Pan's Labyrinth (2006) is a dark fantasy film written and directed by Guillermo del Toro. The production companies involved were Telecino Cinema, Estudios Picasso, Tequila Gang, Esperanto Filmoj and Sentenia Entertainment. It stars Sergi López and Maribel Verdú. The film is distributed by Warner Bros Pictures. It was first released in Cannes on 27 May 2006 and had a budget of $19 million, taking $83.3 million at the box office.
Synopsis
Taking place in Spain, 1944, Ofelia and her mother arrive due to the posting of her mother's new partner, a horrible army officer who is trying to end a guerrilla uprising. During her exploration of an ancient maze, Ofelia meets the faun, who informs her that she is a legendary lost princess and must successfully complete three dangerous tasks in order to claim immortality.
Film Poster
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| Pan's Labyrinth (2006) theatrical release poster |
The genre of the film is dark fantasy. This is suggested through many elements within the poster. For example, the setting uses trees which are conventional of the fantasy genre because of the way they are curved. However, it is made scarier by the use of the colour dark blue as it adds more ambiguity.
Image and Characterisation
The main image is of a young girl facing a maze or clearing, with lots of trees, so we can infer that it is some kind of forest. The imposing nature of the setting characterises the girl as helpless and vulnerable, she probably looks quite shocked. If this is the case, she becomes the archetypal victim. As we are unable to see her facial expression our impression is based on inference. There may be an element of inquisitiveness, and the audience will want her to succeed. If she becomes a victim in the narrative, she will most probably become an object of sympathy for the audience. There is also an obvious full moon at the top of the poster. Moons are symbolic of goddesses, deities and other fantastical characters, connecting to the genre. A full moon connotes monsters and werewolves. This means the inclusion of a moon in the poster relates to both the 'dark' and 'fantasy' elements of dark fantasy.
Mise en Scene - Symbolic Codes and Conventions
The predominant colour is dark blue. This connotes mystery and darkness, linking to the darker element of the genre. It is also associated with night time, linking to the pathetic fallacy employed in the poster. Another colour used is green. This is a colour frequently used in fantasy films as it connotes nature - often these films have external settings. The fact that the plants are dark green provide a sense of sinisterness, linking to the genre. Brown connotes the earth. This links to the fact that most fantastical characters and creatures stem from real life in order to create verisimilitude.
Mise en Scene - Costume
There is only one costume in this poster - that of the young girl. She is wearing a dress which has connotations of being feminine; it constructs her as a stereotypical little girl. However, the dress she is wearing is not a gendered colour. For girls, it is stereotypically pink. This may suggest that she does not embody all the archetypal qualities of a little girl. Alternatively, her dress could have been chosen for her with the intention of making her blend in to her surroundings - it is a similar colour to the stone. This makes what is in front of her stand out to a passer by or audience, reinforcing her vulnerability. Her socks are white, which adheres to the traditional "school-girl" look. Furthermore, this substantiates the idea of her being innocent.
Star System
There is no traditional star system on this poster. This may be because the actors are not very well known, and therefore they won't necessarily influence whether someone goes to see the film. It is also a Spanish film and aimed at a British/American audience. Cast members who are well renowned in Spain may not be known to them. However, the name of the director is included which may persuade an audience as he is likely to be well respected.
Typography - Title
The typography of the title is stereotypical to the genre as it is a serif font and bold to emphasise its importance. The serif element links to "Ye Olde English" writing that fairy tales often use. It is also the same colour as the trees; it is intertwined. This helps make it appear more sinister.
Strap/Tag line
The strap/tag line is "Innocence has a power evil cannot imagine". This is written in slightly larger typography than the line which informs the audience of the director, so it stands out. This suggests that it is important. The theme of good and evil is frequently explored in dark fantasy films. It also hints at key parts of the narrative, such as Ofelia - good - having powers that the evil does not.
Other information
Towards the bottom of the poster, there is other information. The block of text that is more difficult to read usually lists the notable individuals and companies that are involved in the film, for example the editors and producers. These are obviously worthy of being on the poster, but are likely to make less difference to whether the audience see the film, so it is not written as clearly. The rating is more evident, it is also in this section of the poster. This is probably because it gives the audience an idea of the content, and whether they can see the film/who to take with them. The film is rated R, meaning restricted. According to the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), children under 17 must be accompanied by an adult to see an R rated. The awards won by the film are also featured, demonstrating to the audience that it is acclaimed, and worth going to see. It gained official selection for Cannes Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival and New York Film Festival (all 2006).
There is also a review featured; "...a fairytale for grown ups". This is evidence of the positive reception gained, perhaps it was chosen because it captures the essence of the film.
Evaluation
Overall it is an effective film poster as it encapsulates the main features of, and draws the audience towards the film.
Image and Characterisation
The main image is of a young girl facing a maze or clearing, with lots of trees, so we can infer that it is some kind of forest. The imposing nature of the setting characterises the girl as helpless and vulnerable, she probably looks quite shocked. If this is the case, she becomes the archetypal victim. As we are unable to see her facial expression our impression is based on inference. There may be an element of inquisitiveness, and the audience will want her to succeed. If she becomes a victim in the narrative, she will most probably become an object of sympathy for the audience. There is also an obvious full moon at the top of the poster. Moons are symbolic of goddesses, deities and other fantastical characters, connecting to the genre. A full moon connotes monsters and werewolves. This means the inclusion of a moon in the poster relates to both the 'dark' and 'fantasy' elements of dark fantasy.
Mise en Scene - Symbolic Codes and Conventions
The predominant colour is dark blue. This connotes mystery and darkness, linking to the darker element of the genre. It is also associated with night time, linking to the pathetic fallacy employed in the poster. Another colour used is green. This is a colour frequently used in fantasy films as it connotes nature - often these films have external settings. The fact that the plants are dark green provide a sense of sinisterness, linking to the genre. Brown connotes the earth. This links to the fact that most fantastical characters and creatures stem from real life in order to create verisimilitude.
Mise en Scene - Costume
There is only one costume in this poster - that of the young girl. She is wearing a dress which has connotations of being feminine; it constructs her as a stereotypical little girl. However, the dress she is wearing is not a gendered colour. For girls, it is stereotypically pink. This may suggest that she does not embody all the archetypal qualities of a little girl. Alternatively, her dress could have been chosen for her with the intention of making her blend in to her surroundings - it is a similar colour to the stone. This makes what is in front of her stand out to a passer by or audience, reinforcing her vulnerability. Her socks are white, which adheres to the traditional "school-girl" look. Furthermore, this substantiates the idea of her being innocent.
Star System
There is no traditional star system on this poster. This may be because the actors are not very well known, and therefore they won't necessarily influence whether someone goes to see the film. It is also a Spanish film and aimed at a British/American audience. Cast members who are well renowned in Spain may not be known to them. However, the name of the director is included which may persuade an audience as he is likely to be well respected.
Typography - Title
The typography of the title is stereotypical to the genre as it is a serif font and bold to emphasise its importance. The serif element links to "Ye Olde English" writing that fairy tales often use. It is also the same colour as the trees; it is intertwined. This helps make it appear more sinister.
Strap/Tag line
The strap/tag line is "Innocence has a power evil cannot imagine". This is written in slightly larger typography than the line which informs the audience of the director, so it stands out. This suggests that it is important. The theme of good and evil is frequently explored in dark fantasy films. It also hints at key parts of the narrative, such as Ofelia - good - having powers that the evil does not.
Other information
Towards the bottom of the poster, there is other information. The block of text that is more difficult to read usually lists the notable individuals and companies that are involved in the film, for example the editors and producers. These are obviously worthy of being on the poster, but are likely to make less difference to whether the audience see the film, so it is not written as clearly. The rating is more evident, it is also in this section of the poster. This is probably because it gives the audience an idea of the content, and whether they can see the film/who to take with them. The film is rated R, meaning restricted. According to the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), children under 17 must be accompanied by an adult to see an R rated. The awards won by the film are also featured, demonstrating to the audience that it is acclaimed, and worth going to see. It gained official selection for Cannes Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival and New York Film Festival (all 2006).
There is also a review featured; "...a fairytale for grown ups". This is evidence of the positive reception gained, perhaps it was chosen because it captures the essence of the film.
Evaluation
Overall it is an effective film poster as it encapsulates the main features of, and draws the audience towards the film.
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