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Unruly thoughts raced through
my mind as the eerie Galician lullaby ensued at the movie’s beginning. Darkness
comprised the prologue while it showcased the sinister milieu of the unfurling
tale. From first glance, I was captivated by the enigmatic dimness engulfing
its overture. The panorama of castles basking under the moonlight offered a
menacing ambiance unusual to fairytales. There was something about Pan’s
Labyrinth that kept me intrigued of its entirety, ranging from its ingenious
direction to its exceptional actors. Countless movie reviews have been authored
by different critics, and all of them shared that this film poses new
interpretation on every assessment.
Plot Summary
While a female voice hummed a cradle song, the story commenced with a statement revealing the skirmish between
the guerrillas and the fascist regime of Spain in 1944. Rapid breathing was
heard from a young girl afterwards, who lay down helpless on the ground. Something
peculiar was happening to the lass – the thick ribbon of blood running from her
nose flowed back to her nostrils. Drop by drop, the blood around her leaped up
and disappeared. As this scene unfolded, a narrator disclosed the story of the
Underworld princess who escaped from their Kingdom in pursuit of the human
world. It was said that the princess loved the place so much that she forgot
her roots and died as a mortal. Her father, the Underworld King, believed that
his daughter would return to him by any means. He opened portals across the
world as he hoped for the princess’ arrival.
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The plot diverted suddenly to
the 1940’s, featuring the 10-year old Ofelia and her pregnant mom, Carmen,
riding a Bentley on their way to the countryside of Spain. Carmen felt nausea
and ordered the driver to stop their car for a while. Ofelia went outside of
the Bentley and saw an ancient stone monolith incised with Celtic lettering.
She grabbed the rock and went towards a statue, which lacked the piece she was
holding. As she placed the rock to its spot, a stick insect appeared from the monument’s
mouth. The strange creature followed Ofelia even to Captain Vidal’s place,
where she would spend the rest of her life with her mom.
Captain Vidal was the stepfather
of Ofelia. With his stern and authoritarian character, he was a military man
that held a high position in the Spanish army. Most of the time, he focused on
slaughtering rebels who lingered within the mountains. Among his roster of
underlings is Mercedes, the head maid of his abode. What Vidal never knew about
Mercedes is that she is the sister of Pedro, a young leader of the guerrillas. During her free time, she would bring food and letters to the Red Propaganda. This
was a secret that she shared only to Doctor Ferreiro, the captain’s physician,
and surprisingly, to little Ofelia.
Ofelia, on the other hand,
had her secrets as well. One night, the stick insect showed up to her and
revealed its identity as a fairy. The pixie would bring her to a labyrinth outside
Vidal’s place as often as they could. In that warren, a faun with a mystique
body lived. It was the faun who told Ofelia that she was the long lost Princess
Moanna of the Underworld. The old creature tasked the child to complete three
strenuous tasks before full moon in exchange of her sacred rights as a
princess. Despite of her fear, Ofelia was eager to accomplish them all. She had
to jungle her time as a daughter to a sick pregnant woman, a secret-bearer of
Mercedes, and a princess struggling to recover what was lost from her.
The challenges that Ofelia
faced included a giant frog bearing an important key and a pale man guarding
the three niches. She was able to conquer them all, though the faun became mad
at her for breaking the rules of the second trial. The creature, due to his
furiousness, told Ofelia that she no longer deserved her throne because of her
disobedience. However, the faun gave her another chance after she encountered
worse situations: her mother’s death, Doctor Ferreiro’s demise, Vidal’s
atypical austerity, and Mercedes’ dangerous disposition. The last test demanded
Ofelia to get her little brother from Vidal’s room, which was eventually
discovered by her stepfather himself.
While all these transpired, Pedro
was able to recruit at least fifty men from Jaca. Little by little, they
launched attacks to Vidal’s place and slew more than twenty military men. These
hostilities made Vidal suspicious of Mercedes, though the latter was able to
stab the captain and escape from being detained. Vidal was helpless for the guerrillas were getting aggressive, but he insisted to chase Ofelia and his son inside
the labyrinth.
Ofelia approached the faun
and showed him her brother. The creature tried to convince the girl to
sacrifice the baby’s life, stating that the innocent’s blood will open the
portal to the Underworld. Tormented by the consequence, Ofelia told the faun
that she would rather have her brother live than become a princess. The faun
was saddened by her decision and vanished in the air. Afterwards, Vidal found
her in that place and retrieved his son. Ofelia was shot dead in the stomach.
Vidal brought his son outside
the labyrinth only to be blocked by armed guerrillas, with Mercedes and her
brother at the front line. The captain gave the baby to his former head maid and
was fired off in the face by Pedro. Sparing no time, Mercedes along with the rebels
went inside the cave in pursuit of Ofelia. To their dismay, they found the
young girl battling death. Mercedes, afflicted by the sight, hummed Ofelia a
lullaby for one last time.
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In the end, Ofelia found
herself in an immense hall while being welcomed by her parents, the Underworld
King and Queen. The queen resembled an almost unrecognizable Carmen, having
transformed into a fairy monarch. The
King told Ofelia that her sacrifice, and not her brother’s blood, made her
worthy of the throne. An applause emerged from the crowd of hundreds as they
celebrated the return of Ofelia, the long lost Princess Moanna. The fallen fig
tree in the human world, which held the princess’ essence, blossomed once
again.
Film Analysis
From the lens of a person
addicted to fantasy, Pan’s Labyrinth is a satisfaction to those into unnerving
and inconceivable stories. The film showcases a fusion of two different worlds
– the terrains of Vidal’s place and the labyrinth itself. Various debates have
been made to conclude whether the fantasy world was real in the movie or was
just a product of Ofelia’s imagination. Many critics defend the authenticity of
fauns, fig trees, giant frogs, pale man, chalk doors, and other enchanting
elements in the film. On the contrary, a good number of evaluators presume that
magic was just Ofelia’s alibi to escape the viciousness of life.
Whether Ofelia’s royal
identity is true or otherwise, a lot of symbolisms contributed to the essence
of the movie. Entities such as keys, toad, fig tree, gears, and dress are among
the objects that hold certain interpretations. Other than materials, some
characters in the flick have corresponding elucidations concerning their role
and relevance to the current society. These metaphors will be discussed in the
succeeding paragraphs.
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Keys, although small in
detail, symbolize the consequences inflicted in every action. Executed through
parallelism, both Pedro and Ofelia receive keys that can put their loved ones
at stake. Once Pedro uses the warehouse key, many of his fellow guerrillas would
be killed and Mercedes’ true allegiance would be divulged. On the other hand,
if Ofelia lets the faun use the dagger she obtained through her key, her
brother will be annihilated.
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The giant toad within the fig
tree stands for Ofelia’s brother inside Carmen’s womb. If one would observe
closely, the said tree resembles a structure similar to a uterus and a Fallopian tube. The toad inside diminishes the vigor once possessed by the fig tree. This
could be related to Carmen, whose life slowly deteriorates because of
pregnancy.
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Inside Captain Vidal’s room
are many gears in the background. This equipment mostly reminds the audience of
the gear inside Vidal Senior’s broken watch. These gears, by chance, are
metaphors of Vidal’s tyrannical and despotic character that yearns to
excessively control the state of things. Like a gear, he has a static mindset
that can never be deferred by any force. He insists to do what he deems virtuous,
just as he would say to Serrano while shooting the rebels in the mountain:
“Come on, Serrano! This is the only decent way to die!”
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Another metaphor is the silky
green dress made by Carmen for Ofelia. A keen observer would notice that the
dress’ design is similar to that of Alice from Alice’s Adventures in the Wonderland. Both Ofelia and Alice are
young girls living an adventure full of fantasies and enchantment. Although
their missions differ in nature, the two of them encounter oddities upon
learning the existence of magic in the real world.
Captain Vidal (http://www.simbasible.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/2_Fotor-17.jpg)
Besides his gears, Captain
Vidal is one of the living symbolisms of the movie. He stands for those who are
hungry for power and satisfy such craving by devouring the weaknesses of lower class men. Corrupt politicians follow the embodiment of this character through
the exploitation of the unprivileged and the individual consumption of communal
resources. This is evident in the current Philippine society, wherein political
dynasties are prevalent in ingesting the power they seized from the collective
whole.
Mercedes (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUTi5B7ssIR44wv6G86-PxJ-2R_8ptbMIdT_EscWsE-EHsWLFtUhypWw_QgzHMvXx2oC89Cy7nEaFsnMMdBQ7QSblUSXeMzhcUmdb323UkRHHjVdMEIItRNqAT3YMYF6sPGNcy_AwA/s1600/Mercedes+Blood+on+Face.jpg.jpg)
Mercedes, the head maid, is
the incarnation of empowered women who advocate for justice and independence of
a suppressed nation. The scene where she stabs Vidal with a knife was beyond
effective in transmitting this message. Oftentimes, the film features her
hiding a knife beneath her apron. In the present context, Mercedes is an image
of feminists who wish to end patriarchy through equal distribution of power
among genders.
Pedro (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-etP61nMzzBBcuPZz2VqRae7XSOaJifGIVqyWcNv365IHCTrYJr6ve4A019RFBpmDEwyLrZYyPqn6iXvIo10T5sDqLZL_Gjg_O3xfGGVaMOgRpfVTqJIqR2cpzfmA0xLl86N0lSbbzvM/s1600/Pans+Labyrinth+9.jpg)
Pedro, the brother of
Mercedes, is the image of hope amidst chaos. As a revolutionary leader, he
envisioned that Spain will be a nation for all and not just a country for the
bourgeoisie. In the Philippines today, he can be related to activists who are
not afraid of asserting their rights as citizens. The movie showed Pedro
fighting the fascist regime of Franco and winning at the end. Unfortunately,
the activists of today have yet to prove themselves to the present Philippine government,
since dictatorship has been an issue lately.
Doctor Ferreiro (https://i.ytimg.com/vi/8eiKMgE7U_0/maxresdefault.jpg)
As a passionate physician
dedicated to his profession, Doctor Ferreiro prevails as the enlightened maven
who extends his service even to those afflicted. Despite of the possibility of
being caught, Doctor Ferreiro joins Mercedes on her way to the mountains. He
treated the wounded guerrillas in their cave. Before his death, the doctor fulfilled Stutter’s wish “to end things soon.” A furious Vidal shot Ferreiro to
death when the latter told the former: “To obey without thinking, just like
that. Well, that’s something only people like you can do, Captain.”
Carmen (https://theangrycinephile.files.wordpress.com/2014/12/carmen-jpg.jpg)
Carmen, a
twenty-eight-year-old mother, stands for women treated as commodities by men. To
analyze, Vidal seemed not really in love with Carmen in the first place; he
just wanted to have a son who would carry his and his father’s name. The way he
treated Carmen in a dinner with the elites was humiliating, stating that his
wife has not yet been exposed to the sophisticated world. Through her
pregnancy, she died being exploited by Vidal, who said to Ferreiro once: “If
you have to choose, save the baby. That boy will bear my name and my father’s
name, too.” Carmen, in today’s society, is the imagery of those abused and
robbed of worth.
Ofelia (https://i.pinimg.com/originals/ca/3c/56/ca3c561724d24b0b03a7302ef8603590.jpg)
Lastly, Ofelia is the
symbolism of everyone curious and seeking for adventure. Moreover, she can
stand for children who have to deal with atrocities at a young age. Her
identity as Princess Moanna could imply that a child should not be belittled of
his or her capacities as individuals. Though young and innocent, Ofelia owns an
incredible verve that allows her to do things beyond her reach. After all, she
is an immortal being, a princess of the Underworld.
If this film is watched by
all Filipinos, they are more likely to attribute Franco (the Spain’s President
in the movie) and Captain Vidal to the present administration. Currently, Duterte
is seen as fascist due to the alleged extrajudicial killings happening within
his regime. The death of Ofelia in one of the movie’s last scenes can portray
images of slain teenagers like Kian de los Santos and Carl Angelo Arnaiz, who
were both victims of abusive policemen from Caloocan City. Furthermore, the Red
Propaganda’s triumph against Vidal’s troops can serve as an inspiration to
Filipinos who are into the ceaseless fight of advocating justice among the
masses.
Personal
Reflection
Like Ofelia, I am always in
pursuit of adventure despite the harshness of the real world. When I realized
that life was all about dealing with dilemmas, I detached from the realm of
fantasies and slowly equipped myself with the necessary skills to succeed in my
endeavors. Upon watching Pan’s Labyrinth, I was reminded of how vividly
colorful my childhood was – always thinking of the magical characters that
existed only within my favorite comic books. Ofelia and I have a lot in common –
both of us were raised only by a mother, dealt with situations peculiar to our
age, loved reading over playtime, and possessed very wild imaginations.
Having watched a lot of
fairy tales, I believe that Pan’s Labyrinth is unique in terms of its foreboding
vibe. All children’s stories constitute levity, a factor that was not entirely
present on de Toro’s movie. The film seemed to be a cauldron of stories such as
The Life of Anne Frank, Alice’s
Adventures in the Wonderland, and other plots featuring a young girl as the
protagonist. Because it seems to be a fusion of politics and fantasy, Pan’s
Labyrinth appeared to have no correct interpretation. This explains the
on-going debates asserting whether the fantasy world was real or just Ofelia’s
imaginative viewpoint.
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Though politics is among the
themes of the said movie, it is not entirely explained in the plot since it
focuses only at the clash between Vidal’s army and Pedro’s men. Through small
details, the movie was still effective in depicting the state of Spain’s
government during the 1940’s. These included Stutter reading the newspaper, the
Falangist posters declaring Franco’s triumph, and the bags of bread that has a
printed legend that stated: “This is our daily bread in Franco’s Spain! Which
we keep safe in this mill. The Reds lie when they say there’s hunger in Spain.
Because in a united Spain, there’s not a single home without a warm fire or
without bread.”
In terms of cinematography, it
can be inferred that the director focused on the proper blocking of characters
at every scene, which made the film remarkable. Also, the detailed slaying and
medical treatment were executed in a realistic manner. These included the
scenes of Ferreiro cutting Frenchie’s leg, Vidal killing the two poor rabbit
hunters, Mercedes slicing the cheek of Vidal, and Pedro shooting Vidal at the
face. Not to forget, the special effects in the movie (e.g. stick insect
turning into a pixie, giant toad, infant swimming in the amniotic acid, and magical
rose) were incredible and captivating to the eyes.
If I were to rate Pan’s
Labyrinth in general, from its director to the details incorporated in the film,
I would give it five stars for reviving important remnants from my childhood. I
would highly recommend this film to all fantasy-fanatics who yearn to
experience a menacing ambiance confined in a child-like fairy tale.
