‘Pan’s Labyrinth’ is a film constructed beautifully by mise-en-scene. ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’ is essentially a fantasy film with dramatic elements however, the magic felt by many audiences would not have been achieved if not for the incredible attention to detail used throughout the film- all of which are key components of mise-en scene.
SETTINGS
The setting gives audience members a sense of time and place as well as hinting towards the nature of the film.
‘Pan’s Labyrinth’ is set in Spain in 1944. Given this date we become aware that it is set in the same time as world war II and not long after the Spanish civil war (1936-1939). The desolate landscapes and the worn down buildings, as well as the soldiers, indicate that it is a time of desperation and trouble. We can understand that there may be trouble and tensions from the numbers of authoritative figures. We also know that it is a Spanish film because of the language that is spoken and the subtitles/captions on the bottom of the screen. Although set predominantly in Spain, the film plays around with other settings. For example, other places where the film is set is the underworld and other magical realms in which mythical creatures inhabit. These settings are more mystical and fantasy driven in comparison to the Spanish landscape.
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