Ola's Labyrinth

 

Pan's Labyrinth is a Mexican dark fantasy directed by Guillermo del Toro. It is the first fantasy movie that we watched in class thus far. The creation was truly a masterpiece which made it impossible to take your eyes off the screen. I grew up in a family where fantasy and science fiction movies were always playing on our television. My mom would refuse for any other genre to be playing at home, she loved it. 

This film included different effects that were not present in the previous movies we have watched. The make up of the faun, for example, was done remarkably. The character did not appear as a welcoming creature, he did in fact invoke fear in the audience. This caused us to be unsure whether or not he should be trusted. However, Ofelia takes on the risks and completes the tasks necessary to acquire her immortality. The Pale Man was also a result of extraordinary make up as well as CGI. 

The scene where Ofelia must recover a dagger from the Pale Man's lair was my favorite scene. Ofelia is a child, and like all children Ofelia had temptations that resulted in disobedience. This disobedience was accompanied by a punishment, the awakening of the Pale Man. Ofelia immediately regretted her decision as she ran for her life to escape the Pale Man's lair. The Pale Man ate two of the fairies that accompanied Ofelia. This created a feeling of disgust and made it difficult to look at the screen, as the two tiny flying creatures were innocent. 

Guillermo del Toro's style does include gory scenes, but somehow he manages to keep his audience intrigued by the story. Countless scenes involving blood and death were incorporated throughout the movie, yet these scenes added on to the uniqueness of the film rather than deter the storyline. 

Following Ofelia's second task, she had lost the Faun's trust. He lost any hope that she was in fact the reincarnation of the princess as she could not follow rules. Within the next 30 minutes of the film, Ofelia looses much more than just the trust of the Faun. Her mother dies following the destruction of the mandrake root. She is then locked away in her bedroom by the antagonist of the film, her stepfather, Captain Vidal. When the Faun provides Ofelia with another chance she does not hesitate to act. I believe this show's the protagonist's dedication to escaping her world. She does not feel as she belongs and she no longer has anyone there to protect her or love her. She is truly alone, and believes her return to the underworld is the only thing she has left. 

Ofelia does not hesitate to take her newborn brother away from the Captain. She grabs him and runs to the labyrinth. She is immediately taken back by the true nature of the third task. The Faun must draw blood from the innocent newborn. Ofelia does not let this happen, she instead is killed by the Captain. I really liked this scene as it showed the maturity and love that Ofelia entails. The sacrifice led to her acceptance to the underworld as she would not let an innocent die. 

I really enjoyed this film as it was much more than just a fantasy film. It included themes like life and death, fantasy versus reality, rebellion, and creation of opportunities. It provided the main character with the power to choose her own destiny. Her own choices and actions led to her return to the underworld. Additionally, I liked how in the end we see the true good nature of the Faun, which shows the he was in trying the guide Ofelia in the right direction throughout the whole movie.