Pans Labyrinth
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Cast: Ivana Baquero, Doug Jones, Ariadna Gil, Sergi López
Set against the harsh backdrop of the Spanish Civil War, Pan’s Labyrinth is a haunting and whimsical journey of a lost princess named Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) who must prove herself worthy before she can be reunited with her family.
Ofelia’s journey is a unique metaphor for the descent and salvation of man. In the beginning it is established that Ofelia is a Princess who dies and is reincarnated as a human child. She meets a Faun named Pan (Doug Jones) who tells her that she must complete three tasks in order to be reunited with her true family. During one of her tasks Ofelia is told by the Faun that eating the food in the Pale Man’s cave is forbidden. When Ofelia eats the forbidden fruit, she is told by the Faun that because of her sin she would remain human and would be forgotten by her people. After her mother’s death, Pan returns to Ofelia and offers her one final chance to complete her task. The Faun tells Ofelia that her final task is to sacrifice her infant brother’s blood in order to open the portal that would take her to her world. Although her failure to complete the tasks means she will never be reunited with her family, Ofelia refuses to give her brother over to be sacrificed. When she inadvertently sacrifices herself in her brother’s place, Ofelia’s true identity as a princess is restored and she is reunited with her family.
Time plays an important role in Pan’s Labyrinth. When Ofelia first meets Pan the Faun, he appears ancient. As time progresses, the Faun is slowly transformed into a younger version of himself.
When the Faun sends Ofelia on her journey to complete the three tasks needed to restore her true identity as a princess, he tells her that she only has until the full moon to complete the tasks. The symbolism of the moon is an important part of Ofelia's journey. Throughout the movie, Ofelia is shown bearing a mark on her shoulder with the image of a crescent moon. When Ofelia's sacrifices herself to save her brother, the moon is full, symbolizing the completion of Ofelia's journey.
Ofelia’s stepfather, Captain Vidal, has a rather unique obsession with time – as a symbolic illustration of marking the end of life. When his father dies, he breaks his watch so that Captain Vidal would know the precise time of his death. When Captain Vidal dies, he asks his servant, Mercedes, to tell his son what time his father died but she refuses to honor that wish.
I am very rarely given to watching foreign films but Pan’s Labyrinth truly impressed me. The unique essence of the story combined with a powerful marriage of stunning animation, a haunting score, and a stellar cast have brought to life a fairy tale that is so painfully beautiful that by the end you will be convinced it was more than just a whimsical dream.
© 2013 – 2016 Keriane Kellogg. All rights reserved.
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Cast: Ivana Baquero, Doug Jones, Ariadna Gil, Sergi López
Set against the harsh backdrop of the Spanish Civil War, Pan’s Labyrinth is a haunting and whimsical journey of a lost princess named Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) who must prove herself worthy before she can be reunited with her family.
Ofelia’s journey is a unique metaphor for the descent and salvation of man. In the beginning it is established that Ofelia is a Princess who dies and is reincarnated as a human child. She meets a Faun named Pan (Doug Jones) who tells her that she must complete three tasks in order to be reunited with her true family. During one of her tasks Ofelia is told by the Faun that eating the food in the Pale Man’s cave is forbidden. When Ofelia eats the forbidden fruit, she is told by the Faun that because of her sin she would remain human and would be forgotten by her people. After her mother’s death, Pan returns to Ofelia and offers her one final chance to complete her task. The Faun tells Ofelia that her final task is to sacrifice her infant brother’s blood in order to open the portal that would take her to her world. Although her failure to complete the tasks means she will never be reunited with her family, Ofelia refuses to give her brother over to be sacrificed. When she inadvertently sacrifices herself in her brother’s place, Ofelia’s true identity as a princess is restored and she is reunited with her family.
Time plays an important role in Pan’s Labyrinth. When Ofelia first meets Pan the Faun, he appears ancient. As time progresses, the Faun is slowly transformed into a younger version of himself.
When the Faun sends Ofelia on her journey to complete the three tasks needed to restore her true identity as a princess, he tells her that she only has until the full moon to complete the tasks. The symbolism of the moon is an important part of Ofelia's journey. Throughout the movie, Ofelia is shown bearing a mark on her shoulder with the image of a crescent moon. When Ofelia's sacrifices herself to save her brother, the moon is full, symbolizing the completion of Ofelia's journey.
Ofelia’s stepfather, Captain Vidal, has a rather unique obsession with time – as a symbolic illustration of marking the end of life. When his father dies, he breaks his watch so that Captain Vidal would know the precise time of his death. When Captain Vidal dies, he asks his servant, Mercedes, to tell his son what time his father died but she refuses to honor that wish.
I am very rarely given to watching foreign films but Pan’s Labyrinth truly impressed me. The unique essence of the story combined with a powerful marriage of stunning animation, a haunting score, and a stellar cast have brought to life a fairy tale that is so painfully beautiful that by the end you will be convinced it was more than just a whimsical dream.
© 2013 – 2016 Keriane Kellogg. All rights reserved.