Question

In Pan's Labyrinth, how is reality and fantasy Filmed shot ? Also, include a discussion on how lighting affects the shots in both the the fantasy world and the real world.

Answer 1

Set in 1944, post-Spanish Civil War, Guillermo del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth follows the story of a young girl named Ofelia (Ivana Baquero), whose pregnant mother has forced her to move to a small military-run mill, commanded by her fascist new stepfather Vidal (Sergi López). Upon entering an old labyrinth Ofelia is approached by a Faun, a mystical creature who tells her that she’s the princess of a lost kingdom, and to return there she must complete three tasks. And so a web of truth and fantasy is spun, with the lines between fact and fiction, and good or evil blurred, coming to a head in an enigmatic ending where we’re left to question whether Ofelia’s world is real or not. But there are hints to be found if you look closely enough.

Shot by cinematographer Guillermo Navarro, his fourth collaboration with writer/director Guillermo del Toro, Pan’s Labyrinth earned him a multitude of awards including an Oscar for ‘Best Achievement in Cinematography’ in 2007. The film is in essence about Ofelia’s search to find her place in the world, and through the cinematography “the audience is learning with her and discovering things with her”. Navarro’s camera work reflects the theme of searching with its constant movement and unrest. It settles only on rare occasions throughout, before continuing on its unrelenting pursuit for answers. Through his use of framing, lighting and colour Navarro creates two worlds that, although dissimilar in several ways are identical in others, and this becomes key to the narrative which is played out through the visual palette.

Navarro uses a dense shadow, creating the sense that there’s always something lurking just out of sight throughout Pan’s Labyrinth. The deep shadows reflect the feeling of unknowing. Unknowing for us as the viewer, and for Ofelia, our entry point to the film’s world. The ever-mysterious Faun from Ofelia’s lost kingdom is seen stepping out of the shadows to greet her, his motivations brought into question as he slinks ambiguously into and out of the darkness. He is Ofelia’s only constant link to the ‘fantasy’ world, and he’s a link filled with unease and intrigue.