COSTUME & MAKEUP
Costume and makeup in ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’ is very important as it contributes to creating the atmosphere and setting of the film. The costumes describe the period in which the film was set; we can see this through the soldiers uniforms that there is a war going on, a time of tension and trouble. We can understand that these soldiers are of a higher place in society than the peasants that serve under them. The soldiers wear a perfect uniform with neat parted hair whereas the peasants wear dull rags and aprons. Vidal (the leader of the soldiers) is the villain of the film. Modeled similar to Hitler with his uniform and hair, we can understand immediately that he is the enemy.
However, there is a great contrast to the war theme and that would be the fantasy aspect of the film. The costumes and makeup really contribute to the magical theme that the movie has. Characters such as the Pan and the Pale Man in the film are prime example of this.
Pan the fawn has been designed after the mythical God himself. We can see that extensive costume and make up had been used to create Pan. The actor, Doug Hyde, endured several hours of make up to achieve both looks. I believe that this special effects make up has been created so immaculately that these fantasy creatures look real and believable.
The Pale Man’s is a disturbing character that the protagonist must encounter on her travels. He has no eyes on his face, they are instead on his hands and his body is tall, large and sagging. The makeup used to create the Pale Man depicts him as a monster and a character that the audience is supposed to feel anxious and afraid of. 
Everything about these two characters have been covered in costume from head to toe- the human actor is not recognizable beneath it all. I believe that this they are both extremely impressive characters that have developed through the use of makeup, costume and prosthetics. They add the gothic, mysterious and mythical element to the film and they are memorable characters that stick in your mind.
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