aesthetic qualities (in class)

Aesthetic qualities in Pans labyrinth create impact on the spectator, through using miss en scene and cinematography to demonise a patriarchal fascist ideology, partly through emphasising its tragic impact on the protagonist Ofelia. This is seen in the pale man scene, where this ideology is exposed partly through the presentation of the Pale man who is a personification of this ideology. The costuming used serves to show this, through presenting the Pale man as blind with long clawed fingers, sagging skin and no eyes as well as being notably phallic in shape. This can be read metaphorically with the lack of eyes representing the blind violence of fascism, the sagging skin representing starvation showing fascism to be a dying ideology and the phallic nature to represent the patriarchal nature of fascism. Literally however fascisms depiction as a creature with grotesque features that are barely human, ultimately dehumanise it and evoke a feeling of strong disgust in the spectator towards the creature and therefore fascism. This creature is also directly linked to Vidal, the fascist antagonist of the film, through an over the shoulder medium close up with similar miss en scene to the dinner scene with Vidal. In both scenes a hellish fire burns behind both of them and a lavish feast is set before them. This medium close up places Ofelia out of focus in the foreground with the pale man in focus in the background, framing the two closely suggesting the danger Ofelia is in through proxemics and cinematography, while also emphasising the creatures grotesque depiction as the medium close up allows a fairly intimate viewing of the creature, with the lighting also serving to exaggerate these grotesque features. This captures the naked horror of fascism, as it is essentially Del Toro presenting whats underneath Vidal's carefully presented exterior, what fascism hides underneath a vail of clean lies. A series of close ups also work to capture the horror of the fascism as a panning close up of the lavish dinner, makes the excess and blood shed of fascism seem never ending, the colour palette of red and gold connoting this. Frescos above the Pale man further demonise him, as they present him impaling and devouring children in such a religious form, paired with the fire behind him its as if this ideology came from hell itself.

The final scene also serves a similar purpose but works to show that the innocent are the ultimate victims of this ideology, as they only find escape in death. Ofelia is shot by Vidal after sacrificing herself to save her younger brother, she falls to floor and a low angle close up forces the spectator to empathise with her as a deep bluish colour palette evokes a sombre mood. This deep blue colour palette rooted in her violent reality is juxtaposed by a bright gold colour palette, as she enters her fantasy. This juxtaposition emphasises the tragedy she has suffered at the hands of fascism, as it exaggerates the blue colour palette and therefore the tragic reality that she is dying outside of this fantasy world, as we once again re enter reality as Del Toro cranes up and tilts down, to reveal the sad  reality below. This camera move heightens the tragedy, as Ofelia's white dress connoting innocence stands out against the blue colour palette, and this long over head shot reminds the spectator that Ofelia is just one of many victims. Going back to the fantasy world, Del Toro exaggerates its portrayal as a fantasy to remind us of the tragedy that this is just a child's fantasy, to remind us that Ofelia has not escaped to some magical place but is in fact dying in reality only escaping fascism in death. A close up on her sparkly red shoes reminiscent of the wizard of Oz.