The Captain’s Feast establishes the nature of the fascist ruling class in rural Spain and the attitudes and values of Captain Vidal, the villain in the film. The feast is a scene of indulgence, greed and power. Vidal is a fascist brute, he is proud of his reputation and dominates the scene. The guests are hypocrites and prove to be arrogant, callous & heartless. Carmen, seems out of place and is represented as fragile, elegant, cowed and intimidated by the other guests, we also get the impression that Vidal views her with contempt.

Captain Vidal’s costume consists of a grayish-green soldier’s jacket covered in golden, hanging badges. His shoulders have padding and his collar is high up on his neck. This combination of neat and smartly put together clothes not only show us he is a solider, as shown in his field badges, but also show him as an organised person. He has control over himself due to the tidiness of his clothes, and therefore shows his standing from a social hierarchical point of view. Gold connotes wealth and therefore value, his badges are of gold coloring and indicate a form of authority. His authority as a captain is further demonstrated in the way his hair is styled; slicked back and shining in gel, Vidal shows further order and control over himself, and therefore others.

Additionally, Vidal is pictured in a dimly lit room, while the props that lay on the table have silver and golden tones, and the light shines on Vidal, shadows still linger behind him. Meals are connoted with warmth and an atmosphere of welcoming, whereas here hard, stone walls enclose the dining table and Vidal. The stereotypical image of a family dinner or friendly meal is opposed here and shows a form of darkness around Vidal. This could connote his personal darkness, and while the light may highlight him, it also highlights the evil that surrounds him too.

Finally, Captain Vidal is sat in an upright position, his body symmetrical and no sign of slouching. This position implies confidence and control over the situation. He is fully confident in his position at head of table and shows this through the relaxation in his position. He isn’t stiff nor slouching, but rather feels comfortable, which is abnormal to most, as being at the head of the table implies responsibility in most situations and means that everyone is looking at you.

Slide 9 – Critical reception, The Times Newspaper.

Context is the background information that sets the scene for a film. All films has context, whether that’s the time at which they were set, the writers background or even the social standards during the time the book was written. From opinions in certain era’s, to accessibility of information, context covers almost everything and gives the movie reasoning.

1. Historical context in important to research as it highlights the basis to views on society. Government ideologies, monarchy or democracies, countries and their status; whether that’s economical, resource, community-wise, conflicts etc. By understanding views and the history, whether its for the writer/director or during the films time-scale, we are able to visualise what directors were thinking and trying to link into their films. Some countries limited media output and through film, many directors were able to hide these views into their films and express them in a minimal way.

2. Artistic & Cultural context is important too, this highlights the opinions of people and their ways of demonstrating views. Art and literature were very often used to portray ideologies and propaganda pushed ideologies onto people of a country. By understanding tradition, culture and artistic work, context becomes clear and helps the audience link actions or scenes to reality.

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Slide 5 – Iconography

‘How far does Pan’s Labyrinth use, develop and challenge the convention of the fantasy film genre?’

Pan’s labyrinth has several indications of the fantasy genre; mythical creatures, surreal settings, strange characters and tasks that seem too strange for reality. Del Toro reinforces the genre through these aspects. Alternatively, Del Toro could also be challenging the genre to symbolise his own ideas and mindset. He presents certain mythical creatures as characters from the real world, such as the pale man representing Captain Vidal, or fascism. The fawn holds this idea of authority and Ofelia challenges him by disobeying his rules during tasks. By phasing in and out into both the fantasy world and the real world, the reader must look further into the meaning of the fantasy world, is it simply a coping system for Ofelia, or is it a classic made-up setting? Del Toro challenges the genre consistently through this and creates a sense of uncertainty and danger.

A narrative film is a film that tells an often fictional story with cause and effect events through film making techniques. Pan’s Labyrinth by Del Toro follows a girl through events such as womanhood and family drama. The film splits into two narratives; one being the fantasy world with the fawn and the other with the nationalists fighting the rebels. Being set in fascist Spain, Del Toro highlights his personal views throughout the narrative on topics such a government, ideologies, fascism and religion.

Narrative is important to study as it is the basis of a film. Films depend on a strong narrative that follows the directors ideas and portrays them in a way for the audience to enjoy. By understanding narrative structure and moreover, their meanings, we are able to delve further into the intricate details of a movie. Narrative can also reveal unique perspectives, one’s that can’t be seen if there is limited understanding of the story line and by studying it we can understand the movie as a whole piece.

This is a slideshow that highlights key aspects of my favourite film, Inglorious Basterds. It explains why I like the film so much and what the film entails; as well as the characters and their significant within.