Pan’s Labyrinth, directed by Guillermo Del Toro, is a visually striking, dark fantasy film compiled of a range of gruesome and intriguing scenes that address themes of choice, gender and coming of age. In the ‘Final Task’ scene, the camera techniques, colour scheme, lighting, and sounds are the primary techniques used to express the ideas of good vs. evil, reality vs. fantasy, the effect of war on children and resistance.
The scene begins with a high angle over the shoulder shot of Captain Vidal looking down at Ofelia, emphasising that she is vulnerable and inferior to him. The camera cuts to a shot-reverse-shot which is used to show a close up of Captain Vidal’s harshly lit face commanding Ofelia and then Ofelia disobeying him, creating tension between the two characters. Unlike the harsh lighting on Captain Vidal’s face, when the camera cuts to Ofelia the background has low-key lighting, dark shadows and blue hues.…