For instance, when Carmen finds the mandrake root under her bed, she scolds Ofelia and tells her, "You're getting older, and you'll see that life isn't like your fairy tales. Ofelia encapsulates these particular themes in that she is a child yet to come of age, untainted by the external, real dangers of war, fascism and her stepfather due to resisting them via her imagination. Ofelia’s encounter with the Pale Man, who is both her adversary in the second trial and the fantasy world parallel to Captain Vidal, represents the encroachment of adulthood and the way in which the dangers of the real world invade Ofelia’s imagination. Denis Villeneuve and Jake Gyllenhaal Reteam for HBO Limited Series Adaptation of, Tom DeLonge Sets Directorial Debut with Sci-Fi Tale, Sophia Loren Returns to Acting in First Trailer for, Marlon Riggs’ Empathetic Anthems of the Black Queer Experience in America, Adam Nayman on Unpacking the Films of Paul Thomas Anderson. By “theme,” we mean a subject that’s explored in a film. Fantasy settings: Labyrinth (acts as hub), Pale Man's Lair, Fig Tree, Underground Kingdom. For Ofelia to get back to the innocent world, she needs to die in this one. [Accessed: 28/11/14]. Far from being a doorway to innocence, she’s forced repeatedly to do courageous, grown-up things — in fact, tasks too frightening for even most grownups. One is so crispy, the other is so sweet…. Time of paranoia and suspicion. As such, the utilisation of the fantasy genre additionally influences the portrayal of choice as being very much a race against time. Lury (2010, p. 126) asserts that ‘the forest offers the child somewhere to hide, but it is also where the child gets lost.’ The fantasy genre therefore influences the film’s portrayal of coming-of-age as a stage in life which, although resisted by the child, is inevitable. LOPEZ-QUINONES, A. G., 2012. This essay will discuss how the fantasy genre shapes these themes. But Ofelia's not the only one who has to make the tough choices. In “Platoon,” Private Chris Taylor (Charlie Sheen) character is forced to explore, or wade through the difficult issues involved with the theme of “Right and Wrong — Morality and Immorality — in War.” Sgt. The central theme in Pan’s Labyrinth is arguably that of choice, especially between good and bad, shaped by the fantasy genre convention of the three tasks, which require Ofelia to make independent choices. Following the information on “Beyond Structure” below, you’ll find an article on themes and how to use them, and discussing the way a them adds emotional richness and power to “Pan’s Labyrinth.”. The light being bounced around is your theme. Ofelia is the primary protagonist, fighting to escape the control of Vidal, a patriarchal figure who at one point says he values the life of his unborn son and heir more than the life of his wife. [Online] 16 (1), pp. From this bleak perspective, Ofelia’s murder can be symbolically interpreted as the death of childhood. Her penchant for fantasy is pathologized by the adults in her life, who see her as avoiding the hard truths of the world. By entering your email address you agree to receive emails from Shmoop and verify that you are over the age of 13. Evil vs. Innocence.” The sobering message of the film — the conclusion drawn — is that in a war torn between good and evil, there is not place for innocence. Her place in the wonderful underground kingdom. Along with the Pan’s Labyrinth video essay, we also have a guided tour of Guillermo del Toro’s own “man cave,” a collectible-filled place of wonder in Los Angeles, an entirely separate house from his own residence. Thus it’s what I call a “Plot Deepening Technique.”. Check it out below, along with a batch of clips from Crimson Peak and the official B-roll footage. As such, taking into account Ofelia’s attempts to resist war and disobey her evil stepfather, the film’s use of fantasy also portrays disobedience / resistance as a natural and even vital part of being a child and growing up. One day, eluding her keepers, the Princess escaped. Pan’s Labyrinth, 2006. FURBY, J. and HINES, C., 2012. Miles (2011, p. 201) references Rose (1997, p. 17) who states that ‘the child who is able to explore the border will feel safe in experiencing violent, inner emotional conflict, and will acquire compassion for other people.’ This is true of Ofelia. How do you weave one into your script, and why would you want to? © 2020 Shmoop University Inc | All Rights Reserved | Privacy | Legal. Jordan Raup is the founder and editor-in-chief of The Film Stage and a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic. If Vidal's patriarchal attitudes represent fascism, Ofelia and Mercedes' struggle to break free from his control represents a feminine revolt against male dominance. Lindsay (2012, p. 8) refers to the faun as being ‘the mythological figure with whom Ofelia must spar in order to achieve spiritual and physical maturity.’ This supports the idea that although children utilise fairy-tales as a hiding place from reality, they are also, paradoxically, the place where children discover the adult within themselves and come to terms with reality. LINDSAY, R., 2012. The theme of death is also explored through Ofelia's parents. Sex Through Different Lenses: Porn vs. Art, Game of Thrones, S06E10: The Winds of Winter, Intolerance: Love’s Struggle Throughout the Ages, http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-pans-labyrinth-2006, http://digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1015&context=jrf, https://succeed.stir.ac.uk/bbcswebdav/library/eReserves/EUCU9AA_201415_Autumn_A/EUCU9AAMilesReclaiming.pdf, http://www.irosf.com/q/zine/article/10488. For no one is innocent; you must, like even the seemingly apolitical Mercedes (Maribel Verdú) and the Doctor (Alex Angulo), choose a side. The film looks at the struggle between republican rebels and Francoism during the Spanish Civil War against a fantastical backdrop. Her choices in the supernatural world are not right or wrong, but are instead representative of her experience in the human world. She is locked up, urged to be more placid and obedient than her large imagination would normally lead her to be. Lopez-Quinones (2012, p. 51) comments that ‘only if the child does not act like a miniature adult and […] only if the child is essentially dissimilar – is it possible to assign him or her qualities that, later, are perceived as lacks or losses (such as innocence, integrity or bounty).’ Although Ofelia eats from the table, she rejects both the Pale Man and Vidal, fleeing from both. Directed by Guillermo Del Toro, Pan’s Labyrinth (2006) is situated in the early years of Francoist Spain and follows a young girl, Ofelia, who becomes immersed in another world where she is believed to be a princess. Fairies, Maquis, and Children without Schools: Romantic Childhood and Civil War in Pan’s Labyrinth. durante mi tiempo libre me gusta hacer varias cosas tales como jugar al futbol, salir con mis amigos y ir al cine. Journal of Religion & Film. Not only is he fighting to exterminate the guerrilla rebels who are defending republican ideals in Spain, but he carries out his private affairs with a dictatorial control and ruthlessness that match his political leanings. Of course, as del Toro imagines it, Carmen is incorrect. There’s no ease or innocence in the world 11-year-old Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) finds herself. In: C. Rocha and G. Seminet, eds. Dual “Character Arcs” in “Erin Brockovich”, 13 ways To fix "The Hobbit - An Unexpected Journey", Techniques for creating great secondary characters. Mercedes with the key. Me gustaria visitor en espana porque es divertido. While the escapism offered to Ofelia by the fantasy world allows her to resist the war and her sadistic stepfather, it not only leads her towards adolescence, but also readies her to deal with these two factors. Wright (2013, p. 120) supports this idea, citing Haase (2000, p. 361) in her assertion that fairy-tales are perhaps utilised by Ofelia to ‘comprehend and take emotional control over the war torn landscape of childhood.’ Indeed, through undertaking the trials set by the faun, Ofelia comes to acquire a moral conscience, which influences the important decisions that she makes in the real world. Ofelia’s quest, a fantasy genre convention which, in Pan’s Labyrinth, is comprised of three trials, exerts a great influence on the depiction of the coming-of-age theme as a process of self-discovery.