Magical Realsem is used to drive the story forward. The films both use first person to see through the eyes of two characters which are seen as being very child like. The magical realism usage in the films can help send the characters on there missions. For MACRO they both have links to how we represent children by them going into a world of there own and to escape from the real world. Pans labyrinth uses the escapism to a world where there is no war and her family arnt the way they are. Amalie goes into a world where she can see how she wants the France to to portrayed. Amalie had critics moan saying that it wasn't like the real france this can be down to the use of magical realism. With Amalie the magical relaisem is bening seen a fairy tale with the way she wanted to be a princess with the toys moving and tucking her into bed. Ofillia goes into a world where what she sees can be some what hrroific where monsters and evil still lerk. What with spain being at war and a girl is wrapped up in all this her fantasy can be graphic where as Amalie is in the city of love and has colorful lighting and dresses bright.
The historical context can also links to the values and culture of spain being that they are seen as being very religious and god fearing but at the end Ofelia step dad kills her and feels no remorse which isn't seen as a religious thing to do. Both countries had there own problems which drove the story to make these two characters. Ofelia made a world of her own and chose to block out the harshness of the war and Amalie wanted to re live her childhood by wanting to dive into a world of love and being a princess. Not much can be said for a message from Amalie which can drive the narrative but in Pans Labyrinth we can get messages of getting a better life from the one you was born into or going through a re-birth to a new world.
They both use the same film technique of a child wanting to escape the world and be in a world of there own . Looking more in depth in to this each film shows there country in there own way, i.e the spanish civil war being the heart of the film Pans and in Amelie that paris is the city of love. The style of pans is very dark and gloomy and is set to shows that Ofelia is very lonely, but in Amelie it is bright and is shown that she is happy and she wears bright colours. In Amelie Princess Diana had a big impact on Amelie as she is the princess in the film. In pans Ofelia is more of the hero than the princess.
Ollie - there are some very insightful comments here particularly the comparison to the monsters in the Labrynth and the Monsters in the Civil War.
ReplyDeleteYou have correctly linked the themes and style mainly in your thesis to Spanish and French culture, however the question asks about narrative techniques such CHN - this would be the appropriate aspects to focus on and draw debate out of - do they use them and why? How French does it make it - compared to French New Wave?
Just need to get the focus correct - Narrative techniques = devices/ways of telling the story. You could then cross over into Style from, say, cause and effect or the heroes journey.
Good effort, assessment of application of understanding
C