Follow the faun into the depths of the labyrinth for this close analysis of Guillermo de Toro’s dark fantasy film Pan’s Labyrinth (2006). Find out how it uses historical references to explore and investigate national and transnational concerns.
Guillermo de Toro’s dark fantasy film Pan’s Labyrinth (2006), uses historical references to explore and investigate national and transnational concerns. Through alluding to Spanish history, Pagan mythology and occultism, and in correlation with the responder’s own context, the film can be interpreted in two opposing ways. Set in 1944 fascist Spain and focusing on tension between the soldiers and rebels in this conflict, the audience are prepared to read the film as a representation of history. Through this interpretation, de Toro bids the Spanish nation to recall and reflect on the wrongs of the past. Furthermore, through this interpretation, pagan references are used allegorically to portray aspects of Fascism. However, by considering these symbols in their own merit, Pan’s Labyrinth comes to reveal the primal and innate aspects of human nature. The importance of naturalism in relation to the Earth, therefore, is amplified through the modern ideological perception of de Toro. Through this interpretation, the film transcends national audience barriers and becomes relevant on an international level.
Pan’s Labyrinth opens by situating narrative in Spain 1944 using a text frame. This was a period of notorious Fascism lead by Francesco Franco after the Spanish civil war. The second text frame provides some context in regards to the fight between the rebels and the officers. In this respect, the audience are ready to interpret the film as a representation of history. During this however, a melodic lullaby plays and the sound of a girl struggling for breath lingers. The camera then cuts to a young girl on the ground and zooms in using a spiral movement. The blood from her injury is going back into her nose. This shot is mirrored near the end of the film but with the blood coming out. This suggests the cyclical nature of the world and contrasts from the linear progression of history that is seemingly the film’s focus. Spiralling is an “Ancient symbol of the goddess, the womb, fertility, feminine serpent force, continual change, and the evolution of the universe.”(Crossroad, (2014)) and is an evident motif throughout the film. The labyrinth’s winding staircase and the design on the Faun’s forehead are spirals. This emphasises the presence of the occult in this film and highlights its connection with the ancient origin of the Earth and of man.
In the film, the line between reality and fiction are blurred. If the film were viewed as a depiction of history, it could be categorised under the genre of ‘magical realism’ in which the director or artists “interweave a sharply etched realism in representing ordinary events and descriptive details…derived from myths and fairytales” (Stuart, J. (2009)). In this respect, the fantasy elements and symbolism in Pan’s Labyrinth can be seen as filmic devices used to communicate historical details. Ofelia’s adventures in this way function as “…her playroom and her refuge, the way she magically transforms a brutal remote military outpost in 1944 into a place of space and freedom.” (Levine, D. (2008)). The dark and sinister appearance of the fantasy creatures can be understood as a sign of the mentally corrupting power of the Francoist ideology; the innocent imaginings of a child have been perverted into a nightmare. This has historical significance and accuracy as “the Spanish children, who [lived in]…poverty from the moment they were born…[were said to have lost]…play, laughter, gaiety, in one word, real childhood”. (Spanish National Commission in Defence of Children, (1952)). In contrast, rather than understanding Ofelia as using delusion to hide from her cruel reality, her experience can be seen as a return to natural world and away from the false and fabricated reality of man. The creatures, rather than being seen as merely frightening have a naturalistic appearance. Near the beginning of the film, Ofelia shows the stick bug a picture of a fairy in her book and it transforms itself to match the image. This scene can be read as evidence that the fantasy world is a product of Ofelia’s imagination. The fairy’s new appearance however, is significant. It takes the form of a miniature naked girl with earth toned skin and leaf wings. Although it has adapted to fit fantasy tropes, there is nothing artificial or man-made about the fairy; for example, it isn’t sparkly or dressed in a princess’s gown. The wings are a symbol of the interconnectedness between man and nature, a fact that mankind through civilisation has tried to reject. This notion may have been inspired by the religious idea “that represents human beings as a special creation- in his “image and likeness”- of God who is certainly not part of nature and is supposed to have set man over nature as kind of ruler” (Olafson, F. (2001)). The three qwests that are bringing Ofelia away from Fascist Spain are helping her rediscover a quasi-ancient Pagan bond with nature and her true place in the world that has been thwarted by social constructions and values.
Ofelia’s first task can be allegorically representative of the effect of Fascism on Spain. She had to retrieve a key from the belly of a frog that was killing the ancient tree by eating all of the bugs that lived there. “The 1940s are often referred to as the "years of hunger" in Spain; food, like freedom of action and thought, is hidden, locked away, enjoyed only by the elite.” (Arroyo, J. (2006)). In this respect, the frog represents Vidal and the officers who have deprived the Spanish people of adequate food rations. The tree, often associated with life symbolizes the life force of the citizens. However, the tree is not only ‘life’ but though photosynthesis and its dispersal of oxygen is a giver of life. This is evident in the fact that it is shaped like an ovary, a motif symbol throughout the film. This shape is present in the Faun’s horns, the opening of the Labyrinth, the bedhead where Ofelia and her mother sleep and explicitly through Ofelia’s mother’s pregnancy. This ravaged feminine image in regards to Fascism represents the domination of women in the highly patriarchal Francoist society. During the Franco regime, the “birth-promoting policy was...intended to force women to leave their jobs on marrying and it was forbidden by law that women could have certain qualified jobs.”(Estelacantabra, (2014). This instance is specifically materialised in Ofelia’s mother’s marriage to Vidal, where she leaves her job as a tailor to become the mother of his child. From an occult perspective of the film, the task connotes a “‘returning to the womb’ and the rekindling the oppressed feminine”(VC. (2010)). By ridding the tree of the hideous toad; a representation of the innate brutality within the male psyche, she has saved a female soul. The fact that Ofelia approaches the tree dressed in a dark green version of the Alice in Wonderland dress symbolises how she initially sees her magical encounters as a form of escapism from the oppressive adult world into the fantastical. Her coming out of the tree covered in mud and slime symbolizes her rebirth and renewed strength and sense of purpose. The dress, which is left outside, also becomes muddy and subject to rain, symbolising the death of her initial childish intention.
In Ofelia’s second task, her encounter with the Pale Man can be seen in a historical sense as a manifestation of Vidal and fascist ideology. The image of the monster seated at the head of a long table covered with an extravagant feast is representative of the hoarded rations retained by the Francoist officers. Ofelia, despite being told not to eat anything from the table decides to eat some grapes, a symbol of her defiance of “…the gigantic bureaucracy that gorged itself on the Franco spoils system” (Payne, S. (1961). This action equates Ofelia with the resistance, who too defy orders and rules in order to freely express their condemnation of the State. The key she finds in the toad's stomach also does this as it parallels the rebel’s successful acquirement of Vidal’s key to the storeroom that holds the rations and supplies. The fact that the Pale Man only eats children and chooses to starve in front of a vast banquet highlights how the rations are sitting idle; not even being used while citizens continue to die of hunger. It also conveys the bloodthirsty nature of Vidal and the Francoist regime; they are only truly satisfied after ending innocent lives. The scene also conveys periodically relevant religious connotations. The fact the pale man is in a trance like sleep symbolises the ‘blind devotion’ of Vidal and his comrades to the State. In this shot, the Pale Man’s eyes are lying in front of him on a platter. This is a religious allusion to St Lucy, the patron saint of blindness who “…suffered numerous tortures including having her eyes gouged out. Another version of the story has Lucy taking out her own eyes because her would-be husband admired them.” (Durant, M, (2011))This is one of the instances where religious faith is criticised.
Religion, like political ideology requires a person to believe in a set of ideas completely, without question or needing evidence. In this respect, they have the power to program people to think in a particular way. If the eyes were read as a symbol of knowledge, the eyes set on a plate symbolise this restrictive control. The eyes, if read literally can be related with the physically destructive influence of thought systems. In order to remain true to her cause, St Lucy went against her natural survival instincts. Similarly, Vidal sacrifices his life by offering himself up as a vassal of Fascism; ignoring any other aspirations he may have. This concept is also expressed in the Pale Man’s voluntary starvation in front of a plentiful feast. This is similar to religious ascetics who would go without food, and other luxuries; “exercises performed for the purpose of acquiring the habits of virtue.”(Knight, K. (2012)). This negative depiction of religion correlates with the views of the repressed Spanish citizens. Catholic indoctrination was a key factor of the Fascist regime in order to maintain control and it pervaded the Spanish school system. The students were “…frightened by the fear of hell if they sinned…they would carry with them the imprint of education…that left them marked forever” (Mitchell, T, (1998)). The church during the time, despite being very wealthy, (they controlled an immense amount of property and funds), remained separate and uninvolved with the ordinary people. This lead to resentment and ultimately anti-clericalism that was “…well epitomised in a common Spanish saying: ‘One half of Spain runs after the Church carrying a candle, and the other runs after it carrying a stick’” (de Blaye, (1976). Ofelia’s eating the grapes is reminiscent of the forbidden fruit consumed by Adam and Eve in the Bible. Pan’s order telling her not to eat the fruit as her life depended on it mirrors God’s command “You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.”(Genesis 3:3). By ignoring this, Ofelia rejects the limiting power of the expectations of others and chooses instead to follow her innate natural desires.
The meaning that can be made involving Ofelia’s third and final task is ambiguous and can be interpreted in multiple ways. The task was to bring her baby brother into the labyrinth and prick him with the sacred knife in order to obtain the “blood of an innocent”. This action would open the portal and grant her immortality. The process of the task can be seen as mirroring the actions of the Fascist officers, who spilt innocent blood in order to create and also to dominate over a newly cleansed Spain. Ofelia rejects the faun’s orders, despite the fact that following them would be in her best interest. The Faun asks her: “You would give up your rights for this brat you barely know?” and also: “You would give up your throne for him? He who has caused you such misery, such humiliation?” Ofelia each time responds with: “Yes, I would.” In the first instance, the baby is highlighted as a stranger to her. This parallels the fact that the people killed by the Fascist officers were unknown to them personally. Her defiance emphasises her capacity for empathy, a quality completely absent from the Francoist regime. In the second question, contrastingly, the baby is defined as being someone who hurt her directly. As Ofelia’s mother died giving birth to the child, she sees him as responsible for her death. This is made clear earlier in the film when Ofelia whispers to her mother’s stomach: “please don’t hurt her”. In regards to the Fascists, this ‘offensive’ baby image symbolises the rebels. Due to their direct disobedience to their policy, the officers would kill them instantly if they had the chance. The fact that Ofelia refrains from injuring her brother highlights her respect for all life as interconnected and important. It also conveys her connection to naturalism; murder and inflicting pain in this way is not a natural. By rejecting this opportunity, she leaves his fate in the hands of Mother Nature and stays true to her role as part of the environment. This decision rejects the notion of humans being separate and dominant over nature, an idea that could cause an individual to prescribe to “inferences and practices that human beings simply cannot hope to emulate”(Knowles, J. (2003)). Her refusal to hurt the baby can also be seen as a display of her innate maternal instincts In this respect, her choice to protect her brother is a sign of her awakened feminine self; a fate that was suppressed and denied by the patriarchal Franco regime.
Religious criticism continues to be apparent in the final task, whereby Pan’s command for Ofelia to sacrifice her baby brother echoes God’s command for Abraham to sacrifice his only son, Ismael. When Abraham was about to kill his son, an angel stopped him saying: "Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son" (Genesis 22:1-12). Here, like in the case of the Pale Man as the self-sacrificing figure of St. Lucy, Abraham was made to abandon his natural instincts; in this case, it is his innate paternal protectiveness. In contrast, Ofelia rejects the Faun and allows herself to be governed by her natural maternal desire. Abraham’s murderous intention can be read as paralleling that of the fascists, who would sacrifice innocents to serve their purpose. Here, Abraham is blinded by strict religious faith and acts to secure his salvation. By rejecting the orders of others and doing exactly what she wants, Ofelia achieves real freedom. Her metamorphosis into an immortal ruler with the Faun as her servant symbolises her triumph over God and over the society that sought to suppress and limit her.
Therefore, Guillermo de Toro in his film Pan’s Labyrinth uses historical references to explore and investigate national and transnational issues. His allusions to Spanish history, Pagan mythology, religion and occultism provide layers of meaning and facilitate multiple ways of interpreting the meaning. Being set in 1944 fascist Spain and focuses on tension between the soldiers and rebels and the impact of the regime on the Spanish people prepares the audience to read the film as a representation of history. Utilising the perspective, de Toro bids the Spanish nation to recall and reflect on the wrongs of the past, especially the corruption and destruction of innocence for the sake of gaining control. Furthermore, through this interpretation, pagan and Christian references are used allegorically to portray aspects of Fascism in relation with the human psyche. By considering these symbols in their own merit, Pan’s Labyrinth comes to reveal the primal and innate aspects of human nature. The importance of naturalism in relation to the Earth, therefore, is amplified through the modern ideological perception of de Toro. Ofelia in her fall rediscovers what it truly is to be human and frees herself completely from the oppressive forces within her society. Through this understanding, the film becomes relevant on an international level and transcends national audience barriers.
References
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