Mock Exam

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Component 2a – Global Film – Updated Sound Essay

Explore how aspects of sound are used to enrich meaning in your two chosen films. Make detailed reference to particular sequences in your answer.

In Pan’s Labyrinth (Guillermo Del Toro, 2006), del Toro presents two duelling characters with distinct features of sound in order to portray war and jingoism as outdated and abhorrent. This is shown through the extinguishing of innocence as a consequence of the implications of the Spanish Civil War.

Del Toro uses sound to subvert the audience’s expectations of the traditional fantasy genre in order to put the viewer on edge. This is achieved through the use of a sound bridge, whereby the diegetic sound of a whistle in the wind accompanies the opening credits and the first sequence. Del Toro does this in order to convey a sense of looming threat and danger to the audience, with the pathetic fallacy being highlighted by this harsh and abrasive sound. This feeling of dread is therefore present in the audience when they are introduced to the protagonist – Ofelia. Del Toro decides to further intensify these negative emotions through accentuating the volume that the blood drips from Ofelia’s prone body. This exaggerated diegetic sound highlights the action that the audience is viewing on – screen. Ofelia is only a young girl so her death is already alarming to the audience; however, the ominous sound of blood dripping onto the floor makes the whole process seem more drawn out and saddening to watch. Del Toro uses ominous sounds to do this in order to convey his anti – war ideology to the audience. Since Ofelia is a beacon of hope and innocence, del Toro’s use of sound to make her death more drawn out is symbolic of the countless young lives lost at war for no reason.

Del Toro manipulates the non – diegetic composed score in order to make the viewer more inclined to feel sympathy towards Ofelia and, therefore, more inclined to side with his ideological beliefs. For example, del Toro uses contrapuntal sounds in the opening sequence to draw focus onto the subtleties of Ofelia’s emotions. The composed score is calming, which is diametrically opposed to the heavy breathing and apparent pain that Ofelia is in. This implies that Ofelia has to come to accept her fate of death and is no longer fazed by the reality of morbidity. Perhaps this is del Toro implying that war has numbed people to horrendous violence. This juxtaposition in sound reminds the audience that there is a young girl dying and that this should never be normalised. Del Toro then changes the tone of the composed score, it now sounds more dramatic and orchestral, reminding the viewer that they are viewing a fictional narrative. Del Toro changes the score to remind the audience of this because the of the reality of wasted youth.

Throughout the narrative, del Toro uses sound imagery to associate Ofelia with innocence, in order to show how the effects of war can destroy this purity. This is most notable in the sequence in which Ofelia is in bed with her mother and the loud diegetic crackling of the fire rises in the sound mix. This establishes a sense of warmth and comfort. Del Toro then uses loud and sudden creaking foley sounds that disrupt this melodic sense of relaxation. The jarring sounds create the impression that Ofelia’s innocence is on the fringes of being broken. This builds a macabre sense of anticipation in the audience as they await to learn when Ofelia’s innocence is no more. This is del Toro suggesting that in war, young lives are lost in an arbitrary fashion and at no particular point, with the only inevitability being that they are, in fact, lost.

Del Toro uses changes in sound to present the Captain as a detestable antagonist, who rids the world of innocence and purity. In the sequence where the Captain violently breaks a bottle over a farmer’s head, the diegetic sound of the glass breaking is very loud in the sound mix. This abrupt change in sound dynamics startles the viewer into a sense of subservience. Del Toro portrays the Captain as a threatening character because he is used to represent war, which is seen by del Toro as a threat to innocence. Not only is it important that the Captain is threatening in order to show the brutality of war but also to show that outdated ideological beliefs are a threat to our modern day society. Del Toro shows this by using specific sounds, unique to the Captain, when he is shaving in his lair. The diegetic music playing from his gramophone is patriotic in tone. This associates the evil Captain with nationalism, thus linking jingoism with violence and threat. Del Toro uses uniques sounds for the Captain and Ofelia to suggest that the external conflict between them manifests itself in such a way that is representative of the conflict between war and innocence. Since del Toro uses sound to present the two characters in unique ways, there is a clear divide between the two themes. When the characters do ultimately clash at the end of the film, oppressive sounds rise to the foreground in the sound mix, signalling that violence ultimately destroys innocence and purity.

In Wild Tales (Damian Szifron, 2014), the theme of violent revenge is explored through six distinct narratives in this portmanteau film. In the final narrative, Szifron uses sound to subvert the audience’s traditional expectations surrounding a wedding in order to shock the viewer into a state of thought – evoking awe.

Szifron initially uses sound to present a strong and unbreakable bond between Ariel and Romina, suggesting that the two love each other dearly. A loud diegetic track plays over the loud speakers in the Wedding room to the crowd of guests. The track is called ‘Titanium’, which connotes strength, furthering the idea that Ariel and Romina have a powerful connection with each other. Szifron chooses to use this track because it is important to the ending to establish a sense of normality so that the eventual violence is more shocking. In the same regard, the tone of the music is happy and upbeat, conforming to the expectation that Weddings are normally a celebration. This also makes the eventual violence more shocking as Szifron subverts this expectation. Szifron also uses the diegetic music to support the tonal shift in the narrative when Romina learns that Ariel had cheated on her. At this point, the track changes and the music takes on a much slower pace and quieter volume, making the narrative seem much more serious and the dialogue seem much more intense. This change in sound is important because it serves as a prelude to the eventual violence and is a subtle way for the tone of the Wedding to change.

After Romina leaves the room in tears, Szifron uses silence to imply that the character is alone. The silence continues as the camera follows Romina to the roof. This adds a sense of suspense because Romina’s emotions are not made explicitly obvious to the audience. In this regard, Romina’s subsequent actions are not clear as she has abandoned the traditional format of a Wedding. Equally, when the camera follows Ariel to the roof, the surrounding diegetic sounds of his environment are made obvious to the audience. This establishes a disconnect between the two characters. Szifron’s use of sound is effective in implying that the two characters are now two distinct people. Szifron subverts the audiences expectations because, whilst a Wedding usually joins two people in marriage, this Wedding has separated two people.

After Romina insults Ariel on the roof, she walks purposefully back to the Wedding room. Szifron uses sound to focus in on Romina as the primary character in this sequence going forwards. This is achieved through the isolating of her heavy breathing and hysterical crying in the sound mix. This suggests that we are viewing the action from her perspective. It also portrays her as the damsel in distress archetype. Szifron ensures that her untethered emotions are at the forefront in the sound mix in order to suggest that she is helpless. This also heightens the audience’s sympathy towards her because it is implied that the only diegetic sound in the Wedding room is her crying, suggesting that all of the guests are focused on her. Szifron’s use of sound in this sequence is particularly important because he is subverting outdated patriarchal ideologies by using Romina’s eventual violence in order to shock the audience into a state of disbelief. Szifron is using Romina to suggest that anybody is capable of violence, which is the overall message conveyed throughout the film.

Szifron uses sound in the films denouement to do two things: ensure that Ariel and Romina reconcile and to pose an intriguing resolution to the narrative as a whole. When Ariel and Romina do finally interact again, there is complete silence. This ensures that the audience takes note of what they are saying and puts the focus solely on the dialogue. After it is made apparent that the two characters have settled their differences, the silence ends. Szifron now utilises diegetic sound in the form of upbeat music. This is a critical factor in this sequence as a whole because it signifies the return back to a traditional Wedding. Since it follows the shocking violence, Szifron is emphasising the absurdity of the situation as a whole, reminding the audience that they are viewing a fictitious narrative. However, the fact that the sound continuously changes throughout the narrative reminds the audience of the fact that emotions rarely stay in tact. In this regard, Szifron uses sound to explore how emotions can change and lead to violence in anybody: men or women.

Whilst Pan’s Labyrinth and Wild Tales are vastly different films that focus on completely separate themes, one can’t help but ponder how they convey similar subversions of outdated ideological beliefs through their director’s use of sound. In terms of Pan’s Labyrinth, war and jingoism are shown to be destroyers of childhood innocence and purity. However, in Wild Tales, Szifron suggests that: patriarchal ideas, race and age should not be relevant when assuming somebody’s personality and that everybody is capable of committing horrific acts of violence. It could therefore be argued that the intention of both directors in making these films was to hold an ugly mirror up to society in order to show how modern society is anything but perfect.

Component 2a – Global Film – Sound Essay

Explore how aspects of sound are used to enrich meaning in your two chosen films. Make detailed reference to particular sequences in your answer.

In Pan’s Labyrinth (Guillermo Del Toro, 2006), del Toro uses two duelling characters with distinct features of sound in order to portray war and jingoism as outdated and abhorrent. This is shown through the extinguishing of innocence as a consequence of the implications of the Spanish Civil War.

Del Toro uses sound to subvert the audience’s expectations of the traditional fantasy genre in order to put the viewer on edge. This is achieved through the use of a sound bridge, whereby the diegetic sound of a whistle in the wind accompanies the opening credits and the first sequence. Del Toro does this in order to convey a sense of looming threat and danger to the audience, with the pathetic fallacy being highlighted by this harsh and abrasive sound. This feeling of dread is present in the audience when they view the opening sequence, where they are introduced to the protagonist – Ofelia. Del Toro decides to further intensify these negative emotions through accentuating the volume that the blood drips from Ofelia’s prone body. This exaggerated diegetic sound re – enforces the action that the audience is viewing on – screen. Ofelia is only a young girl so her death is already alarming to the audience; however, the ominous sound of blood dripping onto the floor makes the whole process seem more drawn out and saddening to watch. Del Toro uses ominous sounds to do this in order to convey his anti – war ideology to the audience. Since Ofelia is a beacon of hope and innocence, her death being long and drawn out is symbolic of the countless young lives lost at war for no reason.

Del Toro manipulates the non – diegetic composed score in order to make the viewer more inclined to feel sympathy towards Ofelia and, therefore, more inclined to side with his ideological beliefs. For example, del Toro uses contrapuntal sounds in the opening sequence to draw focus onto the subtleties of Ofelia’s emotions. The composed score is calming, which is diametrically opposed to the heavy breathing and apparent pain that Ofelia is in. This implies that Ofelia has to come to accept her fate of death and is no longer fazed by the reality of morbidity. Perhaps this is del Toro implying that war has numbed people to horrendous violence. This juxtaposition in sound reminds the audience that there is a young girl dying and that this should never be normalised. Del Toro then changes the tone of the composed score, it now sounds more dramatic and orchestral, reminding the viewer that they are viewing a fictional narrative. Del Toro acknowledges the necessity of this because the of the reality of wasted youth.

Del Toro uses changes in sound to present the Captain as a detestable antagonist, who rids the world of innocence and purity. In the sequence where the Captain violently breaks a bottle over a farmer’s head, the diegetic sound of the glass breaking is very loud in the sound mix. This abrupt change in sound dynamics startles the viewer into a sense of subservience. Del Toro portrays the Captain as a threatening character because he is used to represent war, which is seen by del Toro as a threat to innocence. Not only is it important that the Captain is threatening in order to show the brutality of war but also to show that outdated ideological beliefs are a threat to our modern day society. Del Toro shows this when the Captain is shaving in his lair. The diegetic music playing from his gramophone is patriotic in tone. This associates the evil Captain with nationalism, thus linking jingoism with violence and threat. Del Toro is suggesting that the external conflict between the Captain and Ofelia manifests itself in such a way that is representative of the conflict between war and innocence. Since del Toro uses sound to present the two characters in unique ways, there is a clear divide between the two themes. When the characters do ultimately clash at the end of the film, oppressive sounds rise to the foreground of the narrative, signalling that violence ultimately destroys innocence and purity.

Szifron initially uses sound to present a strong and unbreakable bond between Ariel and Romina, suggesting that the two love each other dearly. A loud diegetic track plays over the loud speakers in the Wedding room to the crowd of guests. The track is called ‘Titanium’, which connotes strength, furthering the idea that Ariel and Romina have a powerful connection with each other. Szifron chooses to use this track because it is important to the ending to establish a sense of normality so that the eventual violence is more shocking. In the same regard, the tone of the music is happy and upbeat, conforming to the expectation that Weddings are normally a celebration. This also makes the eventual violence more shocking as Szifron subverts the audience’s expectations of a normal Wedding. Szifron also uses the diegetic music to support the tonal shift in the narrative when Romina learns that Ariel had cheated on her. At this point, the track changes and the music takes on a much slower pace and quieter volume, making the narrative seem much more serious and the dialogue seem much more intense. This change in sound is important because it serves as a prelude to the eventual violence and is a subtle way for the tone of the Wedding to change.

After Romina leaves the room in tears, Szifron uses silence to imply that the character is alone. The silence continues as the camera follows Romina to the roof. This adds a sense of suspense because Romina’s emotions are not made explicitly obvious to the audience. In this regard, Romina’s subsequent actions are not clear as she has abandoned the traditional format of a Wedding. Equally, when the camera follows Ariel to the roof, the surrounding diegetic sounds of his environment are made obvious to the audience. This establishes a disconnect between the two characters. This is effective in implying that the two characters are now two distinct people. Szifron subverts the audiences expectations because, whilst a Wedding usually joins two people in marriage, this Wedding has separated two people.

Component 2a – Global Film – Updated Cinematography Essay

Explore how aspects of cinematography are used to enrich meaning in your two chosen films. Make detailed reference to particular sequences in your answer.

In Pan’s Labyrinth (Guillermo Del Toro, 2006), del Toro uses two duelling narratives with distinct features of cinematography in order to portray war and jingoism as outdated and abhorrent. This is shown through the extinguishing of innocence as a consequence of the implications of the Spanish Civil War.

In the opening sequence of Pan’s Labyrinth, the audience are forced to watch the protagonist, Ofelia, suffering. Del Toro tightens the camera into the young girl’s face, where it is positioned in the centre of the frame and consumes the entire screen. There is no avoiding the harsh reality of this situation. Ofelia’s bloody face and emotionless expression are on full display in this horrifying close – up. There is nothing else on the screen and the audience are forced to watch the child dying slowly. This is arguably the most important shot in the film. Del Toro is establishing a sense of lost hope and wasted youth through this camera movement, which are the main themes throughout the narrative. This also portrays the futility of war, where a young girl is dying as a consequence of meaningless fighting. Del Toro’s use of cinematography in the opening sequence encourages the audience to side with the opposition to the fighting and creates a sense of disgust within the audience as they become eager to learn whether Ofelia’s foe got their due comeuppance. Del Toro decides to present war is such a negative light in order to convey his anti – war ideology to the audience. Ofelia’s untimely death serves as a metaphor for del Toro’s opinion on war as a whole, where innocent lives are lost because of a reason beyond their control.

Similarly, another important theme in Pan’s Labyrinth is time. Del Toro’s references to time can be seen as him alluding to the idea of war being outdated and no longer being conducive to our modern society. On the other hand, it could also be del Toro reminding the audience that Ofelia only has a limited amount of time left alive, much like how soldiers in wars die quickly and in large numbers. Del Toro decides to explore the theme of time by employing an auteur style towards cinematography. Del Toro introduces the audience to the idea of time by rotating the camera anti – clockwise as the action transitions from Ofelia lying on the floor in pain to her travelling to a destination with her mother. This is an unusual camera movement and makes the action seem quite disconcerting and confusing. However, the camera then proceeds to zoom into Ofelia’s eye. Del Toro is suggesting that the action is travelling back in time and that we are about to view the narrative from Ofelia’s perspective. This suggests to the audience that the narrative will be focused around Ofelia and her adventure. Del Toro manipulates the camera in such a way in order to link the themes of time and innocence together, showing the transient nature of childhood and the inevitability of growing up. Perhaps del Toro is suggesting to the audience that war expedites this process and that it is responsible for the loss of purity. This furthers the idea that Ofelia’s death is shown to the audience first because her demise then seems inevitable. In this regard, whenever the camera focuses on Ofelia, the suspense is intensified as she always seems in danger. Del Toro implies that the danger Ofelia always seems in is the same looming threat that soldiers felt. Since Del Toro uses abstract camera movements to present to the audience the synthesis of time and innocence, he is encouraging the audience to feel sympathy towards Ofelia and her diminishing purity. Equally, in this regard, he is using cinematography to focus on Ofelia vicariously, in order to explore the wider effects of war. As the audience are encouraged to feel sympathy towards Ofelia, they are also encouraged to feel sympathy towards soldiers at war, whom Ofelia represents.

The distinct cinematography that Del Toro uses to introduce the Captain as a detestable antagonist sets up the duelling narrative that is present in Pan’s Labyrinth. When the opening sequence progresses and Ofelia and her mother arrive at the mill, the Captain is there to greet them. Del Toro positions the Captain in the centre of the frame and uses a shallow depth of field to manipulate all of the audience’s attention so that it is on him. This makes the Captain seem imposing and threatening, character traits that draw comparisons with the nature of war itself. On the other hand, Ofelia is shown to be quite diminutive in the frame, she is positioned off – centre and in two – shots with her mother. In this regard, the dichotomy between the use of framing when Del Toro films the Captain and Ofelia is made apparent to the audience. Since the Captain is a symbol of power and war and Ofelia symbolises innocence and purity, the different representations of them, through Del Toro’s use of cinematography, allows him to explore the relationship between the two of them. The Captain’s overarching importance in the frame when compared to Ofelia is del Toro suggesting that the loss of innocence and the loss of young lives is an afterthought of war. Del Toro is highlighting how the effects of war are abundant, how every group is affected and how war is indiscriminate.

The external conflict between the Captain and Ofelia is further explored through del Toro’s measured use of lighting in order to create two distinct worlds for the characters to reside in. When a sequence involves Ofelia venturing into the fantasy world, for example when she enters the fig tree, the action is lit with warm colours. The yellow and red lighting that consumes the cave inside the fig tree contributes to a feeling of fantasy a and mystery. This is diametrically opposed to scenes in which the Captain is the focal point of attention. In scenes where the Captain takes precedent, for example when he is shaving, there are lots of cool colours used to light the scene in order to connote a harsh and oppressive atmosphere. This atmosphere juxtaposes the tone when Ofelia is displayed on – screen. Not only does Del Toro’s contrasting use of lighting further the conflict between the two characters but it also separates the worlds. Del Toro chooses to do this in order to distinguish the themes of war and innocence, implying that they they shouldn’t cross over. Since the lighting of the worlds only cross over at the end of the film and this is when the violence and tension reaches a crescendo, this can be seen as del Toro suggesting that war has the power to destroy innocence.

In Wild Tales (Damian Szifron, 2014), the theme of violent revenge is explored through six distinct narratives in this portmanteau film. In the final narrative, Szifron uses cinematography to subvert the audience’s traditional expectations surrounding a wedding in order to shock the viewer into a state of thought – evoking awe.

Szifron uses a steadi – cam to establish an energetic tone of excitement within the wedding room. He uses the steadi – cam to follow guests as they dance gleefully around the room. This invokes a sense of engagement within the audience as they are placed in the middle of the action. Equally, the frantic action on the dance floor is conveyed to the audience and Szifron is suggesting that the atmosphere there is jubilant. This is effective in ensuring the audience expects the wedding to go as planned, so that when the violence ultimately occurs, it is more shocking. It is also important to note that Szifron keeps the camera low to the floor, thus making the dance floor seem crowded and as if there are a plethora of guests at the wedding. This achieves two things: it makes the bride and groom seem popular and personable and it also adds to the frenzied action at the wedding. However, both of these effects of the camera being kept low to the floor are critical in ensuring that the violence is more jarring to the staus quo.

As the narrative of the story progresses and Romina and Ariel are introduced to the audience, the camera remains on the move. The steadi – cam is always tracking the action, creating a kinetic tone. Whilst this links with the upbeat atmosphere created by the loud music and dancing guests, Szifron is also foreshadowing the violence that occurs later. This is a result of the camera never really focusing on one particular person, echoing how Ariel didn’t focus his attention just on Romina, instead deciding to cheat on her. This acted as the catalyst for the violence and Szifron chooses to subtly hint this to the audience with the camera in order to mimic how things aren’t always as they seem, which is the foremost message conveyed throughout the film.

When Romina confronts Ariel about their less – than – perfect relationship, Szifron changes the type of shot that the camera captures. Additionally, the camera is now more still and grounded, perhaps this is Szifron mimicking how this story is grounded in reality and is relatable to many people, further engaging the audience. The camera also captures both of the characters’ facial expressions in a close – up. This allows the audience to view how the emotions of Romina and Ariel change as their conversation progresses. Not only does Szifron humanise the two characters by doing this, the audience’s sympathy towards Romina is heightened because her melancholic facial expressions are front and centre for everyone to see. This sudden shift in camera movement is accompanied by the sudden shift in tone. The atmosphere has changed from energetic and uplifting to anger and betrayal. Szifron is highlighting how Ariel’s behaviour has had such an effect on Romina, that the tone of the narrative has changed.

When Romina leaves the room in tears, she exits through a narrow corridor. Szifron films this with a low – angle shot. This is a rather tongue – in – cheek way of implying that Romina has hit rock bottom and feels alone. Equally, this sets up the idea that she is feeling distraught, as a pose to anger. Szifron uses this low – angle shot to re – enforce the perception that Romina is a damsel in distress archetype in order to subvert this expectation later on. Szifron is playing on the fact that although modern society is still very progressive, it is still quite patriarchal in nature. The implication is that the audience will not suspect Romina to be capable of committing such violence because of this backwards ideology. This is the dominant exploration of violence in the film, where seemingly docile people commit horrific acts of violence out of revenge. In all of the narratives, Szifron accentuates the eventual violence and revenge by using specific elements of cinematography in order to create a calm setting. The subsequent dystopia is then more jarring to the beginning of the narrative, which adds to the shock of the audience.

The first glimpse that we see of Romina’s possible vengeful – intentions is when she is on the roof of the building. It is presumed that she is going to jump and selfishly take her own life, that is until we see the man in the background. The unremarkable hazy figure is positioned very far away in the frame from Romina. Szifron uses a shallow depth of field in order to show both characters in the frame at the same time, implying that there is no connection between the two of them. When the man begins to slowly approach Romina, the camera matches his speed, disregarding him as a potential threat and lowering the tension. The man only comes into focus as he gets within arms – reach of Romina and begins to engage in discourse with her. When the two characters do start to speak, Szifron uses a close – up to show this conversation because it is important to see that Romina is no longer crying hysterically. As her emotions once again change, so too does Szifron’s use of cinematography. After Romina insults Ariel, she storms purposefully back into the room and Szifron uses a hand – held camera to follow her. This makes the action seem frenzied and manic, mimicking how Romina is struggling to get a grasp on her emotions. The lighting also changes from a basic 3 – point lighting system to a dominant green light that seems to consume the entire room. Szifron is suggesting to the audience that feelings of: jealousy, rage and envy have consumed Romina and this acts as a prelude to the eventual violence that she commits. The fact that Szifron changes how he uses cinematography at the end of the narrative, compared to the beginning of the narrative, accentuates how shocking Romina’s change in emotions is. It is, ultimately, the emotive aspect of violence and revenge that Szifron focuses on throughout the film, in order to suggest to the audience that violence has a propensity to escalate in everybody whose emotions change.

Whilst Pan’s Labyrinth and Wild Tales are vastly different films that focus on completely separate themes, one can’t help but ponder how they convey similar subversions of outdated ideological beliefs. In terms of Pan’s Labyrinth, war and jingoism are shown to be destroyers of childhood innocence and purity. However, in Wild Tales, Szifron suggests that: patriarchal ideas, race and age should not be relevant when assuming somebody’s personality and that everybody is capable of committing horrific acts of violence. It could therefore be argued that the intention of both directors in making these films was to hold an ugly mirror up to society in order to show how modern society is anything but perfect.

Component 2a – Global Film – Cinematography Essay

Explore how aspects of cinematography are used to enrich meaning in your two chosen films. Make detailed reference to particular sequences in your answer.

In the opening sequence of Pan’s Labyrinth, the audience are forced to watch the protagonist, Ofelia, suffering. Del Toro tightens the camera into the young girl’s face, where it is positioned in the centre of the frame and consumes the entire screen. There is no avoiding the harsh reality of this situation. Ofelia’s bloody face and emotionless expression are on full display in this horrifying close – up. There is nothing else on the screen and the audience are forced to watch the child dying slowly. This is arguably the most important shot in the film. Del Toro is establishing a sense of lost hope and wasted youth, which are the main themes throughout the narrative. This also portrays the futility of war, where a young girl is dying as a consequence of meaningless fighting. This encourages the audience to side with the opposition to the fighting and creates a sense of disgust within the audience as they become eager to learn whether Ofelia’s foe got their due comeuppance. Del Toro decides to present war is such a negative light in order to convey his anti – war ideology to the audience. Ofelia’s untimely death serves as a metaphor for del Toro’s opinion on war as a whole, where innocent lives are lost because of a reason beyond their control.

Similarly, another important theme in Pan’s Labyrinth is time. Del Toro’s references to time can be seen as him alluding to the idea of war being outdated and no longer being conducive to our modern society. On the other hand, it could also be del Toro reminding the audience that Ofelia only has a limited amount of time left alive, much like how soldiers in wars die quickly and in large numbers. Del Toro introduces the audience to the idea of time by rotating the camera anti – clockwise as the action transitions from Ofelia lying on the floor in pain to her travelling to a destination with her mother. This is an unusual camera movement and makes the action seem quite disconcerting and confusing. However, the camera then proceeds to zoom into Ofelia’s eye. Del Toro is suggesting that the action is travelling back in time and that we are about to view the narrative from Ofelia’s perspective. This suggests to the audience that the narrative will be focused around Ofelia and her adventure. Del Toro does this to link the themes of time and innocence together, showing the transient nature of childhood and the inevitability of growing up. Perhaps del Toro is suggesting to the audience that war expedites this process and that it is responsible for the loss of purity. This furthers the idea that Ofelia’s death is shown to the audience first because her demise then seems inevitable. In this regard, whenever the camera focuses on Ofelia, the suspense is intensified as she always seems in danger. Del Toro implies that the danger Ofelia always seems in is the same looming threat that soldiers felt. As the audience feels sympathy towards Ofelia, they are encouraged to feel sympathy towards soldiers at war.

The introduction of the Captain as a detestable antagonist sets up the duelling narrative that is present in Pan’s Labyrinth. When the opening sequence progresses and Ofelia and her mother arrive at the mill, the Captain is there to greet them. Del Toro positions the Captain in the centre of the frame and uses a shallow depth of field to manipulate all of the audience’s attention so that it is on him. This makes the Captain seem imposing and threatening, character traits that draw comparisons with the nature of war itself. On the other hand, Ofelia is shown to be quite diminutive in the frame, she is positioned off – centre and in two – shots with her mother. In this regard, the dichotomy between the Captain and Ofelia is made apparent to the audience. Since the Captain is a symbol of power and war and Ofelia symbolises innocence and purity, the different representations of them allow del Toro to explore the relationship between the two of them. The Captain’s overarching importance when compared to Ofelia is del Toro suggesting that the loss of innocence and the loss of young lives is an afterthought of war. Del Toro is highlighting how the effects of war are abundant, how every group is affected and how war is indiscriminate.

The external conflict between the Captain and Ofelia is further explored through del Toro’s measured use of lighting in order to create two distinct worlds for the characters to reside in. When a sequence involves Ofelia venturing into the fantasy world, for example when she enters the fig tree, the action is lit with warm colours. The yellow and red lighting that consumes the cave inside the fig tree contributes to a feeling of fantasy a and mystery. This is diametrically opposed to scenes in which the Captain is the focal point of attention. In scenes where the Captain takes precedent, for example when he is shaving, there are lots of cool colours used to light the scene in order to connote a harsh and oppressive atmosphere. This atmosphere juxtaposes the tone when Ofelia is displayed on – screen. Not only does this further the conflict between the two characters but it also separates the worlds. Del Toro chooses to do this in order to distinguish the themes of war and innocence, implying that they they shouldn’t cross over. Since the worlds only cross over at the end of the film and this is when the violence and tension reaches a crescendo, this can be seen as del Toro suggesting that war has the power to destroy innocence.

In Wild Tales (Damian Szifron, 2014), the theme of violent revenge is explored through six distinct narratives in this portmanteau film. In the final narrative, Szifron subverts the audience’s traditional expectations surrounding a wedding in order to shock the viewer into a state of thought – evoking awe.

Szifron establishes an energetic tone of excitement within the wedding room. He uses a steadi – cam to follow guests as they dance gleefully around the room. This invokes a sense of engagement within the audience as they are placed in the middle of the action. Equally, the frantic action on the dance floor is conveyed to the audience and Szifron is suggesting that the atmosphere there is jubilant. This is effective in ensuring the audience expects the wedding to go as planned, so that when the violence ultimately occurs, it is more shocking. It is also important to note that Szifron keeps the camera low to the floor, thus making the dance floor seem crowded and as if there are a plethora of guests at the wedding. This achieves two things: it makes the bride and groom seem popular and personable and it also adds to the frenzied action at the wedding. However, both of these effects are critical in ensuring that the violence is more jarring to the staus quo.

As the narrative of the story progresses and Romina and Ariel are introduced to the audience, the camera remains on the move. The steadi – cam is always tracking the action, creating a kinetic tone. Whilst this links with the upbeat atmosphere created by the loud music and dancing guests, Szifron is also foreshadowing the violence that occurs later. This is a result of the camera never really focusing on one particular person, echoing how Ariel didn’t focus his attention just on Romina, instead deciding to cheat on her. This acted as the catalyst for the violence and Szifron chooses to subtly hint this to the audience in order to mimic how things aren’t always as they seem, which is the foremost message conveyed throughout the film.

When Romina leaves the room in tears, she exits through a narrow corridor. Szifron films this with a low – angle shot. This is a rather tongue – in – cheek way of implying that Romina has hit rock bottom and feels alone. Equally, this sets up the idea that she is feeling distraught, as a pose to anger. Szifron re – enforces the perception that Romina is a damsel in distress archetype in order to subvert this expectation later on. Szifron is playing on the fact that although modern society is still very progressive, it is still quite patriarchal in nature. The implication is that the audience will not suspect Romina to be capable of committing such violence because of this backwards ideology. This is the dominant exploration of violence in the film, where seemingly docile people commit horrific acts of violence out of revenge.

The first glimpse that we see of Romina’s possible vengeful – intentions is when she is on the roof of the building. It is presumed that she is going to jump and selfishly take her own life, that is until we see the man in the background. The unremarkable hazy figure is positioned very far away from Romina. Szifron uses a shallow depth of field to show both characters in the frame at the same time, implying that there is no connection between the two of them. When the man begins to slowly approach Romina, the camera matches his speed, disregarding him as a potential threat and lowering the tension. The man only comes into focus as he gets within arms – reach of Romina and begins to engage in discourse with her. When the two characters do start to speak, Szifron uses a close – up to show this conversation because it is important to see that Romina is no longer crying hysterically. As her emotions once again change, so too does Szifron’s use of cinematography. After Romina insults Ariel, she storms purposefully back into the room and Szifron uses a hand – held camera to follow her. This makes the action seem frenzied and manic, mimicking how Romina is struggling to get a grasp on her emotions. The lighting also changes from a basic 3 – point lighting system to a dominant green light that seems to consume the entire room. Szifron is suggesting to the audience that feelings of: jealousy, rage and envy have consumed Romina and this acts as a prelude to the eventual violence that she commits. The fact that Szifron changes how he uses cinematography at the end of the narrative, compared to the beginning of the narrative, accentuates how shocking Romina’s change in emotions is. It is, ultimately, the emotive aspect of violence and revenge that Szifron focuses on throughout the film, in order to suggest to the audience that violence has a propensity to escalate in everybody whose emotions change.

Whilst Pan’s Labyrinth and Wild Tales are vastly different films that focus on completely separate themes, one can’t help but ponder how they convey similar subversions of outdated ideological beliefs. In terms of Pan’s Labyrinth, war and jingoism are shown to be destroyers of childhood innocence and purity. However, in Wild Tales, Szifron suggests that: patriarchal ideas, race and age should not be relevant when assuming somebody’s personality and that everybody is capable of committing horrific acts of violence. It could therefore be argued that the intention of both directors in making these films was to hold an ugly mirror up to society in order to show how modern society is anything but perfect.

Wild Tales – The Wedding Sequence – Performance

Ironically, from the moment that the Bride and the Groom enter the room, their entire Wedding seems like a performance. Their emotions seem exaggerated and their interactions with each other and their guests seems out of convention, as a pose to out of desire. The actors do this in order to further the idea that the Wedding is a farce and is not, in fact, legitimate.

With that said, the Bride and the Groom are shown to be multi – faceted. For example, when they pose with different groups of people, they can alter their personalities accordingly. The Bride, for example, acts overly – happy and excited when she is with her friends but is much more serious and stern when she is with her elders. In this regard, she seems even more artificial and insincere as we never know her true personality. In fact, she seems quite malicious for the longest part of the narrative, so, if anything, the audience can presume that she is, in fact, evil at heart.

After the couple argue, they retreat to their parents. The Bride begins to dance with her father; whereas, the Groom dances with his mother. This allows Szifron to explore how the characters interact with different characters. The Bride seeks comfort in her father’s arms. She embraces him and is clearly distraught at her partner’s deceitful actions. This shows how she seeks love in the form of unconditional support and unwavering loyalty, hence why she is so angry at the Groom. On the other, the Groom seems quite stand – off – ish. He fails to notice his mother’s concern and barely pays any attention towards her. This suggests that he is selfish and s=doesn’t care about anybody else’s feelings. His narcissistic personality explains how he was able to carry out his affair, without caring about his partner’s feelings.

When the Bride enters onto the roof, she is clearly sad. In fact, she is crying hysterically. However, the Chef acts as a comforting presence, his soft and dulcet tones soothe the Bride. The juxtaposition in the cadence of their voices is effective in creating an even balance between the characters. In other words, they feel compatible, which is diametrically opposed to the Bride’s relationship with the Groom. This reinforces the idea that the Wedding was a performance and not actually the marriage of two people in love.

In addition to the Groom’s actions indicating that he is not in love with the Bride, she then gets together with the Chef. Although initially this seems like it was done out of spite, it then seems that the Bride did this because she too, like the Groom, is selfish. This makes the couple seem compatible; however, not in the traditional sense. Szifron has subverted the audience’s expectations of a traditional marriage in two senses. At face value, the violence and arguing seems jarring and the couple seem like they shouldn’t be together; however, the eventual realisation that both characters have evil intentions joins them together. This, ultimately, contributes to the overall conclusion of the narrative, where a resolution is reached when the character’s true personalities are revealed and the performance ends.

Wild Tales – The Wedding Sequence – Mise – en – Scene

As the black screen used to transition between the stories starts to fade away, a large and ornately – decorated room where a Wedding is taking place becomes apparent. The room is accentuated with lavish features and colourful accents. This gives the setting a prestigious feel and and suggests to the audience that the people getting married must be well – off. As such, we expect a level of seriousness and formality from such upper – class citizens.

When we first see the Bride and the Groom, they enter the room through some thick, red curtains. This draws similarities with the curtains used in traditional theatres. Szifron is possibly implying that the Bride and Groom are entering the room, where they will put on a show. This is intriguing as it is as yet unknown why the couple would not want to enjoy their Wedding day. Additionally, the possibility of the Wedding being artificial makes the audience more aware of the intricacies of the character’s subsequent actions.

As the Bride leaves the room in tears, she exits via. a narrow corridor. She struggles to find a way out, echoing how she feels trapped in this partnership with this deceitful man. Equally, she is alone as she leaves, this juxtaposes the busy surroundings and many guests that populated the previous room. This heightens the Bride’s isolation and the audience fell more sympathy towards her as a result of this.

When the Bride enters onto the roof, the weather takes a prominent role in the narrative. Szifron uses pathetic fallacy in the form of thunder and lightning in order to show the audience how angry the Bride is. Equally, the howling wind noticeably pounds the side of the building, mimicking how tempestuous their relationship has descended into.

As the Chef comes into focus, we see that he is wearing a completely white uniform. Since the previous shot was implying that the Bride was going to jump off of the building, Szifron uses the Chef as a deus ex machina. This is furthered by the idea that the Chef acted as an angel in that he saved the Bride’s life. The white clothes that he is wearing connotes purity and innocence, hence why he saved her.

The Groom enters the roof in a clearly worried state, yet he still remains well – kept in his appearance. The Bride, on the other hand, appears clearly disheveled in her appearance. Her hair is no longer neatly tied back and her make – up is running down her face. In this regard, the audience can infer that this scandal has had much more of an effect on the Bride’s mental state, compared to the Groom’s mental state. This contrasts with the equilibrium that was established between the two characters at the start of the sequence.

After the Bride has re – entered the room, the fight commences soon afterwards. However, the traditional cake topper of the Bride and the Groom remains on top of the cake for a sustained period of time, during the violence. As such, this defies the audience’s expectations of the violence and creates a dichotomy between the traditional format of a Wedding and whatever this has descended into. Furthermore, Szifron’s decision to keep the wedding topper as a reminder of a traditionally – structured Wedding, shows the absurdity of this violence. This is because although all of the guests are still in their smart clothes and the room remains lavishly decorated, the formality has descended into anarchy.

Even though the violence ends, the Groom still seems unpredictable. The guests are clearly apprehensive as he navigates his way around the rubble. He then picks up a bottle of champagne – reminding the audience of the expense of the Wedding and how much money has been lost during this violence. The Groom then opens the bottle of champagne, similar to how the tension has been resolved in a cathartic moment of violence.

Wild Tales – The Wedding Sequence – Editing

When one story ends and a new story begins, there is a short interlude where a black screen predates the subsequent story. This black screen is much longer when the fifth story transitions into the sixth story. This establishes a sense of finality and it is assumed that the sixth story is the finale. This evokes a sense of anticipatory suspense within the audience, as the previous stories have been gradually building in realism and grit.

Szifron uses a variety of different methods in order to suggest that there are many guests at the Wedding. One way in which this is achieved is through sustained contiguity editing of the Bride and Groom posing with different guests. This emphasises the amount of time that it took them to exchange pleasantries with every guest and, as such, how many guests are actually there. This is the most critical aspect of the narrative because it adds gravity to the eventual violence. Since there are many people that witness the violence, it seems more shocking because you would not expect people to behave so brazenly in front of a crowd of guests.

When the Bride and the Groom start their initial conversation, there are alternating shots of them. They both have equal screen time, establishing an equilibrium between the two protagonists. In this regard, Szifron can establish the expectation that the relationship between the Bride and the Groom is a shared partnership, where neither one person takes precedent over the other.

As the aforementioned conversation begins to descend into an argument, the cuts occur more often. Additionally, the tempo of the music increases and the cuts match the pace of the diegetic track. This intensifies the drama and the argument seems more hostile. With the rising occurrence of the cuts, an ending point seems imminent. In this regard, there is more tension created because it seems as though the argument is building to a violent crescendo.

Also in this conversation, shot – reverse – shots are used to display close — ups of the faces of the Bride and the Groom. Szifron does this to show the audience the emotive reactions of the characters and how they change over time and as the conversation progresses. Initially, the Groom seems perplexed that the Bride is questioning his integrity as a faithful partner; however, by the end of the conversation, he appears visibly shocked that his deceitfulness has been uncovered. This adds depth to the characters and perhaps adds malice to the Groom’s actions, as if he wasn’t expecting the Bride to uncover the fact that he had cheated on her.

Wild Tales – The Wedding Sequence – Sound

As the Wedding sequence begins, a loud diegetic track plays over the large speakers in the room where the Wedding is being held. The track is called ‘Titanium’ and, whilst upbeat and happy in tone, has connotations of strength and bravery. This is done in order to present the bond between the Bride and Groom as nearly unbreakable. Szifron does this to emphasise how shocking the Groom’s later betrayal is. However, this diegetic music changes when we see all of the group together, sat at their tables. The music then abruptly stops when the Bride and the Groom begin their conversation. This changes the tone of the story from happy and upbeat to serious and intense.

As the conversation reveals that the Groom has cheated, the diegetic music begins playing again and the pitch and tempo of the music increases. Szifron does this in order to mimic how the the conversation has led to an obvious change in emotions, whereas the Bride and Groom where once happy, the Bride now feels betrayed and the Groom feels somewhat guilty.

When the Bride leaves the room in tears, the Groom follows closely behind her. When the camera was following the Bride, there was no sound whatsoever; whereas, when the camera was following the Groom, we pick up the diegetic sounds of the surrounding environment. This establishes a disconnect between the two characters. This is effective in implying that they are now two separate characters. This subverts the audience’s expectations, where a Wedding usually joins two people in marriage, this Wedding has separated the two people.

When the Bride returns to the dance floor, everybody is crying; however, the only diegetic sound that the audience hears is of the Bride’s crying and heavy breathing. This suggests to the audience that we are viewing the action from her perspective and that she is the focus of the audience’s attention. As we have emphasised with her from the previous scenes, our empathy towards her is heightened as we can assume that the gusts are all focused on her.

When the Bride and the Groom interact again, there is no sound at all. This ensures that all of the focus is on them and that the audience takes note of what they are saying. After the Bride and the Groom reconcile, the upbeat diegetic music starts playing again, emphasising the absurdity of the situation.

Wild Tales – The Wedding Sequence – Cinematography

As the film opens to show the expansive dance floor and the crowded room full of guests, the steadi – cam keeps weaving in and out of the action. The camera is always moving throughout this initial part of the story, this ensures that the frantic action on the dance floor is conveyed to the audience. The camera also keeps quite low down to the floor, making the dance floor seem crowded. Szifron does this to emphasise how many people are at the Wedding, making the Bride and Groom seem popular and personable – setting the scene of a normal Wedding.

When the Bride fears that the Groom has cheated on her, the camera focuses on both of their faces in a close – up. This allows Szifron to show the emotion on both characters’ faces and how their emotions change as the conversation progresses. This also humanises the two characters and the audience feels more sympathy towards the Bride as a result of this. As the Bride storms out of the room, the camera angle changes to a low – angle shot; which seems to have also been shot using a dolly. This establishes that the Bride has hit rock bottom and allows the audience to understand her sadness and feelings of mistrust and anger.

As the bride navigates her way up to the roof, the depth of field becomes more shallow as the man in the background becomes apparent. Szifron chooses to do this in order to imply that the man in the background is mysterious and enigmatic. Since we can’t recognise the man, we can presume that neither can the Bride. This heightens the tension as there is a lessened sense of familiarity and the Bride could be in danger. However, as the man starts to slowly approach the Bride, the camera matches his speed. This comforts the audience as the man is now seen more as an ally, rather than as a threat.

The man only comes into focus towards the end of the story, so the audience only learns that he is a Chef at the end of the action. In this regard, his identity is kept as a secret to the audience, so it is quite surprising when it is revealed that he wasn’t a guest at the Wedding. This also establishes that he has no relationship to the Bride, making her eventual decision to later sleep with him, more shocking. When the Bride is talking to the Chef, Szifron chooses to use a close – up to film this conversation. This allows us to view both of the character’s emotions. As a result of this we can see that the Bride is being made happier by the Chef and that her sadness and anger was transient.

When the Groom is on the roof, he goes to approach the Bride. Whilst these two characters are talking, the Chef goes back to the shadows and stays out of focus. This shows how he has no relationship with the Groom, distancing him further from the Bride as a result of this. Not only does this make the Bride’s betrayal seem more shocking, it also ensures that the Groom feels the same way that the Bride felt previously, which was, seemingly, her goal. As the Bride walks purposefully back into the room where the Wedding is taking place, Szifron chooses to use a hand – held camera to follow her through the action. This makes the action seem frenzied and manic which mimics the Bride’s abrupt change in emotions.