Blog Post #7 Pan's Labrynth: The Hero's Journey chart

The Hero's Journey	Explanation	Example from Pan’s Labyrinth:
I: Departure (The protagonist is separated from the known and steps into the unknown.)
Home Culture	The protagonist has a "home," a place that s/he thinks is normal, familiar, and common to others in his/her culture.	Well, Ofelia moves from her house early on, but I assume this means the house they stay in for most of the movie.
Call to Adventure from the Ordinary World	A normal occurrence motivates the protagonist to acknowledge an unknown aspect of his/her world, feel a restlessness with the constraints of his/her life, or find a new world that s/he was not aware existed.	Fairy/stick bug leads her to the labyrinth
Refusal of the Call; Arrival of the Mentor	The protagonist chooses not to move forward in life because s/he chooses to not give up his/her position, power, ideals, goals, or responsibilities; the refusal is often based on his/her fear of the unknown and comfort in the familiar. Usually secondary characters support the protagonist's refusal.	Faun/fairy and stick bug act as the mentors
Supernatural Aid (Can be the Mentor)	The inexperienced protagonist is provided a supernatural, guiding, and/or guarding character, or an instrumental item (sword, encouragement, etc.) to assist his/her step forward into the unknown.	Again, the Faun and fairies act as the mentor and aid
Crossing the First Threshold to enter the Special World.	The protagonist moves out of his/her comfort zone and walks alone. S/he is confronted with an obstacle that must be overcome before s/he can fully enter the dangers of the unknown journey.	Theyre going through the door as Ofelia is yelling “echo,” so the first stone door into the labrynth
II: Initiation (By crossing the threshold, the protagonist's world is changed forever. A mental journey merges with the physical journey to result in a spiritual revelation of purpose and self.)
Road of Trials	The protagonist is tested and found vulnerable, but the outcome reveals a part of him/her that s/he did not know existed. The assistance given the protagonist under the "Supernatural Aid" section of "Departure" begins to come into play in the story, and s/he is not expected to face the trials alone.	3 tests given to Ofelia by the faun before she’s allowed to be the princess
Meeting a Soul Mate (mother-figure)	The protagonist meets an ideal (in ancient myths a goddess; in modern stories a soul mate) and sees the possibilities of his/her journey. This supernatural, human, or symbolic ideal encourages him/her forward.	Mercedes is the mother figure here more than the actual mother in the story.
Overcoming Temptation (father-figure)	Someone or something tries to destroy the journey itself. Often the destroyer has been sent by a larger evil to stop the protagonist. The protagonist is often misled, but eventually overcomes his lack of knowledge, prejudices, and fears as s/he grows in the acceptance of his/her role as hero.	Capitan Vidal is the evil, he’s very manipulative and violent
Approaching the Inmost Cave & The Ordeal	The protagonist, having made the adjustment to the Special World, now goes on to seek its heart.  They pass into an intermediate region between the border, and the very center of the Hero’s Journey.  As the hero near the gates of a citadel deep within the Special World, they may take time to make plans, do reconnaissance on the army, reorganize or thin out the group, fortify and arm themselves, and have a last laugh before entering.   During the Ordeal itself, the hero will enter into the “belly of the whale”, and then die so they can be reborn. The hero will face his greatest fears, the failure of an enterprise, the end of a relationship, the death of an old personality.	When the Faun comes back and gives Ofelia another chance, and she grabs her brother, this is probably the hardest thing for her to do and the deepest part of her journey.
The Ultimate Goal: Reward (Treasure)	The protagonist becomes self-assured and often receives physical gifts and/or emotional rewards. Since personal limitations are broken, the protagonist can see the big picture not only in relation to him/herself but also in relation to others. The protagonist understands how the ultimate goal can be accomplished and the mission completed.	The ultimate reward is Ofelia being crowned the princess of the underworld
III: Return (Through the protagonist's ultimate sacrifice of self, s/he walks in an enlightened state.)
Refusing to Return	Although seldom a true refusal, the protagonist, who should return "home" with his/her powers, ability, or wisdom, remains isolated and often faces a death of sorts. Sometimes s/he prefers to live in the enlightenment than return to a "home" that might not accept the ultimate gift.	Ofelia doesn't really have any sort of connection with the people she lives with aside from Mercedes, who had been discovered as a spy. so she sits alone in her room for the most part.
The Chase	The protagonist flees toward safety to thwart the attempts to take back the treasure, power, ability, or wisdom. Because the protagonist has changed, the chase characterizes his/her courage and confidence.	The chase is pretty literal, when Vidal is chasing Ofelia back to the labyrinth before he shoots her
The Rescue	The protagonist is unable to save him/herself. Others help him/her return "home," which may deflate his/her ego, but since s/he sees the entirety of the mission, s/he understands the importance of what is accomplished.	Saving her brother costs Ofelia her life. The rebels do manage to save her brother.
Crossing the Return Threshold	The protagonist must face the evil or its leader and the realization that home is no longer a place but a state of being. Those in his/her past may not accept his/her new ability, power, or wisdom and may test it as a final trial to the protagonist.	Capitan Vidal sees Ofelia talking to the faun, but he doesn’t see anything so he shoots her.
Master of Two Worlds	The protagonist has the ability, power, or wisdom without limitations to relax in whatever world (physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual) s/he finds him/herself. S/he can adjust to who s/he was in the past and who s/he might be in the future.	This one is more apparent, Ofelia lives in both the world with the Faun and the ‘real world’ with Vidal and the Rebels
Freedom (Often the theme of the quest)	The protagonist is able to combine the workings of unenlightened (old) and enlightened (new) societies into one world, the world where the protagonist now resides. S/he understands that his/her old self had to "die" in order for the new way of life to begin. S/he no longer fears change because s/he has learned to live in the moment regardless of what that means.	Ofelia has to be shot to complete the last task, which she understands, seen by her smile at the end.

Mis En Scene analysis paragraphs, final scene

Claudia Scully

Setting and Props

During this point of the movie, the actual bloodshed is seen when Ofelia’s blood falls onto the ‘totem pole’ figure in the center of the labyrinth. After the bloodshed, she’s transported to a golden castle with beautiful architecture and stained glass windows. Through this, the director creates a reverence for the new location of Ofelia, and gives a level of comfort to the viewers in knowing that she’s safer now than she was before.

Costume, Hair, and Makeup

The costume, hair and makeup also provide contrast between reality and the palace. Ofelia wearing white, drab clothing signifies her innocence when she was killed, and her more basic clothing represented her lowly position in the earthly world. However, when she is transported to the palace, her clothing switches to shiny gold robes that match the extravagance levels of the king and queen’s. The design of their crowns also matches the architectural structures in the labyrinth. This strong contrast leads the audience to be happy that Ofelia is in a place that is much better than her earthy life.

Facial Expressions and Body Language

In the labyrinth, Mercedes is very close to Ofelia, and appears to be choking back tears. The facial expressions in the scene show that although it’s sad Ofelia had to die, without it, she would’ve never reached her full potential or true happiness. After seeing her family at the end, she smiles, as she is accepted and welcomed into her new life, as at that point she understands why everything had to happen the way it did.

Lighting and Color

The darkness of the real world exists to provide extreme contrast to the splendor of her final destination, or the palace, which was entirely gold and red; bright, and regal colors. The palace was brightly light, and had a stained glass window in the back to let light shine in, in contrast to the night sky back at the labyrinth. This also serves to represent how Ofelia’s world light up once she escaped the oppression of the fighting and violence in her reality. The brightness of the palace allows the viewer to experience the same level of awe and wonder as she sees her new home for the first time.

Positioning of Characters/Camera angles

The angles of the camera show all of the steps required to get to the final location, the palace. The director takes the time to show Ofelia’s blood dripping onto the statue before showing a close up shot of her face as it’s surrounded by the bright light which transitions into the palace scene. When in the palace, there are a lot of overhead shots, which show the space between the royalty figures and everyone else. Each has a throne far away from the other, and elevated fairly high off the ground, representing their power and importance. These shots also cause the viewer to marvel at the palace and its beauty, while frequently seeing Ofelia’s reaction to her new reality.