Continuing on with my research into dreams and different worlds and how they are portrayed in films, i watched Pans Labyrinth by Guillermo Del Toro.
The film is about a girl who enters a world of fairytales, filled with unknown creatures, in which she has to carry out three tasks to prove her royalty. During the film she is living in 1944 Spain, five years after the Spanish Civil War and during the Francoist period, so she goes through difficult times, and uses the Labyrinth as an escape from the harsh reality she lives in. The idea of different worlds links with my research into dreams, as dreams are often an escape from real life as well. Our imagination creates different stories inside our heads just like Ofelia does in Pans Labyrinth.
As i was watching, there were a couple camera shots i liked. The first being when Ofelia is following the fairy and discovers the labyrinth for the first time. I liked the way the camera moves upwards to create a birds eyes shot, ultimately revealing the spiral staircase leading her into the Labyrinth.
Scene from Pans Labyrinth where Ofelia discovers the Labyrinth for the first time
There was also a camera shot where Mercedes was getting ready to leave to help the rebels, and over her shoulder you could see someone entering the room. The focus of the shot was on Mercedes packing things, so the background was out of focus, making us as the audience unsure of who just walked in. This added fear to the film as we didn't want her to get caught.
Scene from Pans Labyrinth as Mercedes gets ready to leave and help the rebels
Overall the film was fun to watch as it had elements of both fantasy and horror in a way, and the storyline kept me hooked. I will definitely take inspiration from the camera shots i saw in the film, and apply it to my own altered states project.
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