Edexcel A Level Spanish (9SP0) — Paper 2, Section C: Written response to works (films)
Teacher Guide: The Film Essay on El laberinto del fauno
How Section C works, what examiners reward, and every question set on the film from 2018 to 2025
This guide is based on the Paper 2 question papers, mark schemes and examiner reports for all eight series from June 2018 to June 2025, saved in Spanish/A Level/Past Papers. References such as (ER 2024) mean the examiner report for that year, (MS 2023) the mark scheme and (QP 2019) the question paper. The October 2020 paper is labelled 2020 throughout (its cover says June 2020; it was sat in October). Quotations from Pearson documents are in italics. Everything in Section 4, and anything marked Our suggestion, is our own teaching advice. It follows from the evidence but does not come from Pearson.
1. The task
1.1 Paper 2 at a glance
| Feature | What the papers say |
|---|---|
| Length and marks | 2 hours 40 minutes; 120 marks in total (QP 2018–2025). |
| Section A | Translation into Spanish, 20 marks. “We recommend you spend 30 minutes on Section A: Translation” (QP 2018–2025). |
| Sections B and C | Two essays, 50 marks each (“Total for Question … = 50 marks” on every question). “TOTAL FOR SECTIONS B AND C = 100 MARKS” (QP 2019, 2020). |
| Section B | Literary texts: 13 set texts, Questions 2–14. |
| Section C | Films: 12 set films, Questions 15–26. El laberinto del fauno has been Question 16 in every series. |
| Word count | “Write between 300 and 350 words for questions in Section B and Section C” (QP 2018–2025). |
| Language | The essay is written in Spanish: “Respond to TWO questions in Spanish” (QP 2022–2025). |
| Resources | “Dictionaries are not allowed in this examination. Copies of works are not allowed in this examination” (QP 2018–2025). |
1.2 Choice rules
Students answer Question 1 and then “two questions from Sections B and C – this means either two questions from section B or one question from section B and one question from section C” (QP 2018–2025). So a student writes at most one film essay, and the film essay is optional.
The first essay must be on a literary text: the first answer page says “You must use this space to answer ONE question from Section B (Literary Texts)”. The second may come from Section B or Section C, and “must NOT be on the same literary text as your first question” (QP 2018–2025).
Each film question offers a choice: EITHER (a) OR (b). Students answer one part only.
“It is not possible to answer both questions on the same work or film, as only one would be considered for marking” (ER 2021). “Candidates are not allowed to answer questions on two separate films” (ER 2022).
Administration: tick the right question box, and write each essay in its own section “either section B or C, even when both questions are on texts” (ER 2022, 2023, 2025). In 2022 some students answered the Todo sobre mi madre question with material from Volver; such a mistake “can render a response totally irrelevant and the work will not be credited” (ER 2022).
1.3 Length and timing
The mark scheme treats 300–350 words as a recommendation, not a limit: “It is recommended that … students write between 300-350 words for each essay … The whole essay will be marked regardless of length” (MS 2018, 2020–2025).
Very long essays rarely help: “some essays were five pages which often led to more mistakes and rambling sentences. Very rarely were the extra-long essays of a higher quality” (ER 2022; same point ER 2023, 2025). Very short ones also lose out: “Essays that were too short were difficult to award high marks due to lack of content” (ER 2025).
A top-band Volver essay in 2024 “exemplifies how a candidate does not need to write an extensive essay in order to achieve the top bands” (ER 2024).
Pearson does not give a time for each essay. Our arithmetic: 160 minutes minus the recommended 30 for translation leaves 130 minutes, about 65 minutes per essay.
2. What examiners are looking for
2.1 The three mark grids
Each essay is marked on three separate grids, which add up to 50 marks (MS 2018–2025). “This grid should be applied twice, once for each essay individually” (MS 2018–2025).
| Grid | Marks | What it rewards (MS wording) |
|---|---|---|
| Critical and analytical response (AO4) | 20 | “select relevant material, present and justify points of view, develop arguments, draw conclusions based on understanding and evaluate issues, themes and cultural and social contexts” |
| Range of grammatical structures and vocabulary (AO3) | 20 | “a range of grammatical structures and vocabulary in order to produce articulate written communication”, including “terminology appropriate for literary and cinematic analysis” |
| Accuracy of language (AO3) | 10 | “ability to apply grammar and syntax accurately” |
The top and middle bands of each grid, quoted from MS 2025 (the wording is identical in MS 2023 and MS 2024; the 2018–2022 mark schemes name the same grids but their band tables did not extract as text):
| AO4 band | Descriptor (MS 2025) |
|---|---|
| 17–20 | “Critical analysis … demonstrated through convincing interpretations and points of view, consistently justified with appropriately selected evidence from the work. Detailed, logical arguments and conclusions are made that consistently link together. Relevant response to the question throughout.” |
| 13–16 | “Critical analysis … frequently demonstrated … predominantly justified with appropriately selected evidence … Generally detailed, logical arguments … Predominantly relevant response to the question.” |
| 9–12 | “Critical analysis … evident in relation to particular aspects of the question … sometimes justified … some points are made without exploration … occasional loss of focus.” |
| 5–8 | “attempts made at interpretation, but they occasionally show misunderstanding or confusion; evidence … often descriptive … Response relates to the work but often loses focus on the question.” |
| 1–4 | “simplistic justification … any evidence from the work is descriptive … limited focus on the question.” |
| Band | Range of structures and vocabulary (AO3, /20) | Accuracy (AO3, /10) |
|---|---|---|
| Top | 17–20: “Consistent variation in use of grammatical structures, including in use of complex language … Consistent use of terminology appropriate for literary and cinematic analysis.” | 9–10: “Accurate language throughout … Any errors do not hinder clarity of communication.” |
| Middle | 9–12: “Some variation … some recurrent examples of complex language … Some use of terminology appropriate for literary and cinematic analysis.” | 5–6: “Frequent sequences of accurate language resulting in generally coherent writing. Errors occur that occasionally hinder clarity.” |
| Low | 1–4: “Limited variation of straightforward grammatical structures … Limited use of terminology.” | 1–2: “Errors occur that often prevent meaning being conveyed.” |
Film terminology is named in the grid. The mark scheme's examples are “‘camera technique’, ‘hand-held camera’, ‘use of black and white’, ‘first person narrative’” (MS 2018–2025).
“Complex language” in the mark scheme means: “conceptually challenging tenses such as the pluperfect, future perfect; passive voice; subjunctive mood; use of relative pronouns; using extended sentences to express abstract ideas … using synonyms and a variety of expressions” (MS 2018–2025).
Accuracy is not perfection: “students are not expected to produce perfect, error-free writing in order to access the top band as errors are also made by native speakers” (MS 2018–2025). Errors that make it “unclear who is carrying out the action” or show “mother-tongue interference” are the ones that prevent meaning (MS 2018–2025).
Indicative content is not a checklist: “Indicative content is not exhaustive. Students should be rewarded for any valid response” (MS 2018–2025).
The grids are marked separately. “Language does not have to be perfect in order to demonstrate a good critical response. Similarly, there were instances where language was very good but the question was not answered” (ER 2018, 2019). The 2018 Laberinto exemplar scored in the top band for range of language but only 5–6 for accuracy (ER 2018).
2.2 What the reports say about El laberinto del fauno
Every one of the eight examiner reports has a paragraph on Question 16, and every one prints at least one Laberinto essay with examiner marks: 10 printed essays in total (one a year 2018–2023, two in 2024 and 2025). The 2023 report also names the film twice in its general comments.
| Series | Popularity and choice of option | What the examiner said about the printed essay(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | “the most popular film” | Brother question (the report does not name the option; the quoted phrases are about the brother). AO4 13–16; range top band; accuracy 5–6. “A higher mark would have been achieved if the conclusions were more persuasive and linked together better.” Tip: “Check for accuracy.” |
| 2019 | “the most popular film”. On paternity, “some candidates interpreted the word ‘paternity’ as ‘parenthood’ … which was accepted” | Paternity question. AO4 9–12; range 13–16; accuracy 5–6. A quote “is not explained in relation to the question”; the essay “shows some confusion by suggestion that Ofelia always obeys the Faun, which is not correct”; the conclusion “lacks some evaluation”. |
| 2020 | “the second most popular film” (También la lluvia was the most popular) | Ending question. AO4 9–12; range 13–16; accuracy 5–6. The student “focuses on the use of colours [and] stylistic techniques without directly linking it to the actual question”; the negative view “is not developed with relevant evidence and explanation”. |
| 2021 | “the most popular film”; the Carmen option “was by far the most popular” | Carmen question. AO4 17–20; range 17–20; accuracy 7–8. The student “writes a plan with key ideas, expressed in full sentences and with a couple of quotes”; each idea gets a paragraph; context on women under Franco is used throughout. |
| 2022 | “the second most popular film” (Volver was “by far the most popular”); options “equally popular” | Reality/fantasy techniques question. AO4 top of 17–20; range bottom of 17–20; accuracy top band. Points: colours for each world and how they mix after the maquis attack; “parallelism and juxtaposition of scenes, specifically the banquets”; the chalk and education under Franco. A “very short plan … followed by the actual question”. |
| 2023 | “by far the most popular film”; “almost twice as many” chose the Faun option | Faun question. AO4 top of 9–12; range top of 5–8; accuracy 3–4. Good line of argument (“the Faun helps Ofelia less and less”) but “due to issues with the manipulation of language, sometimes the response is not as effective as intended”. |
| 2024 | “by far the most popular question to answer this year”; “Almost four times as many” chose (a), food and power | (a) Food: AO4 5–8; range 13–16; accuracy 7–8. “In the first paragraph this candidate mentions food but fails to relate it to the theme of power.” (b) Faun and Pale Man: AO4 17–20; range 17–20; accuracy 9–10. “The way in which the candidate critically analyses colour, shapes, and the effect that both the Faun and the Pale Man have on the audience is convincing.” |
| 2025 | “by far the most popular question to answer this year”; options “equally popular” | Essay labelled (a): AO4 5–8; range 9–12; accuracy 3–4. “Most of the evidence is descriptive … not clearly focused on the question, but only on aspects of it.” (The commentary describes an answer on fantasy, not sacrifice; see Section 5.) (b) Fantasy: AO4 17–20; range 17–20; accuracy 9–10. Weighs the view that “those fantasy elements are purely in Ofelia’s mind” and develops “how the film can be described as a historical account given that many aspects of the film are based on true events”. |
Sources: ER 2018–2025, Question 16 sections; ER 2023 general comments.
What the ten printed Laberinto essays show:
Popularity: the most popular film in 6 of 8 series and second in the other two. In 2024 and 2025 it was the most popular question on the whole paper (ER 2024, 2025).
Four of the ten essays reached the AO4 top band (2021 Carmen, 2022 techniques, 2024 Faun and Pale Man, 2025 fantasy). Two of those four answered a stylistic-techniques question.
The two essays in the 5–8 band both lost focus on the exact question: food mentioned without power (2024), fantasy described without an argument (2025).
Language and analysis can diverge: the 2023 essay had a sensible argument but accuracy 3–4 held it back; the 2018 essay had top-band range but accuracy 5–6.
The 2023 report singles out the film for good use of context: students' “hypothesis about what the author/director wants to highlight … the hunger in post-civil war in El Laberinto del Fauno” (ER 2023). Top-band vocabulary quoted from a 2023 Laberinto essay: después de haber padecido, moral inquebrantable, ideales falangistas, alusión paternal, luzca, indolente (ER 2023).
2.3 Recurring comments on film and literature essays
Each row counts how many of the eight reports make the point. Most points are made about Sections B and C together; the film-specific ones are marked.
| Point made | Reports | Example wording |
|---|---|---|
| Telling the story instead of analysing | 8 / 8 | “In order to illustrate, a certain amount of narration and description is required but an essay which consists only of the latter will not score highly” (ER 2022). “Avoid retelling the story” (ER 2018, 2025). |
| Not answering the exact question / losing focus | 8 / 8 | “do not end up answering a slightly different question” (ER 2020, 2022–2025; similar wording ER 2018, 2019, 2021). Some students “have learnt certain specific topics … and they try to include a paragraph on that topic, even if it does not match the question” (ER 2023). |
| Evidence missing, unexplained or inaccurate | 8 / 8 | “Some essays lacked direct reference to evidence from the work” (ER 2018–2022). Quotations “inaccurate, meaningless, or even invented” (ER 2022). “Avoid using quotations that are not relevant or not explained” (ER 2022–2025). |
| Plan the essay (in Spanish) and state the arguments in the introduction | 8 / 8 | “The most successful candidates presented a mention of the two or three points they would develop in the introduction, organised each point as a separate paragraph, and linked back to the question at the end of each section” (ER 2022, 2023). |
| Film: revise a film studied in Year 12 | 6 / 8 | “If you study a film in your first year have plenty of revision of it closer to the end of the course” (ER 2020–2025). |
| Know the wider political and social context | 4 / 8 | “most of the set works have deeply political or social connotations which will always be relevant to any question” (ER 2022–2025). Context must be “clearly linked to the question and rooted in the film” (ER 2023). |
| Handwriting | 4 / 8 | “Assessors cannot guess at what might be written” (ER 2022, 2023; also ER 2024 exemplar, ER 2025). |
| Whole essay in the present tense | 3 / 8 | “conjugated the entire response in the present tense” (ER 2018, 2019, 2020). |
| Essays far too long | 3 / 8 | Five-page essays (ER 2022, 2023, 2025). |
| Film: films analysed less well than books | 2 / 8 | “some students showed better critical analysis when writing about a book” (ER 2020); “candidates are more accustomed to critically analysing written texts (a GCSE English skill) rather than films” (ER 2022). Reversed in 2023: “slightly better analysis of films than they did of texts”. |
| Stylistic-technique questions avoided or answered less well | 2 / 8 | “As in previous series, questions based on stylistic techniques were less popular and generally less well answered” (ER 2022). Such questions are “usually avoided by candidates” (ER 2023). |
| Factual errors about the work | 2 / 8 | “Ofelia always obeys the Faun, which is not correct” (ER 2019); “Avoid factual errors about the book/film” (ER 2025). |
What strong answers did (ER 2022, 2023, 2025):
Focused on “the how and the why, rather than who and what” (ER 2022, 2023).
Used “the PEEL method (Point, Evidence, Explanation, Link)” and “Addressed technical aspects such as camera angles, colour, and music to reinforce analysis” (ER 2025).
Did well on two-sided questions: “It was pleasing to see the level of evaluation demonstrated by candidates where the question involved a dual element … weighing up the importance or effect of two themes or characters” (ER 2022).
Kept the question in view: copying or re-writing it at the top of the answer is recommended in ER 2018–2025. The 2022 top-band Laberinto essay did exactly this.
Prepared language: some students “next to their essay plan, had prepared a list of expressions/vocabulary/tenses that they followed when writing” (ER 2023).
Examiner tips printed next to Laberinto essays “Check for accuracy: Once you finish your essay, go over your answer and double check for accuracy” (ER 2018). “Re-read your work: Read the question carefully and once you have finished make sure that each argument has supporting evidence and is linked to the question” (ER 2019, 2020). “Make sure you select evidence that is relevant to support your arguments … so the reader does not have to infer the reasons why that example or quote has been chosen” (ER 2020). “Plan your essay first: Decide which arguments you are going to use … and make sure the introduction and conclusion carefully link them together” (ER 2021). |
3. Patterns from 2018 to 2025
3.1 Every El laberinto del fauno question
| Series | Opt | Question (verbatim) | Command | Main focus | Also covered in the MS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | (a) | Analiza la importancia del hermano de Ofelia en el desarrollo de la película. | Analiza | Character: Ofelia's brother | Carmen, Vidal, Mercedes; Ofelia disobeying the Faun |
| 2018 | (b) | Analiza los símbolos utilizados en la escena del sapo debajo del árbol. | Analiza | Technique: symbols in one scene | Carmen's pregnancy; Vidal; Spain under the regime |
| 2019 | (a) | Evalúa cómo el personaje del doctor nos ayuda a entender el carácter del capitán Vidal. | Evalúa (cómo) | Character: the doctor, Vidal | Blind obedience |
| 2019 | (b) | Analiza cómo presenta el director el tema de la paternidad en la película. | Analiza (cómo) | Theme: paternity | Vidal, his father's watch, Ofelia's father |
| 2020 | (a) | Evalúa hasta qué punto el final de la película es positivo para Ofelia. | Evalúa hasta qué punto | Ending | Fantasy vs reality; disobedience |
| 2020 | (b) | Analiza cómo el director presenta los efectos de la guerra en la película. | Analiza (cómo) | Theme: war / Franco's Spain | Rationing, violence, women, inequality |
| 2021 | (a) | Analiza los recursos estilísticos usados en la escena de la cena entre Vidal y sus colaboradores. | Analiza | Technique: one scene (Vidal's dinner) | Pathetic fallacy, colour, parallel with the Pale Man's banquet |
| 2021 | (b) | Evalúa la importancia del personaje de Carmen en la película. | Evalúa | Character: Carmen | Women in post-war Spain; motherhood |
| 2022 | (a) | Analiza las técnicas estilísticas usadas para conectar la realidad y la fantasía en la película. | Analiza | Technique: linking reality and fantasy | Colour; food, keys, books; Vidal, Faun, Pale Man |
| 2022 | (b) | Evalúa si el tema de la lealtad es uno de los más importantes de la película. | Evalúa si | Theme: loyalty | Doctor, Mercedes, Vidal; obedience |
| 2023 | (a) | Analiza los elementos de la película que muestran el contexto rural en la España de la época. | Analiza | Theme: rural Spain of the time | Rebels in the forest, peasants killed, rationing queue |
| 2023 | (b) | Evalúa hasta qué punto el personaje del fauno ayuda a Ofelia en la película. | Evalúa hasta qué punto | Character: the Faun (and Ofelia) | Mandrake root; the tasks; the ending |
| 2024 | (a) | Analiza cómo el director usa la comida para destacar el tema del poder en la película. | Analiza (cómo) | Symbol and theme: food and power | Ration cards, the two banquets, the barn key |
| 2024 | (b) | Evalúa el efecto de las técnicas usadas para la presentación del fauno y del hombre pálido en la película. | Evalúa | Technique: presenting two creatures | Costume, colour, language, music and sound effects |
| 2025 | (a) | Analiza hasta qué punto el tema del sacrificio es central en la trama de la película. | Analiza hasta qué punto | Theme: sacrifice | Carmen, Mercedes, Dr Ferreiro, Ofelia |
| 2025 | (b) | Evalúa si la película puede considerarse una historia de fantasía o no. | Evalúa si | Genre: fantasy or not | Mandrake, labyrinth, birthmark; post-war suffering |
Questions from QP 2018–2025, Question 16. Last column summarises the indicative content in MS 2018–2025. The focus labels are our classification.
3.2 Focus of the 16 questions
Each question is counted once, under its main focus (our classification):
| Main focus | Count | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Theme or historical context | 5 | Paternity (2019), effects of war (2020), loyalty (2022), rural Spain (2023), sacrifice (2025) |
| Cinematic technique or symbolism | 5 | Toad-and-tree symbols (2018), dinner scene (2021), reality and fantasy (2022), food and power (2024), Faun and Pale Man (2024) |
| Character | 4 | Ofelia's brother (2018), the doctor and Vidal (2019), Carmen (2021), the Faun and Ofelia (2023) |
| The film as a whole (ending, genre) | 2 | Is the ending positive for Ofelia? (2020); is it a fantasy film? (2025) |
Themes in the question wording. Of the themes a teacher might expect, these have appeared:
| Theme | Questions | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Fantasy and reality | 2 (plus the ending) | 2022 (a), 2025 (b); the 2020 ending question also turns on it (MS 2020) |
| War, Franco's Spain, historical context | 2 | 2020 (b), 2023 (a) |
| Paternity / parenthood | 1 | 2019 (b) |
| Loyalty | 1 | 2022 (b) |
| Power | 1 | 2024 (a) |
| Sacrifice | 1 | 2025 (a) |
| Obedience and disobedience; resistance (the maquis); violence; innocence and childhood; motherhood; religion | 0 | Never named in a question, but obedience appears in the indicative content in 5 of 8 years and the maquis in 7 of 8 (see 3.6) |
Techniques in the question wording.
técnicas estilísticas / recursos estilísticos / técnicas: 3 questions (2021, 2022, 2024).
símbolos: 1 (2018); food as a device for a theme: 1 (2024).
A named scene: 2 (toad under the tree, 2018; Vidal's dinner, 2021).
The ending: 1 (2020). Genre: 1 (2025).
Colour, lighting, camera work, sound or music, special effects: never named in a Laberinto question. They appear in the mark scheme as expected content: colour (MS 2021, 2022, 2024), music and sound effects, costume and language (MS 2024).
3.3 Characters named in the questions
| Character | Questions | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Ofelia | 2 | 2020 (a), 2023 (b) |
| Captain Vidal | 2 | 2019 (a), 2021 (a) |
| The Faun | 2 | 2023 (b), 2024 (b) |
| Ofelia's brother | 1 | 2018 (a) |
| The doctor | 1 | 2019 (a) |
| Carmen | 1 | 2021 (b) |
| The Pale Man | 1 | 2024 (b) |
| Mercedes | 0 | Never named, though she appears in the indicative content of all 8 mark schemes |
Quotations in the questions: none. No Laberinto question quotes the film, and neither does any of the 400 Section B and C questions from 2018 to 2025 (QP 2018–2025).
“el director” appears in the wording of 3 questions (2019 b, 2020 b, 2024 a). Del Toro is never named in the question itself.
3.4 Command words
| Opening | Laberinto (16) | Share | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Analiza… | 9 | 56% | Includes Analiza cómo ×3 and Analiza hasta qué punto ×1 (2025) |
| Evalúa… | 7 | 44% | Evalúa hasta qué punto ×2, Evalúa si ×2, Evalúa cómo ×1, Evalúa la importancia / el efecto ×2 |
| Examina… / Explica… | 0 | 0% | Never used for this film |
| “¿Hasta qué punto…?” as a direct question | 0 | 0% | “hasta qué punto” only appears inside an Analiza / Evalúa question (3 times) |
Every year since 2019 has had one Analiza and one Evalúa question. Only 2018 had two Analiza questions. Since 2021 the Analiza question has always been option (a).
Across all of Section C (12 films × 2 options × 8 years = 192 questions): Analiza 104 (54%), Evalúa 77 (40%), Explica 6 (3%), Examina 5 (3%). hasta qué punto appears in 25 (13%). Since 2021 only one Section C question has started with anything other than Analiza or Evalúa (Explica, Voces inocentes 2025).
Section B for comparison (208 questions): Analiza 111 (53%), Evalúa 79 (38%), Examina 14 (7%), Explica 4 (2%). hasta qué punto appears in 18 (9%).
What this means: students should expect Analiza or Evalúa. An Evalúa or hasta qué punto question needs a judgement and some weighing up; the mark schemes for these set out both sides (for example “It could be said that the end is positive … It could be said that the end is negative”, MS 2020).
Counted from QP 2018–2025. Each lettered option counts as one question.
3.5 Do film questions ask about technique more than literary questions?
Counting questions whose wording explicitly asks about craft (técnicas, recursos estilísticos, técnicas cinematográficas, cámara, tomas, efectos sonoros, música, colores, elementos dramáticos, lenguaje como técnica):
| Technique questions | Out of | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Section C (films) | 27 | 192 | 14% |
| Section B (literary texts) | 16 | 208 | 8% |
| El laberinto del fauno | 3 | 16 | 19% (31% if the symbols and food questions are included) |
Film questions ask about technique almost twice as often as literary questions. Section C technique questions per year: 2018 1, 2019 3, 2020 2, 2021 6, 2022 6, 2023 2, 2024 1, 2025 6.
Film questions also name a specific scene far more often: 11 of 192 Section C questions against 0 of 208 in Section B. Two of these were on Laberinto (2018, 2021).
Camera work has been asked directly for other films (Machuca 2021, La lengua de las mariposas 2022, Volver 2022), as have sound effects (Diarios de motocicleta 2022) and music (Las 13 rosas 2019).
Students tend to avoid these questions (ER 2022, 2023). In 2024, almost four times as many chose the food question over the techniques question (ER 2024), yet the printed techniques essay scored 17–20.
Counted from QP 2018–2025; the keyword list is ours.
3.6 What the mark schemes expect students to draw on
How many of the eight Laberinto indicative-content sections mention each character or topic. This shows what examiners treat as core knowledge, whatever the question.
| Character / topic | Years (of 8) | Which years |
|---|---|---|
| Ofelia; Vidal; Mercedes | 8 | Every year |
| Ofelia's brother / Vidal's son | 7 | All except 2024 |
| The maquis / rebels | 7 | All except 2018 |
| Violence and killing | 6 | 2019, 2020, 2021, 2023, 2024, 2025 |
| Carmen | 6 | 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2025 |
| The Faun | 6 | 2018, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 |
| The doctor | 5 | 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2025 |
| Obedience / disobedience | 5 | 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2025 |
| Franco, the regime, fascism, Nationalists | 5 | 2018, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024 |
| Food, rationing, banquets | 5 | 2020–2024 |
| The fantasy world | 5 | 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2025 |
| The war | 5 | 2020, 2021, 2022, 2024, 2025 |
| Symbols / symbolism | 4 | 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022 |
| Women and their treatment | 4 | 2018–2021 |
| The Pale Man | 3 | 2021, 2022, 2024 |
| Colour | 3 | 2021, 2022, 2024 |
| Sacrifice | 3 | 2020, 2023, 2025 |
Keyword search of the Question 16 indicative content in MS 2018–2025 (English wording).
4. How to support students
Everything in this section is our suggestion, built on the evidence in Sections 2 and 3. Pearson sources are cited where a suggestion rests on them.
4.1 Choosing and planning (about 10 minutes)
Read both options before choosing (“Consider carefully the two alternatives available and the wording of the question before committing pen to paper”, ER 2021–2025). Choose the one where you can name three points and a scene for each, not the one that looks familiar.
Copy the question at the top of the answer (ER 2018–2025). Underline the command word and the key noun (la comida y el poder; hasta qué punto … central).
Decide your answer to the question in one sentence before planning. For Evalúa and hasta qué punto questions this should be a judgement (sí, en gran parte, porque…; solo en parte…).
Plan in Spanish: three points, one scene or quotation for each, and the complex structure or film term you will use in each paragraph (ER 2018, 2023).
A 300–350 word shape we suggest (not a Pearson requirement):
| Part | Words | What goes in it |
|---|---|---|
| Introduction | about 40 | One line of context (post-war Spain, 1944), your answer to the question, and the two or three points you will develop (ER 2022, 2023) |
| Paragraphs 1–3 | about 80 each | Point linked to the question → specific scene or line → explanation of how or why (technique, symbol, context) → link back to the question (PEEL, ER 2025) |
| Conclusion | about 40 | Answer the question directly and weigh the points. No new information (ER 2020, 2025 exemplars) |
Focus check after every paragraph (from the 2024 and 2025 5–8 band essays): Does this paragraph use the words of the question? A paragraph about food that never mentions power, or about fantasy creatures that never says whether the film is a fantasy film, will not score in the higher bands. |
4.2 Evidence from specific scenes
The mark schemes repeatedly draw on the same scenes. A scene bank built around them covers most questions set so far. Descriptions are kept to what the mark schemes and reports say.
| Scene or moment | What the MS / ER link it to | Questions it served |
|---|---|---|
| Carmen's journey to the mill; the wheelchair | Vidal wants his son born near him; Carmen's voice disregarded (MS 2019, 2021, 2025) | Carmen, paternity, sacrifice, the doctor |
| The fig tree and the toad | Tree like a womb; toad as Vidal and his bloodline; Spain under the regime; rich and poor (MS 2018) | Symbols, Carmen, Vidal, Franco's Spain |
| Vidal's dinner with his supporters and the priest | Rain as pathetic fallacy; ration cards; the priest's greed; “Perdonen a mi mujer”; parallel with the Pale Man (MS 2021); Vidal's father's watch (MS 2019) | Dinner scene, food and power, paternity, reality/fantasy |
| The Pale Man's banquet | Greed and control; mirrors Vidal's table; music and sound effects build tension; colour (MS 2021, 2022, 2024) | Food and power, techniques, the Faun and Pale Man |
| The ration queue | Bread handed out with a propaganda speech; Vidal's boast that no home is without bread (MS 2023, 2024) | Rural Spain, food and power, effects of war |
| The peasants killed by Vidal | Killed without evidence; people punished just for hunting food (MS 2020, 2023) | Effects of war, rural Spain, Vidal |
| The doctor and the captured maqui | The doctor ends the prisoner's suffering and defies Vidal; obedecer por obedecer (MS 2019, 2022, 2025) | The doctor, loyalty, sacrifice, obedience |
| The mandrake root | The fantasy world helps Carmen for a time (MS 2023, 2025) | The Faun, fantasy genre |
| The keys (Ofelia's key; Mercedes's barn key) | Link the two worlds; Mercedes's courage; Vidal controlling food (MS 2022, 2024) | Reality/fantasy, food and power, Mercedes |
| The chalk | Linked to education under Franco (ER 2022 top-band essay) | Techniques, symbols |
| The ending | Ofelia refuses to give her brother's blood; shot by Vidal; Mercedes takes the baby; Ofelia received as Princess Moanna (MS 2018, 2019, 2020, 2023, 2025) | Ending, brother, sacrifice, fantasy genre, paternity |
Lines of dialogue printed in the mark schemes. These are safe to teach because Pearson quotes them. Students should use quotations only if they are accurate and explained (ER 2022–2025).
| Line (as printed in the MS) | Speaker and use | Source |
|---|---|---|
| “Un hijo debe nacer dondequiera que esté su padre” | Vidal: why Carmen travelled; paternity | MS 2019 |
| “salva al niño” | Vidal to the doctor: the baby before Carmen | MS 2019 |
| “¿Por qué está tan seguro, capitán?” | The doctor: Vidal's certainty of a son | MS 2019 |
| “Es que obedecer por obedecer así, sin pensarlo, eso solo lo hacen gentes como usted, capitán” | The doctor: obedience, loyalty, sacrifice | MS 2019 (also MS 2025) |
| “Tú no sabes lo difícil que es estar sola” | Carmen to Ofelia: why she remarried | MS 2019 |
| “…quiero que mi hijo nazca en una España limpia y nueva” | Vidal: his son and the new Spain | MS 2019 |
| “Ni siquiera sabrá tu nombre” | Mercedes to Vidal at the end | MS 2019 |
| “solo una mujer” | Vidal about Mercedes | MS 2020 |
| “Perdonen a mi mujer” | Vidal at the dinner, silencing Carmen | MS 2021 |
4.3 Analysing film technique
Film questions ask about technique more often than literary questions (3.5), students tend to avoid them, and yet both Laberinto technique essays printed by Pearson reached the top band. We suggest teaching technique as part of every theme and character, not as a separate topic. The techniques the mark schemes and reports use for this film:
| Technique | How it has been used in marked answers or the MS | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Colour | Cold, dark, metallic greys for the real world; warm, golden tones for the fantasy world; colours mix after the maquis attack. The Faun's earth colours; the Pale Man's lack of colour against gold and dark | MS 2022, 2024; ER 2022, 2024, 2025 |
| Lighting | el uso de una luz cálida, los tonos fríos, la luz es azulada in the 2025 top-band essay | ER 2025 |
| Parallel scenes / juxtaposition | Vidal's dinner and the Pale Man's banquet | MS 2021, 2022; ER 2022 |
| Symbols | Toad and tree, food, keys, books, chalk, the watch, the mandrake root | MS 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023; ER 2022 |
| Weather | Rain at the dinner as pathetic fallacy | MS 2021 |
| Costume, creature design and shape | The Faun frightening then an ally; the Pale Man calm then monstrous; formas redondeadas y poco simétricas | MS 2024; ER 2024 |
| Sound and music | Music and sound effects in the Pale Man scene; usa una nana melancólica (a 2025 essay) | MS 2024; ER 2025 |
| Language and voice | The Faun's formal language and intonation | MS 2024 |
| Characterisation | Vidal, the Faun and the Pale Man as male figures linking the two worlds | MS 2022 |
| Camera | Not in any Laberinto mark scheme. The 2019 essay used ángulos bajos and estas tomas; camera questions have been set on other films | ER 2019; QP 2021, 2022 |
Always tie a technique to meaning. The 2020 essay discussed colour and stylistic techniques “without directly linking it to the actual question” and stayed in the 9–12 band (ER 2020). Technique → what it shows → how that answers the question.
Classroom activity (our suggestion): pause a scene every two minutes; students note one technique, what it shows and which past question it would help answer.
4.4 Language
Film vocabulary seen in credited essays: el plano / ángulo cenital, el primer plano, el plano detalle, la técnica del travelling, yuxtaposición, presagio, largometraje, tonos cálidos / fríos, tonos dorados, grises metálicos, paralelismo, el espectador, la escena, está ambientada en (ER 2019, 2022, 2024, 2025).
Phrases the examiners picked out: esto demuestra que, el autor quiere mostrar que, esto sugiere que, esto representa, esto simboliza, pongamos por caso, cabe destacar, a través de, a lo largo de (ER 2022); convendría subrayar, se observa claramente, aquí se destaca, esto enfatiza, nos sugiere (ER 2023); Desde mi punto de vista…, Esto se refleja en…, El director pretende mostrar…, Un ejemplo clave de esto es… (ER 2025).
Complex structures that were credited: si el director no hubiera elegido este tema, no habríamos podido entender (ER 2022); si no fuera por su hermano, Ofelia no hubiera tenido que vivir con un hombre tan malvado (ER 2018, Laberinto essay). Warn students not to force in “a pre-learned formula” that adds nothing (ER 2020).
Accuracy: the reports repeatedly mention missing accents on preterite verbs, gender and number agreement, ser / estar and English interference (ER 2022, 2023, 2025). The 2023 Laberinto essay lost marks for el sopa, recibir un clave, esto tiempo (ER 2023).
Our suggestion: students keep one A5 sheet per paragraph type (introduction, technique paragraph, character paragraph, evaluation, conclusion) with three structures and five film terms each, and plan which ones they will use.
4.5 Revision and practice
If the film is taught in Year 12, re-watch key scenes in Year 13 (ER 2020–2025).
Context: post-war Spain, rationing (los años del hambre, ER 2022), the maquis, the position of women. Keep it tied to scenes: context must be “rooted in the film” (ER 2023).
Practise both command words and the two-sided question (¿Es positivo? ¿Es una película de fantasía?). The mark schemes for Evalúa questions set out both sides (MS 2020, 2021, 2023, 2025).
Use the full set of 16 questions (3.1) for timed practice, and have students mark each other with the mark scheme's indicative content and the band descriptors (2.1).
Areas not yet asked about (an observation, not a prediction): Mercedes; obedience and disobedience; the maquis and resistance; religion and the priest; violence; childhood and innocence; motherhood; Ofelia's development; the title; camera work; music and sound. Most of these already appear in the indicative content (3.6).
5. Materials
| File (in Past Papers) | Use |
|---|---|
| Paper 2 – [series] – Question Paper | Section C instructions; Question 16 (a) and (b) for every series (the 16 questions in 3.1) |
| Paper 2 – [series] – Mark Scheme | The three mark grids (text version in 2023–2025) and the Question 16 indicative content: points, scenes and the quotations in 4.2 |
| Paper 2 – [series] – Examiner Report | Question 16 comments and printed essays with marks: one each year 2018–2023, two in 2024 and 2025. The 2021, 2022, 2024 (b) and 2025 (b) essays are top-band models |
The 2019 and 2020 reports refer students to Pearson's Literature Glossary and “How to Analyse a Film or a Text” guides on the Spanish A Level pages of the Pearson website. They are not saved in this folder.
A note on ER 2025: the essay labelled Exemplar 5 (16a) is described as answering whether the film is a fantasy film, which is option (b). Check the printed script before using it as an example for the sacrifice question.