Pan's Labyrinth question

With close reference to one scene from 'Pan's Labyrinth', explore how cinematography and mise-en-scène create meaning.

In this scene Ophelia has taken her brother and plans to take him to the labyrinth, but she is being chased by the Captain. The first shot follows Ophelia as she heads down a staircase, with the Captain showing at the top of the stairs after an explosion, the light from it shadowing his figure. The camera then uses a pan movement to follow the Captain, and the lighting has reverted back to hard light. This is used to show shadows and create a feeling of mystery and fear because the audience do not know if Ophelia will succeed. There is a swift dolly movement as he leaves the building, which shows his men being killed in an explosion, despite this, the Captain continues to hunt down Ophelia, so this adds to his already well developed character. The audience can observe how much he despises Ophelia in this scene, because he choose to continue chasing after her, even when his men were dying.

This is followed by a 12 second shot of Mercedes, who is looking for Ophelia in her bedroom. The lighting in the room is from the various explosions outside and is a yellow/orange colour. This is the same colour the audience sees later in Ophelia’s kingdom, so this could foreshadow her return. After Mercedes notices the chalk door, the camera focus changes to Ophelia again. The audience is now aware that Mercedes is looking for Ophelia and this short shot could bring a sense of hope to the intense scene.

Tracking shots are used next and hard light is used again, to follow Ophelia and the Captain into the labyrinth. After a few seconds the camera uses a dolly curve to see each character from a different angle, first from the front, then the back. Cuts are used to show Ophelia turning corners and the Captain following her a few seconds behind. These camera movements and several shot changes create a realistic experience because the audience are following the characters through the twists and turns of the labyrinth. The next shot is a long shot of Ophelia running into the centre of the labyrinth, the change in shot occurs when the labyrinth closes, because the picture is then pitch black, this could foreshadow the Captain not being able to see the entrance to the labyrinth. The Captain, unable to enter the centre, leaves in a different direction. The camera then zooms in on the Faun as Ophelia approaches him, and then a ‘shot and reverse shot’ is used. Reaction shots are used and are also important here because it allows the viewer to see how Ophelia reacts to the final task and therefore forms a connection between character and viewer.

At the end of their conversation, when the Faun asks Ophelia if she would give up her throne for her brother, the Captain is seen behind her. Because Ophelia agrees that she would give up her throne for her brother, the Faun leaves her to confront her fate with the Captain and a pan is used as she is turned around. This is followed by the Captain taking back Ophelia’s brother and shooting her. The shot used here (a mid shot) means the viewers cannot see the wound, but instead they see Ophelia’s bloody hand. This could actually be considered more affective than just a close up of the wound because we see her reaction as well and there is a small amount of light on her hand to clearly show the severity of the injury. At this point in the scene the non-diegetic sound (the soundtrack) increases in volume and adds to the tragedy of the scene. It is at this moment that Ophelia realises she has lost, as she is dying and can no longer keep her promise to her brother (taking him to her kingdom and making him a prince).