Jordan Ilan A-Level Film Studies

First Term Report: Introduction to Film Studies, City of God & the start of Pan's Labyrinth Strengths: - Analysing film scenes in detail and understanding the main aspects of film (cinematography, editing, mise-en-scene and performance). - Understanding key scenes & the representations they present. - Updating notes regularly with use of picture and colour so that I have an in-depth study guide to refer back to when I come to revise. - Taking on-board feedback in order to improve my notes and my essays. - Have adapted to a new subject quickly and I am keeping up with the pace of the subject. Weaknesses: - Need to use film language regularly in essays. - Embedding context & background information constantly into my notes so I can develop my points. - I haven't been on the Eduqas website much for exam practice techniques & extra information Plans to overcome weaknesses: - Start using film language more regularly in blog posts in order to become mor

Film Studies Essay: 'How are the key elements of film form used to construct representations in this scene & how do they contribute to/help to construct the film's messages regarding representations of gender' One element Del Toro uses in order to construct representations in Pan's Labyrinth is mise-en-scene. This is presented through the characters of Captain Vidal (Sergi Lopez) and Mercedes (Maribel Verdu) in the scene where Vidal tortures Mercedes. Vidal turns his back to Mercedes as he is inspecting the torture devices that he is planning to use on Mercedes which conveys that the fascist regime is violent and brutal and that they will harm anyone of any gender in order to eradicate any threats to their regime. The use of the weapons in this scene also conveys the differences in gender in Spain in 1944 as Captain Vidal turns his back to Mercedes which conveys that he thinks so little of Mercedes as she is 'just a woman' which depicts that women were see

Pan's Labyrinth: Film Elements Notes. Sound - All the diegetic sound is very over exaggerated such as the sheathing of her knife from her dress. The exaggerated sound creates suspense and builds focus on smaller aspects such as the individual stabs - Intense sound effect is used when Vidal lifts up hammer to build up tension and we are made to feel uncomfortable and believe Mercedes is in trouble - this mislead builds suspense. We empathise with Mercedes. - No sound so the audience are independent of their emotions. There are no guidelines to how we are supposed to feel about the scene. -Quiet non-diegetic music is played when Mercedes is stabbing Vidal to portray retaliation and the audience is inevitably taken aback. - S ound of rope tying her up is exaggerated and enhanced which suggests how powerless she is and reflects how restricted she is. the rope is a symbol of her inferiority and so the enhanced sound on the rope helps to reflect this - Suddenly a slow ch

Analytical Paragraph: One element Del Toro uses in order to construct representations in Pan's Labyrinth is mise-en-scene. This is presented through the characters of Captain Vidal and Mercedes when Vidal turns his back to Mercedes as he is inspecting the torture devices that he is planning to use on Mercedes. This conveys that the fascist regime is violent and brutal and that they will harm anyone of any gender in order to eradicate any threats to their regime. The use of the weapons in this scene also conveys the differences in gender in Spain in 1944 as Captain Vidal turns his back to Mercedes which conveys that he thinks so little of Mercedes as she is 'just a woman' which depicts that women were seen as inferior in patriarchal society as Vidal is happy to be left alone with Mercedes and is willing to turn his back on her as he feels that he can't be threatened by a woman. This also constructs the film's message regarding the representations of gender as Vidal&

Pan's Labyrinth: Representations of Gender, Politics & Religion Representations in Gender: - Clear binary opposite in terms of representation of gender in Pan's Labyrinth - Male characters (except rebels/Doctor Ferreiro) are representative of a patriarchal society                      - A system of society/government where men hold power, women largely excluded                      - Spain in 1940's/under Fascist rule = example of patriarchy - Del Toro presents link between oppression of fascism & how patriarchal systems of authority oppress women. Best represented through actions & behaviour of Captain - Female characters generally represented more positively - The women (Ofelia/Carmen/Mercedes) all suffer at hands of patriarchy Representation in Gender: Captain Vidal - Obsessed by his father's military exploits + equally determined his own son (refuses to believe child won't be a boy) is born close to him. More important than health of

Pan's Labyrinth: representation of the characters  Representation of:  - Ofelia  - Capitan Vidal  - Mercedes  - Carmen - Representation in relation to films - Different traits/characteristics that different characters in Pan's Labyrinth have - Analysing how different characters are represented + how meaning is generated through the representations Representation: - Refers to way that film presents people/communities/experiences/events/ideas (e.g. political ideologies) - Analysing how film presents world to spectators: what messages/values it's promoting with regards to people/places/ideas Analysing Representations: - Important to consider film's contexts, have impact on why representations are as they are - Is representation influenced by director/filmmakers/studio values or experiences - Representation of person/group/ideology refers to dominant social/political/cultural ideologies at the time of the film was made/set or does it purposely represent

Pan's Labyrinth: Introduction to Context Pan's Labyrinth is a film by Guillermo Del Toro that presents a fantasy story set in Spain in the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War. Spain 1944: - Civil war in Spain from 1936 to 1939. The Republicans were loyal to the democratic & left-leaning Second Spanish Republic -> they allied with the Anarchists. They fought against the Nationalists, a largely aristocratic conservative group led by General Francisco Franco. The war is a battle between democracy (Republicans) and fascism (Nationalists). - Falangist -> characteristic of Spanish Falange Movement (e.g. 'he was executed by the Falangists') Despite the film taking place in 1944, 5 years after Franco had taken over Spain, there was still a major resistance to fascism in Spain.  - Captain Vidal is hunting the resistance. His character is a symbol for punctuality & military formality as he wants his son to be born into Franco's 'new Spai