Examples Of Mise En Scene In Pan's Labyrinth

Hannah Simon

Escape into the Heavens

Right before a storm, there’s always that feeling of calmness and serenity, almost so soothing you want to stay outside just to feel the breeze blow your hair across your face. The air becomes still and off in the distance you can hear the rustling of the leaves. But within minutes, the sky becomes ominous with clouds rolling in and then the realization hits you. It might be a smart idea to take shelter. As you shut the doors behind you, you can’t help but to peer out the window at the impending wrath of Mother Nature you left behind. The scene of the Pale Man in the movie Pan’s Labyrinth is much like the feeling you get during a storm. The Pale Man remains asleep and all is clam in his dungeon until Ofelia eats the grapes, after she was given clear, strict rules to not eat anything on his table. Her leisurely curiosity leaves her blind to the awakened monster behind her, but once she realizes her impending doom, she quickly tries to find an escape. Some may believe it was Ofelia’s disobedience of

For example the dinner scene almost echoes the scene of the Pale Man, with the two monsters sitting at the head of the tables. Captain Vidal hoards food and supplies while he rationed out small, insufficient portions to families; similarly the exquisite meal that could feed dozens sits in front of the Pale Man, yet all the Pale Man would consume was the blood of an innocent child. The director of Pan’s Labyrinth, Guillermo Del Toro, created the Pale Man by removing his eyes and placing them on a platter before him. He does this to mimic a sight he has seen before- the Statue of St. Lucy, with her eyes on a platter and blood pouring out of her sockets. This brings about a very religious tone to the facelessness of fascism, like a Nazi concentration camp with the shoes of the innocent piled in the