Pan's Labyrinth: From Aschenputtel to Ofelia

The Connections

In Guillermo del Toro's film, Pan's Labyrinth, the journey of a young girl, Ofelia, during post civil war times. After her father's death, her mother remarries Captain Vidal, a vicious man guided by no moral compass, only a loyalty to Franco's lead and a desire to preserve his family name through a son. Life with the Captain is unbearable. Ofelia turns to a fairy tale world as a way for escape. In this world, there are parallels to the real world as well as the Grimm Brothers' Aschenputtel. As I summarized that tale in the previous blog, I won't be doing that here- rather I will be focusing on it's connection to Pan's Labyrinth. 

The first comparison is in the loss of the mother in both tales. In Aschenputtel,  the father is still alive, but does not do anything to protect or care for Aschenputtel. In this way both protagonists are left in the care of a step parent that has no regard for their well being. 

In both tales, there is also a guiding character that assists our protagonist. In Aschenputtel, the tree that grew from her tears on her mother's grave has the role we would normally associate with the fairygodmother, as it is the aids Aschenputtel by granting her wishes, having the birds assist her with her tasks and work as guides throughout the tale. In del Toro's tale, the faun is Ofelia's guide providing assistance with her tasks and guiding her toward her path to the underworld.

A large area of comparison in both of these tales is the use of tasks. In both tales, the protagonists need the assistance of others in order to complete the tasks. Aschenputtel receives the help of birds, while Ofelia has fairies that the faun has sent to help her. Aschenputtel needs to sort lentil beans from the ash ridden floor. Ofelia must obtain a key and then a dagger, both in dangerous circumstances.

The rule of three is a staple of many fairy tales, is a strong characteristic of these tales as well. In the film, Ofelia must complete three tasks. One of which she feeds a large toad three stones in order to obtain a key, and in the second task she must decide which of three doors has the dagger she must acquire from a monster's layer. All of these tasks are leading to the reuniting of the trinity that is the royalty of the underworld (The King, Queen, and Princess Mona aka Ofelia). In Aschenputtel, the feast lasts three days, Aschenputtel wears three different gowns, and after her two step sisters tried on the golden slipper (third times the charm), the prince finds his partner. While the rule of threes isn't an Aschenputtel specific trait, both fairy tales utilize this.     

The last similarity to direct to is in the theme of eyes. In the original version of Aschenputtel, the step sisters have their eyes gouged out by birds as punishment for their wickedness. In Pan's Labyrinth, there is a creature that's eyes are initially seen sitting on a plate in front of it. This shows the use of "evil being blind" in both stories.

The role of the fairy tales

In Pan’s Labyrinth, the fairy tale idea is a powerful tool. Not only did it bring in a common story that has been told by many cultures in different ways. Fairy tales provide a beautiful and artistic way of illustrating life lessons, and about the progression from childhood into adulthood. In this film, the fairy tale world works as an escape from reality for the character of Ofelia. And although it is an escape, the fairy tale world mirrors the real world that Ofelia is struggling with. This tale shows the harshness of this time period on childhood innocence. The character of Mercedes mirrors Ofelia and her journey through the fairy tale realm (the task of retrieving the key for the storage shed, the knife she kept on her and used against the captain).This provided an additional message, that in the real world innocence doesn’t prevail. Those more hardened by reality survive. By the use of fairy tale, we can compare what is needed for survival, and see the value of purity of spirit. 

Pan's Labyrinth and the Grimms' Cinderella (Aschenputtel)

In the Brothers Grimm's version of Cinderella (called Aschenputtel) there is a similarity in the use of tasks as a way to obtaining an end result- ascending to a thrown in one case, attending a ball in another. 
In the tale of Aschenputtel, Aschenputtel's mother dies, leaving her with her father, a stepmother, and two step sisters. Aschenputtel grows up serving the family, not being cared and supported for by her father. When the day comes that the King is holding a three day celebration to find a wife for his son, the Prince, Aschenputtel wants to attend with the rest of the kingdom. Her step mother gives her impossible tasks to complete in order to go, which Aschenputtel completes with the help of birds.

     

When still told she cannot go, she wished under a tree that she had grown with her tears on her mother's grave, and a bird threw down a gown for her so she could attend. Aschenputtel attended all three days of the feast. On the final day she lost one of her gold slippers at the ball, which the prince then used to find her. 
      
In this version, the step sisters cut of parts of their feet in order to fit into the slipper. Once the prince finds and marries Aschenputtel, the birds that helped Aschenputtel along the way gouge out the eyes of the step sisters, blinding them.

Reflections on Water

    The film Water depicts the societal injustice that the widows of India are subjected to. With the death of a husband, widows are forced into a life of waiting to be reunited with their lost husbands. All the while, the widows are degraded as lesser members of society and even forced into prostitution. In this film, the lives of widows in Varanasi, India are depicted; showing their struggles, suffering, and humanity. An important element of this film is the connection of cultural mythology- the Hindu story of Radha and Krishna. The allusion of this tale is weaved into the story telling of the widows. 
    Widow Kalyani has an unexpected run in with Narayan, a young man who has his eyes opened to the plight of the widows that Gandhi is supporting because of this meeting. The two form a loving bond that is tragically cut short with the suicide of Kalyani, when she couldn't live with the her time in prostitution any longer. 
   The story of Kalyani and Narayan mirrors the story of Radha and Krishna. In the myth, Krishna is a great lover, holding Radha in the highest of affections. However, due to circumstance the two never end up married; Radha spends a lifetime waiting for Kirshna. In this way, Kalyani and Narayan's love mirrors this tragic and powerful story. Narayan will have to wait a lifetime to be reunited with Kalyani. The film gives clues to this with signs such as Narayan's appearances with a flute, something Krishna is often depicted with. Additionally, Narayan compares Kalyani to the beautiful peacock feather, another symbol of Krishna. 

    When looking at the use of cultural mythology in this film, Water uses the myth of Krishna and Radha as a tool to guide through a painful story reflecting of the challenges faced by widows. In this way in incorporates a story of love into a story that may otherwise be too painful to watch as well as reconnecting with the Hindu beliefs that are integral to the values behind widows and marriage in India. After considering the story of Krishna and Radha and it's representation of true love, how far should a culture take that principal? Where do we draw the line between religious values and our own free choice?

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

Up, Up, and Away: the Music of Up

There are films that always seem to hit the right note when it came to the decisions on the use of music. A beautiful example of this would be in Pixar's UP. This film effectively used music to enhance the emotions of the scenes and in the case below, showed that dialogue isn't always needed to tell a powerful story. 

Tsotsi: Use of sound and music

In the film "Tsotsi", directed by Gavin Wood, music and sound provide  strong support for the atmosphere of the setting. The film takes place in South Africa, showing the character of Tsotsi, a young punk now struggling the the internal turmoil from the harm he's caused others. The soundtrack supports the setting of the urban, that Tsotsi comes from. The fast pace matches the quick moving lifestyle of crime that to this point, Tsotsi has embraced. 

Along with the soundtrack, the additional scores used in the film aided to setting the tone of the scenes. In the example below, the sounds of the train combined with the subtle sounds added in creates  an ominous tone that is mixed with a sense of urgency. This allows for the viewer to better place themselves in the scene that Wood is showing us, and to feel the horror of such a sudden act.

Lon Chaney Sr: pioneering practical effects

 

                      

While recognized for the characters he played, not everyone may realize that the face behind the makeup and effects was the same man putting it on. Lon Chaney Sr. is one of the early pioneers in practical effects makeup. With little guidelines on how to create effects at the time, Chaney experimented; creating harnesses and straps to create the illusion of amputated limbs. He used wires to pull his eyelids open and his nose up in order to create more skull- like features in films such as London After Midnight and The Phantom of the Opera. In The Road to Mandalay (1928), to create the appearance of being blind in one eye, Chaney used thin layer of egg whites like a contact lens. Lon Chaney took risks, combining theatrical makeup with practical effects in order to pave the way in effects as we know them.

                                 

The Godfather Part II: Lap dissolve

Transitions aren't just a means to transition between shots; it can be used to transition between settings and time. A prime example of this is in Francis Ford Copolla's The Godfather Part II. The film uses a lap dissolve (one scene dissolves out while the next comes into the view) to move from the era of Michael Corleone's reign back into the past to his father's time. The lap dissolve works to transition scenes, bridge time frames, and most importantly, works to draw parallel between Michael and Vito Corleone's lives.

Whale Rider: A culture and its times

The film Whale Rider, by Niki Caro, takes a close look at New Zealand's Maori culture; examining the legend of Paikea, the Whale Rider. In this film, there needs to be an understanding of the importance of the natural environment to the Maori. A pivotal point is when the grandfather finds the beached whales on shore. The community's response to this shocking situation becomes more clear when understanding that they find their strength in having a bond between nature and themselves.

Another topic of significance when considering the Maori culture is the roles given genders in the film. It is made clear that men are seen in leadership roles while women are meant to take a back seat; this of course clashes with the main character's desire to perform the same tasks that the men are given. Like many stories of creation, in the Maori mythology and legends, man was created first, then woman as a reward. This is the beginning of defining the gender roles in Maori culture. Women aid the men, but are not on equal footing.

The main character is a young girl that is named after Paikea, the great leader (male, of course) that arrived to the land via a whale. With the name comes great personal responsibility; Pai feeling a strong connection to the sea and whales, having a natural instinct to assist. This however clashes with the Maori's value on male patriarchy, leaving her to make her way down her own path with little assistance.

Understanding the culture's history and beliefs provides insight into Maori life as depicted in Caro's Whale Rider. The otherwise mysterious values of the culture come into focus when considering the culture's history and mythology.

The Road Home: Color and Symbolism

The Road Home director, Zhang Yimou, used traditional color meanings along with other forms of symbolism to create depth and beauty in what could have otherwise been a simple, quiet story. Yimou effectively portrayed the main character's emotions through the use of color, and the symbolism of the environment, her actions and the objects surrounding her. Because of the wealth of material this would be to cover, I will be focusing in on color and the environment.

In the film, the main character, Di, has a case of love at first sight when she first sees the towns new teacher, Luo Changyu. During this first moment, Di is wearing red, a color of luck and happiness. This is a direct connection to the character's euphoric joy at this moment. This first connection takes place during summer; representative of the character's liveliness and energy that brings new joy into her life. After this moment, Di runs home and changes into a pink top, representative of the fact that she is in love and proudly displaying it.

As the film continues, the seasons change- slowly progressing into fall. The colors of the environment slowly become more orange and yellow, representative of spontaneity- fitting as Di and Changyu slowly begin to take to chances of expressing their interest in each other. When Changyu is being taken to the city due to unclear circumstances (cultural revolution is inferred), he gives Di a red barrette to go with the red top he first saw her in. This reflects back to their luck and happiness in finding each other.

As time continues to pass without the return of Changyu, the seasons change to winter, becoming bleak and white. With this color choice and the symbolism of the loss of happiness as Di's love is missing with the uncertainty of return. White is representative of death in Chinese color; in this instance reflecting the death of Di's happiness in Changyu's absence rather than the death of a person.

All the while, there are traces of the color red as Di fights to hold on to her luck and love. The Road Home shows the visual manifestations of the main character's emotions, creating a vivid depiction of love, life, and the beauty in memories.

Insight on "Inception": the hallway scene

Camera movement can be used a variety of ways, creating different viewer interpretations of scenes. An intriguing example is the staging and shooting of the rotating hallway in Christopher Nolan's "Inception." to create this scene, Nolan took inspiration from Fred Astaire's "Royal Wedding," which made use of a rotating room. To create the rotating hallway, Nolan had the hallway set suspended in a cylindrical framework. one of the camera movements used in this scene is a dolly shot; the camera was mounted to a dolly on a hidden track, creating the fixed point of view as the camera could move along the track and then track the actors movement. This creates the illusion that the hallway is rolling throughout space as the actors fight. A link has been included to show the making of this scene. This scene was created using a variety of camera movements and techniques, but the dolly shot allows for the initial understanding of the scene and how a combination of camera movements are used.
Behind the scenes of the Hallway Scene

Camera shots and perspective: The low angle shot

Reservoir Dogs, 1992

An Example of camera angle that added to the viewers connection with a scene is the trunk shot in Quintin Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs. With the low angle shot, the viewer is placed with the point of view coming from the trunk. This shot of the actors looking down upon the camera has been used in multiple Tarantino films. Think how much different this scene would seem if it was shot from another perspective.

400 Blows: Truffaut's Style

 In the 1959 film, 400 Blows, Francois Truffaut uses a variety of techniques to create a unique style. It is filmed in a deep focus, allowing all of the scene to be viewed. This places it upon the viewer to make the decision on where to focus their attention. Another important note about Truffaut's approach is that there is a use of long shots in order to capture a scene and the movements of subjects within the shot. This is prominent in the street scenes in which the main character, Antoine and his classmate are walking down the street, discussing what their next plan of action will be. These decisions strengthened the viewers ability to make sense of the Antoine's struggle in and outside of his family life.

400 Blows, 1959

When looking at this film, the director’s relies mainly on imagery rather than on dialogue. Because of this, there is an important stressor put on facial expressions. With that understanding, close ups also become prominent. For example, when Antoine’s parents are fighting Truffaut uses a close up of Antoine’s face to direct the viewer to how the main character is effected by the fighting rather than just on the argument itself. This is another example of how Truffaut directs the film in a way that isn’t focused on solely moving the plot along, but rather in strengthening the understanding of the characters in it.   



Truffaut used symbolism as a way of conveying Antoine's emotions without having them explicitly stated. For example, in a scene at home, Antione is seen combing his hair. In this shot there are three mirrors capturing his image. This is symbolic of how Antoine isn't sure of who he is yet or of his place in the world. His unsureness is thus seen in his actions that are troublesome, like stealing. With All this combined, Truffaut creates a complex view of his characters and setting in 400 Blows.