happen if her dress is ruined due to it being a gift from her mother and something she must wear to impress the cold hearted Captain. The camera is always positioned at Ofelia’s height throughout this sequence in order to show that she is the main point of focus for the audience to see the story progress. The colour palette is till warm as she is surrounded by elements of the fantasy world but is now slightly darker because she is underground but she is also aware of both the dangers she will face in the tree and what she might expect when she returns to the mill and the fear of the Captains reaction to her dirty state forces the fantasy world and the Captain’s world to collide.
The Captain steps down from his horse to search for any objects that might indicate signs of rebel activity, shown through a medium shot that focuses on his commanding body language which transitions to a close-up shot so that we see just the Captain and his reaction to his discovery before a medium shot shows the reaction of the soldiers around him awaiting their orders. Following this, the camera then arcs around him so we are left to focus on what he is thinking and feeling as he comes to the conclusion that they are being watched by the rebels from a distance. Another use of a long lens shot once again gives the impression that the audience are watching the Captain from the rebels perspective as he taunts them before returning back to the mill, indicated by the camera movement panning from right to left as the soldiers exit the frame that contrasts the movement from previous when they were headed out on their journey.
Despite this, the movement in the next scene appears to differentiate from this pattern as Ofelia moves from left to right and then from right to left whilst still searching for the object of her desires that sent her on this journey. It presents the fact that the environment that she is presently located within is disorientating and unsettling for her as she attempts to move through the tree.Finally, when Ofelia completes her task and emerges from the tree the setting is dark and there has been a complete transformation in colour palette from the warm and bright setting as she headed out on her journey to the fantastical warm colours inside the tree that was tainted by the captains world and the effect he has on Ofelia until it reaches almost complete darkness as she is now in deep trouble, foreshadowing what the effects of her adventure might have on her due to the captains influence.
Wedding sequence:
Steadicam is used throughout these shots and pushes in as the song increases in tempo to focus on the bride and groom, centrally framed and emerging from behind a curtain before arcing around them greeting their parents and in-laws to give the impression that the person watching the film is a spectator as the shots are very intimate with a sense of family unity followed by a series of handheld close-up shots focusing on the interactions between the partners and their in-laws making it more personal and meaningful. The steadicam arcs around the couple from a low angle to give the impression that the camera is dancing along with them in a crowred area.Tracking shots match the pace of the dancing whilst the movement matches the energy of the music to give the scene a lively appearance.
A change in location is accompanied by a change to warm yellow lighting, suggesting happiness. The camera pulls back from a shot of an energetic sousaphone, directing focus on the instrument and therefore a focus on the joy of the party as everyone immediately becomes engrossed in the music.
After the party, there is less dramatic movement shown by less frquent, slower and more stable shots.the camera pans to the left to centrally frame the bride, isolating her in the fram with a shallow depth of field to focus on her reaction as she begins to suspect her husband might be cheating on her.The zoom draws attention to the woman sitting down in the centre of the frame but not clearly as the bride is unaware that she existed until now using a POV shot, followed by a reaction shot of the brides face to show the importance of the revelation to the development of the story and that her attenton is fully focused on the mystery woman. The camera tracks the bride as she crosses the room to the mirror, sandwiching the woman in the centre of her focus. the mirror shot foreshadows her apparent dual nature later on and a wrack focus from the brides phone the the womans phone implies that the bride has uncovered her husbands dirty secret
the camera arcs around them as they dance to present the ffect that the audience is a guest that dances with them but cuts to different arcing shots, making it disorientating as the bride is puuting her husband under pressure so that he might reveal the truth.The focus is entirely on the couple as a shallow depth of field makes the background barely visible so that the audience can focus on what they are saying.A series of close-up shots between the newlyweds as they dance whilst the bride questions him changes to a wide shot when he confirms her suspicions and the camera stops dancing immediately when the couple stop dancing, becoming less smooth and more jarring to represent the brides shock and confused state of mind.
The lighting is darker on the bride when she doesnt know the truth but becomes lighter when its been revealed to her as she walks through the corridor, tracked by low angle shots from both in front and behind her to show she feels surrounded and overwhelmed with a declining sense of reality.
A BEV shot of the bride looking over the edge of the roof suggests she feels nauseated and is about to jump.The lighting in the background of the shots appears romantic, foreshadowing the romantic interaction between the bride and the chef and a romantic shot subverts the expectations of the audience as the seductive intention of the bride contrasts her despair.The long lenses with a wide aperture makes the scene seem more dreamy and the scene is shot on a spherical lens rather than an anamorphic lens and extended to widescreen which makes it appear more realistic.
A reaction shot of shock from both the chef and Ariel as Romina lets out a violent outburst directed at her husband that neither were expecting.The 180 degree rule is broken during the confrontation to present the idea that the shoe is now on the other foot. The camerawork alternates to handheld as she feels free as she’s released her anger that she had stored inside her, indicating a change in attitude towards her chaotic relationship.
Context: The viewer gets the impression that Argentine society is dangerous and violent, with a repulsive setting and nature. The film appears to show a corrupt society with a dissatisfied people. Corruption in Argentina remains a serious problem suffering from widespread corruption in the public and private sector. However, it has improved since the films release in 2015, moving from the 107th least corrupt country out of 175 to the 85th.
Conclusion:
Essay
The directors of both Pan’s Labyrinth and Wild Tales employ aspects of cinematography to convey meaning throughout their films and have a wide range of effects on the audience.
The basis of Guillermo del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth revolves around the civil war in Spain. An election in 1936 brought to power a leftist Popular Front government where Fascist and extreme-right forces responded with an army mutiny and coup attempt that turned into a civil war. The film is set in 1944 after the fascist victory as the remaining rebels are routed out and killed.
Ofelia goes out on an adventure, searching for her first task located inside a mysterious tree. At the same time, Captain Vidal also rides out with his men to search for the last remaining Republican survivors. At the start of the sequence, there are two different journeys occurring simultaneously with one following the soldiers as they ride out and the other following Ofelia search for her first task. The camera pans from right to left for both of these scenes, indicating to the audience that they are venturing out on a journey. When focusing on Ofelia however, the camera uses much more gentle and slower arc movements compared to the harsh, quick movement of the charging horses that suggests to the audience that she is lost in the elements of the fantasy world as it has a floaty and dreamy effect compared to the soldiers. Also, there is a warm and bright colour palette when following Ofelia, suggesting that the influence of the Captain has disappeared at this point in time due to a lack of his dark blue colour palette typically associated with his world as they are both in the forest setting which is the rebels’ territory.
Once Ofelia arrives at the tree, a wide shot focusing on her movements moves into a close-up shot, arcing around to reveal a large tree that has captured her gaze, tilting up to show the large size of the tree in comparison to her, showing its significance to the audience and allows them to sympathise with her as it presents her task as being on a scale that is extremely difficult. The camera then dolly’s back and tilts up to show her enter the tree, utilising the frame within a frame technique which focuses the audiences attention on her movements down into the tunnel before slowly panning to the left to show a close-up of her dress which she has taken off to prevent it from getting dirty, waving in the wind to suggest that it is inevitable going to fall off, creating a sense of fear and dread for Ofelia as it was a gift from her mother and something she must wear in order to impress the cold hearted Captain who has already been displeased with her, so should it be ruined, the audience fears what the consequences might be for Ofelia. Inside the dark and damp tunnels, the camera is always positioned at Ofelia’s height to indicate to the audience that she is the main focus point for the story’s progression. The colour palette remains warm due to the fact that she is still surrounded by elements of the fantasy world but has now transgressed to become slightly darker as she is now underground but also because the tree is a mysterious and unknown place for her, lacking any knowledge as to the dangers she might face inside it and what the reactions of her mother and the captain might be when she returns to the mill, fearing their reaction to her dirty state and the consequences it will bring. Furthermore, it shows a collision between the Captain’s world and the fantasy world which further adds to the influence that he has over her.
Returning the focus to the Captain, he and his soldiers are shown to have reacher their destination as they look for the rebels, causing the Captain to step down from his horse to search for for any objects that might indicate signs of any rebel activity in the area. A medium shot focuses on his commanding body language, transitioning to a close-up shot in order to fully focus on his actions and dialogue as he is superior to his soldiers. The camera then proceeds to arc around him, leaving the audience to focus on what he is thinking and feeling as he realises they are being watched by the rebels from a distance. The use of a long lens shot when looking at the Capatin has the effect of appearing to focus on him from a distance, placing the audience on the side of the rebels and viewing the action from their perspective as the Captain taunts them to come out and fight rather than hide in the trees. This effort however comes to nothing and they saddle up and return to the mill, indicated by a pan from right to left that contrasts the left to tight movement that originally showed them heading out on their journey, just like the movement of turning over a page in a book.
Despite this, when in the next scene we return to Ofelia, searching further through the depths of the tree to look for any sign of her task, the camera movement appears to differentiate from this typical pattern of moving from right to left to indicate she is returning home and elects to combine a movement from left to right and then right to left. This contrasting movement presents the fact that the environment that she is presently located within is disorientating for her and therefore unsettling for the audience who are made to feel lost with her as she clambers through the winding tree.
Finally, after killing the giant toad and retrieving the key, Ofelia emerges from the tree whereas instead of being triumphant, her situation has become distressing, indicated by a complete transformation in colour palette, switching from a warm and bright setting as she headed out on her journey that became slightly tainted by the dark and grim colours associated with the Captain’s world and his influenceuntil finally, almost complete darkness is reached as she appears dishevelled by the ordeal and becomes increasingly aware of the trouble she has caused, transferring her from being a little girl on an adventure to fearing the serious consequences og her actions at the hands of the Captain.
Another Global film that appropriately uses cinematography to convey meaning is the portmanteau film Wild Tales, with six different stories, all connected by themes of violence and revenge, directed by Damián Szifron.
At the start of the wedding sequence, Szifron uses steadicam throughout the opening shots that depict guests reacting to a series of pictures being projected as a slideshow, combining this with the use of a series of handheld close-up shots in order to focus on the interactions between the couple and their in-laws which has the effect of making the performance appear more personal and meaningful to the audience. The couple is also centrally framed as they emerge from behind a curtain to focus the audiences attention on them as they greet family members, giving the impression that the person watching the film is a spectator of the wedding as the shots are made to feel very intimate with a sense of family and unity. This is further insinuated by the low angle shot of the camera arcing around arcing around the couple that gives the impression that the camera is dancing along with them as one of the guests at the wedding, matching the pace of the lively and upbeat movement and the high energy of the music to give the scene a lively appearance and show the audience that this is a jubilant occasion where everyone is unified in having a tremendous time. The emergence from behind a curtain could suggest to the audience that what they are watching is a facade however, and the affectionate attitude of the couple is a performance, foreshadowing the later events in the sequence.
As the action changes location, the joyous dancing still remains but is accompanied by a change to a warm, yellow colour palette that suggests to the audience that this is a happy time for the couple and the guests. The camera moves quickly, pulling back from a close-up shot of an energetic sousaphone, directing focus on the instrument and therefore a clear focus on the joy surrounding the room at the party as everyone dances to the music, immediately becoming engrossed.
However, as the dancing suddenly stops and there is a change in setting to guests eating and the couple moving from one table to the next to take a photo with their families, there are less dramatic movements, shown through the use of less frequent, slower and more stable shots that focus on the dialogue of the characters rather than the chaos of the party. The bride is engaged in conversation with two relatives that query who all the vast amount of people attending their wedding are and their connection to the couple. Romina proceeds to point out several groups of tables somewhere in the distance occupied by friends of clubs that they attend before spotting the table where her husbands coworkers are seated and Ariel is talking teasingly to a woman that Romina doesn’t recognise. The camera pans to the left, centrally framing the bride in the shot and therefore isolating her in the frame with a shallow depth of field utilised in order for the audience to focus on the brides reaction as she begins to suspect her husband might be cheating on her with this mystery woman. The camera zooms in on the woman sitting at the table to draw attention to her, centrally framed although not clearly due to the brides lack of awareness that this woman existed up until this point in time which puts the audience at the brides perspective, further shown by the use of a POV shot in order to make the following reaction shot of her seem more personal and makes the audience increasingly empathetic towards her character. It also shows how the revelation is significant to the development of the story and that Romina is entirely focused on the mystery woman seen before her. As the bride crosses the room to the mirror located by her table, the camera tracks the brides movement, sandwiching the woman in the centre of focus as she looks in to the mirror with her reflection staring back at her. The mirror shot both has the effect of clearly demonstrating the reaction of both characters as Romina calls an unknown number belonging to the woman in order to find out who she might be and appears to be foreshadowing her apparent dual nature as the sequence progresses after learning that her husband has in fact cheated on her. The use of a wrack focus to differentiate between the reaction of the brides phone as she dials the number and the woman picks up her phone implies to the audience that the bride has uncovered her husbands dirt secret as the truth is slowly becoming clearer for her.
Romina, now clearly in distress after learning about this apparent secret, is joined in shot by her husband as they begin to slowly dance, arcing around them to once again give the effect that the audience is a guest dancing alongside them but instead elects to cut to a variety of different arcing shots that make the scene disorientating for the audience as the bride is putting her husband under a lot of pressure as she begins to question him so that he might reveal the truth to her. At this pint, the focus is entirely on the couple, with a shallow depth of field making the background barely visible so that the audience focus completely on the dialogue as it will distinguish a turning point in the sequence for all the characters. These effects are combined with a series of close-up shots between the newlyweds as they dance, continually alternating between the two partners until Ariel finally confirms her suspicions at which point it cuts to a wide shot which stops the camera from giving the effect that its dancing with them as they are no longer dancing as the bride begins to break away from Ariel and becomes far less smooth and increasingly jarring, representing the current state of mind of Romina as she reals back in shock and confusion from her husband due to his unfaithful actions.
After storming out of the hall, there is a change in colour palette as the lighting becomes lighter when the truth has been revealed to her as she stumbles through the cramped corridor, unlike the darker setting she was previously in when only her suspicions were aroused. When stumbling through this corridor, the bride is tracked by low angle shots of her from both in front and behind, signifying to the audience that she feels overwhelmed and claustrophobic with a declining sense of reality after learning the truth as it gives the appearance that the corridor is even smaller than it actually is.
A BEV shot of the bride leaning over the edge of the unnerving effect of making the audience get the impression that she is about to jump due to the recent devastating events. The lighting in the background of the following shots showing the conversation between Romina and a kindly chef comforting her appears romantic, foreshadowing the romantic interaction between the bride and the chef later on, subverting the expectations of the audience is this is uncharacteristic of Romina and suggest to the audience that she is in a vulnerable place at the moment as the seductive intention of the bride contrasts the despair that is feeling as a result of the fear that her guests might negatively look down at her for being cheated on with a guest at her wedding. There is also a prevalent use of long lenses combined with a wide aperture that contribute to the effect of the setting appearing dreamy, linking to her current vulnerable state and is shot on a spherical lens rather than an anamorphic lens and extended to widescreen, allowing the current events to appear more realistic and therefore heightening the suspense and emotions felt by the audience as she begins to kiss him and lets out an enraged rant about what she intends to do in order to attain revenge for Ariel’s deceitful acts. Reaction shots of shock from both the chef and Ariel during this violent outburst from Romina highlight the fact that this is an unforeseen change in attitude from Romina, causing Ariel to vomit because of it. To present the idea that the shoe is now on the other foot, with Ariel and Romina now reversing roles due to her taking control, eventually causing him to breakdown just like she did previously, the 180 degree rule is broken during the heated confrontation between the couple as she is now in a stronger and commanding position over him.
Both Szifron and del Toro use aspects of cinematography to convey meaning throughout their films so that they have a wide range of effects on the audience. Del Toro utilises it to contrast the different conflicting worlds in Pan’s Labyrinth, from the perspective of the fantastical and adventurous Ofelia to the cold and calculated manner of the Captain. Szifron on the other hand t allows the audience to empathise with characters such as Romina through his clever use of different techniques that appropriately convey the attitudes and feeling of the characters on screen.
Essay re-draft
The directors of both Pan’s Labyrinth and Wild Tales employ aspects of cinematography to convey meaning throughout their films in order to have a wide range of effects on the audience.
The basis of Guillermo del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth revolves around the civil war in Spain. An election in 1936 brought to power a leftist Popular Front government, that was followed by Fascist and extreme-right forces response, causing an army mutiny and coup attempt that turned into a civil war. The film is set in 1944 after the fascist victory as the remaining rebels are routed out and killed.
Ofelia heads out on an adventure, searching for her first task located inside a mysterious tree as she follows instructions from a magical book. At the same time, Captain Vidal rides out with his men to search for the last remaining Republican survivors located in a forest near the mill they reside in. At the start of the sequence, there are two different journeys occurring simultaneously, one following the soldiers as they ride out and the other following Ofelia locate her first task. The camera pans from right to left for both of these scenes, indicating to the audience that they are venturing out on a journey, however; When focusing on Ofelia, the camera uses much more gentle and slower arc movements compared to the harsh, quick movements of the charging horses, suggesting to the audience that she is lost in the elements of the fantasy world as it has a floaty and dreamy effect compared to the violent world of the soldiers. Also, there is a warm and bright colour palette when following Ofelia, suggesting that the influence of the Captain has disappeared at this point due to a lack of the dark blue colour palette typically associated with his world as they are both in the forest setting which is the rebels’ territory.
Once Ofelia arrives at the tree, a wide shot focusing on her movements moves into a close-up shot, arcing around her to reveal a large tree that has captured her gaze, tilting up to show the large size of the tree in comparison to Ofelia, presenting the significance of it to the audience and allows them to sympathise with her as it implies that her task will be extremely difficult. The camera then dollies back and tilts up to show her enter the tree, utilising the frame within a frame technique, focusing the audiences attention on her movements down into the tunnel before slowly panning to the left to show a close-up of her dress which she has taken off to prevent it from getting dirty, waving in the wind to suggest that it is inevitably going to fall off, creating a sense of fear and dread for Ofelia as it was a gift from her mother and something she must wear so that she might impress the cold-hearted Captain, already displeased with her, so should it be ruined, the audience fears what the consequences might be for Ofelia. Inside the dark and damp tunnels, the camera is always positioned at Ofelia’s height to indicate to the audience that she is the main focal point for the story’s progression. The colour palette remains warm since she is still surrounded by elements of the fantasy world but has now transgressed to become slightly darker as she is underground and the tree is a mysterious place, lacking any knowledge as to the dangers she might face inside it and what the reactions of her mother and the Captain might be when she returns to the mill, fearing their reaction to her dirty state and the consequences it will bring. Furthermore, it shows a collision between the Captain’s world and the fantasy world which further adds to the influence that he has over her.
Returning the focus to the Captain, his soldiers are shown to have reached their destination as they look for the rebels, leading them through the forest, causing the Captain to step down from his horse to search for any objects that might indicate signs of any rebel activity in the area. A medium shot focuses on his commanding body language, transitioning to a close-up shot to fully focus on his actions and dialogue as he is superior to his soldiers. The camera then proceeds to arc around him, leaving the audience to focus on what he is thinking and feeling as he realises they are being watched by the rebels from a distance. The use of a long lens shot when looking at the Captain has the effect of appearing to focus on him from a distance, placing the audience on the side of the rebels, viewing the action from their perspective as the Captain taunts them to come out and fight him rather than hide in the trees. This effort, however, comes to nothing and they saddle up and return to the mill, indicated by a pan from right to left that contrasts the left to right movement that originally showed them heading out on their journey, just like the movement of turning over a page in a book.
Despite this, when in the next scene we return to Ofelia, she is searching through the depths of the tree to look for any sign of her task, with the camera movement appearing to differentiate from this typical pattern of moving from right to left, electing instead to combine a movement from left to right and then right to left. This contrasting movement presents the fact that the environment that she is presently located within is disorientating for her and therefore unsettling for the audience who are made to feel lost with her as she clambers through the dark and winding tree.
Finally, after killing the giant toad and retrieving the key, Ofelia emerges from the tree, feeling distressed rather than accomplished, indicated by a complete transformation in colour palette, switching from a warm and bright setting as she headed out on her journey that became slightly tainted by the dark and grim colours associated with the Captain’s world and his influence until finally, almost complete darkness after appearing from the depths of the tree, dishevelled by the ordeal and increasingly aware of the trouble she has caused, transferring her from being a little girl on an adventure to fearing the serious consequences of her actions at the hands of the Captain.
Another Global film that appropriately uses cinematography to convey meaning is the portmanteau film Wild Tales, with six different stories, all connected by themes of violence and revenge, directed by Damián Szifron.
At the start of the wedding sequence, Szifron uses Steadicam throughout the opening shots that depict guests reacting to a series of pictures being projected as a slideshow, combining this with the use of a series of handheld close-up shots to focus on the interactions between the couple and their in-laws which has the effect of making the performance appear more personal and meaningful to the audience. The couple is also centrally framed as they emerge from behind a curtain to focus the audience’s attention on them as they greet family members, giving the impression that the person watching the film is a spectator of the wedding as the shots are made to feel very intimate with a sense of family and unity. This is further insinuated by the low angle shot of the camera arcing around the couple that gives the impression that the camera is dancing along with them as one of the guests at the wedding, matching the pace of the lively and upbeat movement and the high energy of the music to give the scene a lively appearance and show the audience that this is a jubilant occasion where everyone is unified in having a tremendous time. On the other hand, the emergence of the couple from behind a curtain could suggest to the audience that what they are watching is a façade and the affectionate attitude of the couple is a performance, foreshadowing the later events in the sequence.
As the action changes location, the joyous dancing remains but is accompanied by a change to a warm, yellow colour palette that suggests to the audience that this is a happy time for the couple and the guests. The camera moves quickly, pulling back from a close-up shot of an energetic sousaphone, directing focus on the instrument and therefore a clear focus on the joy surrounding the room at the party as everyone dances to the music, immediately becoming engrossed.
However, as the dancing suddenly stops and there is a change in setting to guests eating and the couple moving from one table to the next to take a photo with their families, there are less dramatic movements, shown through the use of less frequent, slower and more stable shots that focus on the dialogue of the characters rather than the chaos of the party. The bride is engaged in conversation with two relatives that query who all the vast amount of people attending their wedding are and their connection to the couple. Romina proceeds to point out several groups of tables somewhere in the distance occupied by friends of clubs that they attend before spotting the table where her husband’s coworkers are seated and Ariel is talking teasingly to a woman that Romina doesn’t recognise. The camera pans to the left, centrally framing the bride in the shot and therefore isolating her in the frame with a shallow depth of field utilised so that the audience focus on the bride’s reaction as she begins to suspect her husband might be cheating on her with this mystery woman. The camera zooms in on the woman sitting at the table to draw attention to her, centrally framed although not clearly due to the brides lack of awareness that this woman existed up until this point in time which puts the audience at the bride’s perspective, further shown by the use of a POV shot to make the following reaction shot of her seem more personal and makes the audience increasingly empathetic towards her character. It also shows how the revelation is significant to the development of the story and that Romina is entirely focused on the mystery woman seen before her. As the bride crosses the room to the mirror located by her table, the camera tracks the bride’s movement, sandwiching the woman in the centre of focus as she looks into the mirror with her reflection staring back at her. The mirror shot both have the effect of clearly demonstrating the reaction of both characters as Romina calls an unknown number belonging to the woman to find out who she might be and appears to be foreshadowing her apparent dual nature as the sequence progresses after learning that her husband has cheated on her. The use of a wrack focus to differentiate between the reaction of the bride’s phone as she dials the number and the woman picks up her phone implies to the audience that the bride has uncovered her husband’s dirty secret as the truth is slowly becoming clearer for her.
Romina, now clearly in distress after learning about this apparent secret, is joined in shot by her husband as they begin to slowly dance, arcing around them to once again give the effect that the audience is a guest dancing alongside them but instead elects to cut to a variety of different arcing shots that make the scene disorientating for the audience as the bride is putting her husband under a lot of pressure as she begins to question him so that he might reveal the truth to her. At this pint, the focus is entirely on the couple, with a shallow depth of field making the background barely visible so that the audience focus completely on the dialogue as it will distinguish a turning point in the sequence for all the characters. These effects are combined with a series of close-up shots between the newlyweds as they dance, continually alternating between the two partners until Ariel finally confirms her suspicions at which point it cuts to a wide shot which stops the camera from giving the effect that it’s dancing with them as they are no longer dancing as the bride begins to break away from Ariel and becomes far less smooth and increasingly jarring, representing the current state of mind of Romina as she reels back in shock and confusion from her husband due to his unfaithful actions.
After storming out of the hall, there is a change in the colour palette as the lighting becomes lighter when the truth has been revealed to her as she stumbles through the cramped corridor, unlike the darker setting she was previously in when only her suspicions were aroused. When stumbling through this corridor, the bride is tracked by low angle shots of her from both in front and behind, signifying to the audience that she feels overwhelmed and claustrophobic with a declining sense of reality after learning the truth as it gives the appearance that the corridor is even smaller than it is in reality.
A BEV shot of the bride leaning over the edge of the unnerving effect of making the audience get the impression that she is about to jump due to the recent devastating events. The lighting in the background of the following shots showing the conversation between Romina and a kindly chef comforting her appears romantic, foreshadowing the romantic interaction between the bride and the chef, subverting the expectations of the audience is this is uncharacteristic of Romina and suggest to the audience that she is in a vulnerable place at the moment as the seductive intention of the bride contrasts the despair that is feeling as a result of the fear that her guests might negatively look down at her for being cheated on with a guest at her wedding. There is also a prevalent use of long lenses combined with a wide aperture that contribute to the effect of the setting appearing dreamy, linking to her current vulnerable state and is shot on a spherical lens rather than an anamorphic lens and extended to widescreen, allowing the current events to appear more realistic and therefore heightening the suspense and emotions felt by the audience as she begins to kiss him and lets out an enraged rant about what she intends to do to attain revenge for Ariel’s deceitful acts. Reaction shots of shock from both the chef and Ariel during this violent outburst from Romina highlight the fact that this is an unforeseen change in attitude from Romina, causing Ariel to vomit because of it. To present the idea that the shoe is now on the other foot, with Ariel and Romina now reversing roles due to her taking control, eventually causing him to breakdown just like she did previously, the 180-degree rule is broken during the heated confrontation between the couple as she is now in a stronger and commanding position over him.
Both Szifron and del Toro use aspects of cinematography to convey meaning throughout their films so that they have a wide range of effects on the audience. Del Toro utilises it to contrast the different conflicting worlds in Pan’s Labyrinth, from the perspective of the fantastical and adventurous Ofelia to the cold and calculated manner of the Captain. Szifron on the other hand t allows the audience to empathise with characters such as Romina through his clever use of different techniques that appropriately convey the attitudes and feeling of the characters on screen.
The directors of both Pan’s Labyrinth and Wild Tales employ aspects of mise-en-scene to convey meaning throughout their films and have a wide range of effects on the audience.
Guillermo del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth focuses on the civil war in Spain. An election in 1936 brought to power a leftist Popular Front government causing Fascist and extreme-right forces to respond with a coup attempt that turned into a civil war. The film is set in 1944 after the fascist victory as the remaining rebels are routed out and killed.
During the Pale Man sequence, Ofelia opens a doorway to a hidden lair of an ancient monster so that she can retrieve a golden dagger with a key she found from her earlier task. At the start of the sequence, Ofelia is located within her room with del Toro using a dark colour palette to demonstrate how she is confined in the Captain’s world with one window the main source of light, partially barred by wooden planks and leaves which only provides a small glimpse of light shining into the room, showing that she is a prisoner, creating fear for the audience as we feel confined and as hopeless as she feels in his grasp. When she opens the book given to her by the Faun, the pages change from being a blank to reveal a picture of the Pale Man she is soon to encounter, depicted in a similar style to the drawings of Alice in Wonderland with pastorally colours that make the picture appear less threatening than its real life counterpart, thereby deceiving the audience as to the dangerous nature of the creature which makes its appearance all the more terrifying. Del Toro foreshadows this appearance of the Pale Man in order to have an effect on the audience, creating suspense for the creatures emergence. After drawing a small door shaped outline with chalk given to her by the Faun, Ofelia pushes open the new door in the wall to gaze into the piercingly bright lair of the Pale Man. Del Toro’s creative decision to change the colour palette from a cold blue to a far warmer red indicates a change from the reality of the Captain’s world to the fantasy world that she is about to step into which shows the audience that Ofelia is temporarily free from the Captain’s entrapment.
Del Toro gives the appearance of the Pale Man’s lair aspects of typical gothic design as the vaulted ancient ceiling gives the impression of catacombs underneath a cathedral with a chessboard-like floor which gives the audience the impression that the creature is mythological and enhances the mystery and intrigues surrounding the monster. There are further references made to the story Alice in Wonderland such as the oversized sand timer that she places in the doorway before she steps down to keep track of how much time she has left, emphasising to the audience its importance to the plot. The corridor that leads to the main chamber curves around a winding corner to show how deep the lair is whilst the windows are smaller than typical windows which demonstrates that she will be unable to get out; these various elements of the lair present to the audience that Ofelia is small in comparison to the task she is facing and how the task will be overwhelming for her, creating anticipation as it seems that she will inevitably face trouble in escaping from this place. Ofelia emerges into a huge expansive chamber, dominated by a large table that almost extends the length of the entire room with a figure at the end of it, resembling the Captain in a previous scene when he had previously held his feast for a group of the most important people including the doctor and other fascist sympathisers, heading the table as a commanding and evil figure and showing that both characters are as evil as each other, creating a further sense of foreboding for the fate of Ophelia. Del Toro uses an extraordinary collection of different foods including jellies and overflowing fruit piled up on this table to form a large banquet, something that a child might possibly imagine as all this food is unavailable due to the rationing brought into effect by the war, hinting towards the fact that she could be imagining what she used to have but can now only dream of which has increased relevance given the ending of the film which can be left up to interpretation as to whether Ophelia imagines all these events.
The towering figure that heads the table is the Pale Man; a skinny giant with large flaps of pale skin that dominate its body as the murals on the wall of his lair depict him eating large amounts of children as a creature of legend, but he hasn’t been able to eat in a long time, causing him to grow thin and frail allowing for him to look even more visually horrifying to the audience. There is a substantial amount of shoes piled up across the chamber; a visual reference to the concentration camps at Auschwitz during WW2 which is when the story is set and so the atrocities that resulted in the deaths of thousands of children would have been occurring at the time, links the creature to the atrocities of real life events and how its actions have caused the deaths of an enormous amount of innocent people, further influencing the audiences mindset that Ophelia is in grave danger. A fire situated behind the Pale Man appears to represent satanic imagery such as the mouth of hell, further utilising the hellish imagery seen in the murals to show how this monstrosity of a creature has a clear evil intent.
At first Ofelia chooses to acknowledge the figure before moving on to focus at the task of finding the dagger. She uses the shining and golden key with a twig handle, referencing Ofelia’s natural elements that link her to the rebels, to open a hatch so that she can obtain an ancient looking knife wrapped in a cloth with a golden handle that further links to the colour palette used to identify the fantasy world. Her temptation to take and eat the grapes is caused by them being oversized which gives them a succulent and divine appearance, referencing to the forbidden fruit in genesis where Eve was tempted to eat the fruit from the tree of life that had been forbidden from her, and like Eve, Ofelia’s actions lead to loss as two fairies die as she attempts to make her escape.
Another film that appropriately uses mise-en-scene to covey meaning is the portmanteau film Wild Tales, with six different stories, all connected by themes of violence and revenge, directed by Damián Szifron.
Focusing on the wedding sequence, it starts with a montage of old childhood photos that present the innocence of the couple which will later contrast their nature in the sequence and help the audience to infer relevant information about the sequence such as it being a family event that wouldn’t be available at this point in the scene without this context. The setting of the wedding gives a distinct rich and privileged appearance with lots of champagne glasses, expensive alcohol, golden chandeliers and tuxedos that all contribute towards this whilst also creating a disturbing feeling later on in the sequence when the bride later threatens to take everything away from him as they speak on the rooftop after she discovers he’s been cheating on her, allowing the audience to grasp the scale and severity of her threats and what she would be taking away. There is also a use of pathetic fallacy on the rooftop, used to demonstrate her ferocity as she lashes out at him and simultaneously, a bolt of lightning can be seen striking behind her in the distance as the sound of thunder follows thereafter.
Before these events however, the bride and groom first appear from behind a curtain as they joyously bound towards their in-laws, greeting them affectionately. The fact that they appear from behind a curtain immediately implies to the audience that their relationship is a façade and they are putting on a show to appease their guests as they wish to avoid criticism. The groom, Ariel, has neglected to shave for his own wedding showing his lack of care for his new wife, foreshadowing the fact that is unfaithful to her and the caring attitude that we were originally led to believe that he had is replaced with suspicion as it is a sign of his intention to conceal his cheating nature. After the buoyant dancing, the crowded setting is replaced by a much calmer and spacious one, where all their guests are sitting down as the bride, Romina, talks with them and points out from what backgrounds everyone is from in relation to them. Romina is drawn to her husband appearing to flirt with a mystery woman across from the room and therefore uses her initiative to uncover whether her suspicions that her husband might not be as caring as she once thought, by using her phone. The phone is used as a device to discover the secret that Ariel has cheated on Romina and is used to call the mystery woman who he had been flirting with earlier, leading to her confronting her husband during their first dance where its revealed to her that her suspicions were true. To escape this embarrassing and distressing situation, Romina runs frantically down a long, narrow hallway that leads to a fire escape and on to the rooftop. This hallway suggests to the audience that she feels trapped and claustrophobic because of the events that have just transpired and now feels as though everything is closing in around her, betrayed and alone. Her white wedding dress is intended to represent the idea of purity and innocence that is present in her character before she discovers the harrowing truth of her husband’s deceit, but the white becomes tainted with blood later on after she smashes the mystery woman into a mirror, showing that her innocence has been fragmented by this act and has stained her personality that can never wash out and return to her original purity, symbolised by this dress.
As the film reaches its climax, a broken cake, glass and ripped out hair show the destruction both physically and mentally inflicted on one another and how it has caused chaos for both them and their guests. At this point it seems unlikely there will be a happy ending for either of them, until Ariel offers out his hand possibly in forgiveness and apology and they slow dance alone on the stained floor as their guests look on in amazement. The final image is a particularly striking one, depicting a bride and groom statue resting crooked on the floor as the couple have sex on the adjacent table where the cake once stood, which could be symbolic of all the evenets that have occurred at the ceremony and how as a couple. they have both fallen down but still remain together despite the anguish they have caused each other.
Both Szifron and del Toro use aspects of mise-en-scene to convey meaning throughout their films to have a wide range of effects on the audience. Del Toro utilises it to show the contrasting world’s from the realistic and the fantastical in Pan’s Labyrinth, and how they share similarities with each other that only Ofelia is compelled to see. Szifron on the other hand uses mise-en-scene to allow the audience to empathise with characters through the use of symbolic imagery that appropriately coveys how they are feeling or how they have changes as people on screen.
A montage of old childhood photos present the idea of innocence which contrasts the later events in this sequence and helps the audience to infer relevant information about the sequence such as it is a family event that wouldn’t be available at this pint in the scene without this context. There is a distinct rich and privileged setting in the scene with lots of champagne glasses, expensive alcohol, golden chandeliers and tuxedos that contribute towards a disturbing feeling when she later threatens to take everything away from him on the rooftop after she discover he’s been cheating on her, allowing the audience to grasp the scale and severity of her threats. The use of pathetic fallacy in this scene also demonstrates her ferocity when she lashes out at him, simultaneously a bolt of lightning can be seen flashing in the distance and the sound of thunder follows thereafter.
Before this, however, The fact that the bride and groom appear from behind a curtain implies to the audience that their relationship is a façade immediately and they are putting on a show to avoid criticism from their guests. Ariel hasn’t shaved which shows a lack of care for his wife that we were originally led to believe he had which is a sign of his intentions to conceal the fact that he cheated on her. The phone is used as a device to discover the secret that Ariel has cheated on Romina and is used to call the mystery woman who he has been talking to that further arouses her suspicions and leads to her questioning her husband where she learns that he ahs in fact cheated on her. To escape this situation, Romina runs down a long, narrow hallway which suggests to the audience that she feels tarped and claustrophobic die to what has occurred and now feel betrayed and alone. The white wedding dress is supposed to represent the idea of purity and innocence that is present in Romina’s persona before she discovers she’s been cheated on but the white is tainted with blood after she smashes the mystery woman into a mirror, showing that she has lost that innocence because she has claimed revenge. Also, the mirror smashing could be representative of how the truth being unveiled has destroyed them as a couple.
The broken cake, glass and hair show the destruction both physically and mentally inflicted on one another and how it has caused chaos for everyone. The final image is a particularly compelling one, showing a bride and groom statue on the floor as the couple have sex on the table, which could be symbolic of the events that have taken place at the ceremony and how as a couple they have both fallen down but still remain together despite these chaotic events.
At the beginning of the sequence, a large group of guests laugh and cheer and a montage of photos being projected onto a large screen that suggests this sequence is going to be taking place on a happy occasion. Everybody is energetic, moving to the pace of the music as people begin to dance around the room, further showing that it is a lively and joyous event. The bride and groom affectionately greet their in-laws with Romina embracing her mother in-law with open arms which shows love and respect for one another that contrasts further on in the sequence after Ariel’s mother attempts to physically hurt Romina due to her threats against her son. This sets up a cheerful atmosphere at the start of the sequence which is noticeably absent later on and is also where the first dialogue is spoken, roughly one and a half minutes into the sequence, involving Ariel’s father in-law congratulating him but also warning him, implying consequences should anything negative happen to his daughter which gives a sense of foreboding to the remainder of the sequence due to the trend throughout the film of themes of violence and revenge. Romina and Ariel are typically separated when dancing which could foreshadow a broken relationship in the near future.
After cutting to a scene where everyone is less mobile and sitting down eating, the couple takes photos alongside relatives whilst Romina speaks to several in which she clearly forces a smile during their conversation to appear interested in what they are saying, often giving artificial responses which could imply to the audience a first glimpse at her possible fake nature that will become even more apparent after the revelation that Ariel has cheated. She changes from appearing happy in her facial expression to suspicious as she spots Ariel with a woman, slowing down her speech as she focuses on what she has seen and making it clear to the audience that she feels negatively towards what is happening, making the audience suspicious of Ariel too. This distresses her compared to the confident swagger of the groom as he is not aware that she suspects anything of him. When being questioned by Romina, Ariel’s face and body language allude to the fact that he is lying as he attempts to act oblivious, neglecting to make any eye contact with her as he feels guilty and instead looking around the room at their guests as he cares what impression they have of him. The father of the bride seems much more empathtic than her mother in-law, comforting her as she cries which makes the audience empathise with her more as she is presented to have a much more caring family.
After storming out of the room and getting some air at the top of the roof, a chef already there attempts to calm her down with a gentle soothing voice that makes her feel safe. Romina then subverts the expectations of the audience and kisses the chef as he gives a look of shock towards her, showing it was an unpredictable action as she feels very vulnerable. This shock is also seen from Ariel, who vomits after walking up to the roof and catching them both having sex. Its at this point that Romina lets out an enraged threatening speech towards Ariel, transitioning her position from vulnerability and frailty to power and strength as she plots revenge against him, threateningly pointing her finger at him an accusatory manner and loud vocals that demonstrate the supressed anger she has towards his actions. To cope with this, Ariel can late be seen drinking alcohol just as Romina once did before to calm his nerves and appears as a device to frequently use as they both breakdown. Also, as Ariel does breakdown at the climax of the sequence, he elevates his voice, mirroring the way Romina did previously on the roof but then proceeds to subvert the audiences expectations by offering his hand to her just as he did when they first danced, before he admitted to cheating on her. They then get intimate on the wedding table which suggests to the audience that they have both re-kindled their bond but also that they need each other as they are both in abhorrent states of mind when apart.
At the beginning of the scene, the digetic sound of the song ‘Titanium’ is playing in the background of the shots which has a very uplifting beat, giving the audiences first impression of the event as happy and joyful. The lyrics of the song suggest connotations of power and strength which would imply that the couple have a sturdy bedrock to their relationship whereas the song juxtaposes these ideas as the audience watches their relationship breakdown dramatically. The digetic laughter and cheering is lower in the sound mix but can still be heard clearly over the loud digetic music which conveys the fact that there is a large amount of guests watching the slideshow, emphasising the positivity in the room at this point in time and also assists in making the later sequence of events increasingly shocking as everyone appears to be having a great time initially. As the bride and groom enter the room, the digetic music increases in volume, appearing overwhelming compared to the other sounds in the mix that are virtually inaudible. Throughout this sequence the music seems to act as a device utilised to set the mood, so when the music is playing loudly, there is a general feeling of joy in the room but when it’s silent, there is typically something wrong between a set of characters. As they dance, there is a much more audible sound of men cheering when Ariel is separated from Romina in the shot and the sound of women screaming accentuated in the mix when focusing on Romina, insinuating that they are putting on a performance for their guests, hiding away from the revelation that they aren’t as deeply in love as things would appear from an exterior point of view whilst the separation of the couple in the sound mix suggests that the relationship is already unstable.
Upon cutting to an alternate scene, the digetic song ‘Titanium’ stop playing and is immediately replaced by the sound of diegetic Klezma music, performed by a live band in front of a large group of dancing guests. It increases the pace of the scene as the rapid music presents a lively atmosphere and further demonstrates to the audience that this an exciting occasion. This type of music is often performed during Jewish celebrations, signifying to the audience that this is a Jewish wedding which gives context to the sequence and tells of the religious culture of Argentina. The Klezma music stops suddenly after there is a time change that transfers the audience from watching a buoyant dancing scene to a quiet scene where their guests are eating at tables. The music is replaced with the diegetic sound of cutlery clanking together which gives less significant items more prominence in the mix to show a much calmer situation than before. Romina spots Ariel with a woman that she doesn’t recognise and its implied that she believes there is something dubious going on between them. The sound comes from her perspective with the focus directed on them and other sounds in the mix other than their dialogue decreasing in volume as they are less important to the story, telling the audience that her doubts have an important meaning to the outcome. The bride walks over to her own table and takes out a phone. Diegetic phone ringing sounds reveal her intentions as she calls the mystery woman. After picking up, the diegetic voice of the woman is presented from Romina’s perspective as the faint sounds of the woman’s voice come through the phone, allowing a feeling of sympathy for her as by showing the events happening from her point of view, the audience is more capable of understanding what trauma she is going through. The soft melody of ‘Blue Danube’ starts playing as Ariel approaches his wife to dance with her. This presents a sense of irony as the song is slow and romantic but there is a lack of romance between the couple after she has discovered that he has cheated on her, contarsting her emotions and making Romina’s situation appear even more tragic. Romina returns from the roof after liberating herself and the fast paced music previously played starts once again with a variety of conflicting sounds in the mix, showing the chaos of the wedding and their loud and exuberant dancing also shows how her newfound feeling of control, free from the awful feeling of being cheated on. the sound mix becomes increasingly conflicted in the scene where Romina and the woman she has been cheated on with spin around rapidly. the loud and disorientating sounds of the diegetic music and dialogue promotes a sense of dizziness that stops after the woman crashes into the mirror, leaving the audience with a sense of horror as it highlight that there has been a serious injury. As the sequence reaches its climax, there is a feeling of suspense to the scene due to a lack of music. The diegetic sound of the wedding guests actions such as Ariel popping open the champagne bottle, leaving the guests to gasp in shock or the footsteps as he approaches the crying Romina all add to this feeling. However, as the couple reconnect hands, the non-diegetic song ‘Fly me to the moon’ starts playing. This is very ironic as its a happy song with protruding themes of love throughout that heavily juxtaposes the events that have occurred, presenting a definite change in attitude between the couple as they begin to slow dance in front of the bewildered guests looking on.
To start off the sequence, the camera pulls out to a wide shot that contributes to showing the large amount of guests at the wedding focused on the slideshow of old photos, crabbing right to further show the chow many happy guests are present, focusing on the cheerful pictures on screen. Steadicam is used throughout these shots and pushes in as the song increases in tempo to focus on the bride and groom, centrally framed and emerging from behind a curtain before arcing around them greeting their parents and in-laws to give the impression that the person watching the film is a spectator as the shots are very intimate with a sense of family unity followed by a series of handheld close-up shots focusing on the interactions between the partners and their in-laws making it more personal and meaningful. The steadicam arcs around the couple from a low angle to give the impression that the camera is dancing along with them whilst crowding the audience. Tracking shots match the pace of the dancing whilst the movement matches the energy of the music to give the scene a lively appearance. The lighting becomes harsher as the sequence progresses whilst the blue lighting could suggest the stability, trust and loyalty in the relationship at this point in time. The camera is kept at a low angle below eye level to give the audience the impression they are in a crowded area.
A change in location is accompanied by a change to warm yellow lighting, suggesting happiness. The camera pulls back from a shot of an energetic sousaphone, directing focus on the instrument and therefore a focus on the joy of the party as everyone immediately becomes engrossed in the music. after the party, there is less dramatic movement shown by less frquent, slower and more stable shots. A long lens is used to make the audience feel as if they are a part of the crowd the bride points out too before she moves away from the people she is talking to as the camera pans to the left to centrally frame the bride, isolating her in the fram with a shallow depth of field to focus on her reaction as she begins to suspect her husband might be cheating on her. The zoom draws attention to the woman sitting down in the centre of the frame but not clearly as the bride is unaware that she existed until now using a POV shot, followed by a reaction shot of the brides face to show the importance of the revelation to the development of the story and that her attenton is fully focused on the mystery woman. The camera tracks the bride as she crosses the room to the mirror, sandwiching the woman in the centre of her focus. the mirror shot foreshadows her apparent dual nature later on and a wrack focus from the brides phone the the womans phone implies that the bride has uncovered her husbands dirty secret whilst an over the shoulder shot using a long lens gives the impression that the bride is isolated because she now feels alone.
The crowd is darkened and the lighting focuses on the bride and groom with darker lighting on him to represent his apparent morally evil nature as the camera tracks the brides eye movement, focusing on his hand and the ring. the camera arcs around them as they dance to present the ffect that the audience is a guest that dances with them but cuts to different arcing shots, making it disorientating as the bride is puuting her husband under pressure so that he might reveal the truth.The focus is entirely on the couple as a shallow depth of field makes the background barely visible so that the audience can focus on what they are saying. A series of close-up shots between the newlyweds as they dance whilst the bride questions him changes to a wide shot when he confirms her suspicions and the camera stops dancing immediately when the couple stop dancing, becoming less smooth and more jarring to represent the brides shock and confused state of mind. the long lens suggests that the guests are watching him from a distance, tightening in on his reaction that could suggest their judgement as she has left the room in tears. the camera is attached to the door in order to track the motion of both characters and establishes the direction they are both heading. The lighting is darker on the bride when she doesnt know the truth but becomes lighter when its been revealed to her as she walks through the corridor, tracked by low angle shots from both in front and behind her to show she feels surrounded and overwhelmed with a declining sense of reality.
A BEV shot of the bride looking over the edge of the roof suggests she feels nauseated and is about to jump. The lighting in the background of the shots appears romantic, foreshadowing the romantic interaction between the bride and the chef and a romantic shot subverts the expectations of the audience as the seductive intention of the bride contrasts her despair. The long lenses with a wide aperture makes the scene seem more dreamy and the scene is shot on a spherical lens rather than an anamorphic lens and extended to widescreen which makes it appear more realistic. A reaction shot of shock from both the chef and Ariel as Romina lets out a violent outburst directed at her husband that neither were expecting. the 180 degree rule is broken during the confrontation to present the idea that the shoe is now on the other foot. The camerawork alternates to handheld as she feels free as she’s released her anger that she had stored inside her, indicating a change in attitude towards her chaotic relationship.
Define a portmanteau film. What are other notable examples from recent years?
Afilm that combines two or more aspects or stories, often tied together by a single theme or event. Recent examples include City of God and Pulp Fiction.
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?
“Pasternak” – While on a plane, two people realise they both know the same person before discovering that every board on board knows him, each with their own story on how they grieved the mysterious character, leading them to come to the conclusion that it is no coincidence that they are all on the plane, together as they desperately attempt to flee the plane as it crashes into the garden of the mysterious “Pasternak’s” parents house.
“The Rats” – A young waitress recognises a customer in the restaurant she works in who once caused a tradgedy in her family. The cook suggest putting rat poison in his food but she rejects the idea but the cook goes ahead with her plan anyway, causing both his son and himself to be violently ill before the cook attacks him with a knife, killing him whilst being sent to jail.
“The Strongest” – Two drivers come into conflict when one driver continually swerves in the way of the other, blocking them from getting past. After the overtaking driver gets a puncture, he stops by the side of the road and is joined by the other driver who attempts to destroy his car before they both attempt o kill each other, one by ramming them off a cliff and running them over the other by hanging them but in the end, a fire igniting the petrol gets the better of both of them.
“Little Bomb” – A demolition engineer has his car towed after parking in the wrong place to pick up his daughters birthday cake, cauding him to be late to her party which results in the breakdown of marriage and then his career after he has a heated argument with an employee of the towing company. These events lead him to plant a bomb in his car after being towed on purpose causing a huge explosion, which ruins the company and sends him to jail; however, he arns the respect of the city and his family.
“The Proposal” – The son of a wealthy family kills a mother and her unborn son in his car, going to his parents for help who phone their lawyer. They persuade the groundsman to take the fall after bribing several people but soon learns that he is a victim of extortion of his lawyer, neglecting to go through with the deal. After a new term is agreed, he willingly pays up and the groundsman heads outside to take the blame before having his head smashed by the Victims husband.
“Until death Do Us Part” During a wedding party, a bride learns that her new husband has cheated on her with one of their guests, deciding to get revenge by threatening to take all his money and making his life a misery. After breaking down in front of all their guests, the husband goes into an emotion shock whilst his wife ends up in tears. The depressing ending however alternates paths and results in the couple slow dancing among the ruined venue and getting risqué which causes all their guests to dissolve from the room
The most effective story in my opinion is the “little Bomb”. It presents the breakdown of a characters welfare over time and shows the motives behind his decision to engage in a terrorist act. It also puts society into question as the company he bombs is free to exploit he citizens of the city for personal gain.
Each of the stories all have one theme in common, revenge. All six stories show how different people are brought to acts of violence based on their different experiences. The first two stories show how past events and the build up of time causes someone to consider violent actions to achieve satisfaction in terms of revenge whilst the second set of two show how a steady life can be broken down rapidly due to an individual action which can spiral out of control. The final two show how manipulation and deception causes a breakdown mentally and physically, in one case leading to death.
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?
It fits the film better than ‘Wild Tales’ as the acts of revenge and violence throughout the film are savage, often leading to the deaths of multiple people. The savage and senseless acts of violence can be seen in each individual story, ranging from a hijacking that causes an aviation disaster, the bombing of a company and the brutal murder of a groundsman.
What does the viewer learn about Argentine society from watching the film? Does this accurately reflect the political and social reality?
The viewer gets the impression that Argentine society is dangerous and violent, with a repulsive setting and nature. The film appears to show a corrupt society with a dissatisfied people. Corruption in Argentina remains a serious problem suffering from widespread corruption in the public and private sector. However, it has improved since the films release in 2015, moving from the 107th least corrupt country out of 175 to the 85th.
Are there aesthetic differences between each of the stories? How do the aesthetic support the story being told?
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