The Unknown Connection in “Pan’s Labyrinth”
Is the fantasy world a mirror image of the “real” world in the film “Pan’s Labyrinth”? The answer could be yes. However, people only see what they like to see currently. They choose not to see the deeper side of one thing. As a consequence, there is some unknown information have been missed by the people. There are actually many unknown connections between the fantasy world and the “real” world in this film. The film “Pan’s Labyrinth” tells people a story that happened during the early Francoist period when the Falangist Captain Vidal and the Republican rebels who fought against each other in the “real” world. And at that time, there was a little girl who called Ofelia believed in the fantasy world
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and tried to complete three missions that a Faun who called Pan asked in order to back to the underworld. information in the “real” world. Firstly, the first task that Ofelia gets is to retrieve a key from an ugly Toad in a dying tree.
In the fantasy world, Ofelia got in the tree hole and used a trick to let the Toad eat the three magic rocks in her hand, and then the Toad spits out a huge vomit. Finally, she got the key from the vomit. As the Faun told Ofelia “Keep the key. You’ll needing it.” (G. D. Toro). Therefore, Ofelia keeps the key and use it in the second mission. In the “real” world, the Captain Vidal asks his housemaid Mercedes to give him the key of the storeroom and ask her “Is this the only copy?” (G. D. Toro). Mercedes lied to the Captain and actually kept a copy one herself. Same as Ofelia’s key, the key that Mercedes kept is also important in the future. Ofelia uses the key to open one of the niches in the wall and Mercedes give the key to the Republic rebels to help them get the supplies. So people can say the fantasy world is a mirror image of the “real” world in the …show more content…
film. Also, from the film, people can clearly know that the tree was lush before. However, after the Toad started living in the tree and kept absorbing all the nutrition of the tree, the tree is close to death and the Toad became huge and bloated. People could assume that the ugly Toad in fantasy world stands for the Bourbon Dynasty in 1930, or people could say it stands for Captain Vidal in the “real” world. On the one hand, if people say the Toad is the symbol of the Bourbon Dynasty in 1930 in the “real” world, the dead Toad represent the Bourbons which fell apart after the democracy could not be contained at that time. And the second republic of Spain was established after that. In the end, Ofelia found the key, and the key stands for the beginning of the Spain’s future. On the other hand, if people consider Toad as Captain Vidal in the “real” world, the dying tree represents the society at that time. And the ugly and bloated represent the local warlords who are under the leadership of Captain Vidal, wantonly plunder civilians food. Ofelia said to the Toad in the tree “Aren’t you ashamed? Living down here, eating all the pill bugs and getting fat while the tree dies!” (Toro). As Ofelia’s description in the film, the Captain Vidal and those warlords are keep bullying the civilians just like what the Toad did to the tree. Therefore, people can say that the fantasy world has a shadow of the “real” world. Furthermore, the second task that Ofelia gets is to retrieve a dagger from the lair of the Pale Man.
In the fantasy world, the Faun said to Ofelia, “You will see a sumptuous banquet, but don’t eat or drink anything. Your life depends on it” (G. D. Toro). Ofelia followed three fairies and went to a banquet that has full of food on a large table. She got the dagger after she used the key to open the niche, but she did not listen to the warning of the Pan’s. She eats the grape on the table and this behavior woke the Pale Man. The Pale Man starts chasing Ofelia. Fortunately, Ofelia escapes at last. Similarly, in the “real” world, Mercedes said to her brother, “Here’s the key, but you can’t come down now. It’s exactly what he wants.” (G. D. Toro). However, the Republic rebels invaded the Captain Vidal’s area and they started to fight against each other. And this fight leads Captain Vidal discovers Mercedes is a spy that helping the Republican rebels got the key of the storeroom; as a consequence, Vidal locked Mercedes and tried to tortured her. However, Mercedes freed herself with the dagger and stabbed Captain Vidal. The plot that Ofelia ate the grapes on the table and woke the Pale Man is a mirror image of the “real” world that the Republic rebels invaded the Captain Vidal’s area and they started to fight. Also, the dagger that Ofelia got can be the same dagger that Mercedes used to help herself escaped from the Vidal. Although, these are two different plots, they actually have
a connection. People can consider the Faun as Mercedes. The rebels tried to invade the Vidal’s area and Ofelia ate the grape. They both did not listen to what the other warn them. As a result, people can say the fantasy is a mirror imagine of the “real” world. Moreover, the last task that Ofelia gets is to bring her brother to the entrance to the maze and use her brother’s blood to open the entrance to the underworld. In the fantasy world, the Faun said to Ofelia “You will give up your throne for him? He who has caused you such misery, such humiliation.” (G. D. Toro). Ofelia’s mother got married to Captain Vidal in order to start a new life. Because of her mother’s pregnant, Ofelia had to live with her stepfather. In this case, what Pan tried to tell Ofelia might be “You are living in such horrible environment is because of your brother’s existence.” Despite that, Ofelia chooses to rescue her brother from the Faun. After that, in the “real” world, Mercedes brother Pedro who is the leader of the Republic rebels ends the Captain Vidal’s life. The ending of the Vidal is a symbol that civilians’ miserable lives finally came to an end. And it will also lead to the happy lives of the civilians. Ofelia rescued her brother from the Faun in the fantasy world while Pedro rescued the civilians from the evil Captain. Thus, people can say that the “real” world can be seen in the fantasy world. To sum up, there are many unknown connections between the fantasy world and the “real” world. In the movie “Pan’s Labyrinth”, the fantasy world is not just a world that fills with Ofelia’s imagination. The “real” world can also be seen in the fantasy world. In other words, the fantasy world is a mirror image of the “real” world. People cannot just see what they want to see. Instead, they have to see something deeper of it. Works Cited Toro, Guillermo Del. Pan's Labyrinth. 2006. .
The left door which they entered was a dead end. After sprinting a hundred yards, they ran into an enormous boulder that completely blocked their way.They could hear something breathing heavily which didn't sound human. Tyson pushed the boulder blocking the place where they could hear the heavy breathing and soon Annabeth realized they were in Alcatraz so she told the group about it.
Are friends the best resources when in need? Yes, no? Well in these stories they are. Like in Harry Potter, he used his friends all the time like when he is wondering Voldemort is still really still alive who are the people that he comes to…his friends. Or in The Maze Runner Thomas when thomas is wondering about if he should go out in the maze and face the greevier’s. Who are the people that he goes to...his friends! In these two stories Harry Potter and The Maze Runner there are some similarities, but there are also some differences.
Many other characters alter his viewpoint of the world. Some of these characters die, one is a murderer, and another introduces him to local myths. The heroine in Pan’s Labyrinth is Ofelia, a girl trapped in the middle of a revolution and escapes into a world of fairytales through books and imagination. Ofelia’s mother, Carmen, is pregnant and very sick. Under the influence of her husband, she encourages her daughter to stop reading childhood fantasies and to obey her new husband....
Pan’s Labyrinth (2006) written and directed by Guillermo del Toro is a dark fantasy film that uses fantasy and inspired true events of the after effects of the Spanish Civil War to create a symbolic parable that was influenced by fairy tales and myths. Even though this film is explicitly about the times during Franco it is also a film that can speak for any time period, past, present, and future. Through the use of phantasmagorical elements in the fantasy sequences del Toro uses doubling to reinforce the horrific events that have and can happen again in reality. The film takes place five years after the Spanish Civil War during Francisco Franco’s reign of terror. The story focuses on Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) as well as Ofelia’s evil stepfather, Captain Vidal (Sergi Lopez). Both characters represent something bigger than they actually are; Ofelia is seen to represent Spain and the antifascists whereas Captain Vidal represents Franco and fascism. Ofelia has to complete three daunting tasks given to her by the Faun (Doug Jones) that is said to reunite her with her family, the King and Queen of the Underworld. Del Toro uses doubling of the mythical realm with the ‘real world’ throughout the film that emphasizes the underlying meaning of the film. The film also follows the story of the anti-fascists rebels that are hidden amongst the trees and mountains. The character Mercedes (Maribel Verdu) is able to fool Captain Vidal for most of the film and help the rebels. It is not until the near end of the film where Captain Vidal realizes that Mercedes has been helping the rebels the entire time and it is due partly because of his misogyny that he is unable to see her as a threat to his cause.
It is not often that a strong and significant female character is introduced in a movie and/or book as the main character. Pan’s Labyrinth, though not the typical fairy tale, introduces the viewer to three females that prove controversial and necessary to the plot, which passes the Bechdel Test, designed to identify gender bias in the media. There is Carmen, the loving mother, Ofelia, the supposed princess/innocent girl, and then there is Mercedes, Captain Vidal’s maid and rebel spy. These three women show different portrayals, different characterizations, of how women should defy the gender bias in films.
In the movie Pan's Labyrinth, Ofelia escaped the frightening and commanding presence of her stepfather though her fantasy books and her immense imagination. This theme of escape from oppression is also evidenced in the novel The Book Thief, where Max escapes his oppressive reality through writing and his friendship with Liesel. Liesel herself was able to escape the reality of the war that was around her, and the death of her brother through her love of books and reading. This may lead one to wonder whether there is some truth in these fictional tales, is it possible that books and the act of writing can help one to survive an oppressive situation psychologically, and what factors contribute to an individual overcoming oppression?
During a time where Franco was in power, Rebels had to live in a world where to take risks and disobey was the only way to survive. Rebels were tortured, mistreated and killed due to not believing in the Sadist lifestyle and that they held resistance to the Fascist. In the film, Pan’s Labyrinth, Fascism is an underlying theme that was commonly shown through the characters actions and beliefs. The Autocracy and the resistance fighters clash to fight over who will have the ruling of Spain. Pan’s Labyrinth uses the interpretation of fairy tale and contrasts it with horrific reality to express the main character’s view of living in a Sadist society.While to take in everything that is going on around her, Ofelia tries
“Fear me,love me,do as I say,I’ll be your slave” says Jareth The Goblin King from the Labyrinth. By using irony, the author of a story can create a surprising events. Authors use multiple kinds of irony to make stories more surprising.
The two short stories have different characters, plot and setting and yet they have a common ground in which human beings are deeply involved. In short, the setting of each work powerfully suggests a rather calm, dull and peaceful mood at a superficial level; however, the main characters are struggling from the uncontrollable passions and exploding desire at heart. First of all, in "The Chrysanthemums" the Salinas Valley is depicted as somewhat dull, like "a closed pot." In addition, its geographical setting represents an isolated atmosphere, and, furthermore, Elisa's actions of handling chrysanthemums can be translated into a static, inactive one. However, when it comes to her concealed passion, the whole picture in this piece can be interpreted in a different way. In fact, Elisa is portrayed as "over-eager, over-powerful" in a sharp contrast to the unanimated space in which she lives. On top of that, Elisa expresses her volition to explore uncharted worlds like the peddler who happens to visit her farm house. Also, it must be noted that, even though Elisa does not reveal her desire openly largely due to the authoritative patriarchal system, Elisa's interior motive is directed toward the violent, bloody prizefights. In other words, the imbalance between the relatively restricted setting and Elisa's vaulting desire to wander into the unknown territory is chiefly designed to strengthen the overall imagery of Elisa, whose drive to experience the violent outer world. At the same time, it can be inferred that appearance (setting) and reality (Elisa's human nature) are hard to understand.
"Pan 's Labyrinth" is directed by Guillermo del Toro, is a magical realism drama. The screen shows the magical world of bizarre situations, a fictional out of Pluto 's daughter "Ophelia" to roam the world. To 1944 as the background, the fascist murder of guerrilla fighters as a real-world story. The whole film myth and reality are intertwined, is a complete metaphor and reflection on the Spanish civil war. One side is the little girl innocent fairy tale, while the Nazis are inhuman torture and slaughter. Two living scenes intertwined in a film, brings out a moral and human conflict. This is the child to see everything in the eyes, and what we see, it seems that the other world.
In Jim Henson’s Labyrinth the plot closely follows the narrative structure that is documented by Propp and described by Berger. Propp establishes a series of functions which all Russian fairy tales followed and which Berger finds easily applies to modern day narratives. When these functions are applied to Labyrinth, they fit easily into the movies story line. The protagonist, Sarah, is an adequate example of Propp’s hero with some gender norms reversed and Jareth fits into the archetype of the villain. Labyrinth presents an excellent example to Berger’s updated interpretation of Propp’s fairy tale theory of structure, while presenting important modernizations to the structure.
Yet, their characterization indicates different reasoning being behind it. In “ The Story of an Hour” , Louise is first given a glimpse of her freedom from the fact that her husband is dead and spending time alone in her room looking outside a window which leads her to know that she is able to experience a new start of freedom. “There was something coming to her and she was waiting for it, fearfully as she gazed outside the window she sees the outside world and things that she has never noticed before and wonders into those thoughts (Chopin 175). The open window portrays the new experience Louise is about to begin and the bright future she has ahead of her which is not run by someone else since her husband is dead. Somewhat similarly, Elisa is given that freedom in “The Chrysanthemums” when she gives the tinker her chrysanthemums and he heads back out on the road. “Then she whispers, that is a bright direction. There’s a glowing there” (Steinbeck 589). This quote indicates that Elisa has felt some gloomy change of freedom after knowing that her pride and happiness “The Chrysanthemums” are being shared with the world and her hard work is leaving the “ great valley [of] a closed pot”(Steinbeck 581). However, in contrast to “The Story of an Hour” she expresses her freedom through her own hard work and not herself whereas; Louise finds her freedom inside of herself as she realizes she is
The film Pan’s Labyrinth, has several common concepts with Joseph Campbell’s theory on heroes in Hero with a Thousand Faces. His theory emphasizes on tests that show their moral and basic instincts for the rite of passage to their threshold, in this case, the underworld. Campbell’s theory is a concept that surrounds an individual’s journey to heroism. This concept pertains to Ophelia due to her circumstances as a child who ventures out on thresholds, tests, and so forth. Campbell’s depiction relates to Ophelia as he describes the levels in which one must attain and accept as a female heroine. Furthermore, his theory exaggerates on the making of a hero to the resurrection in terms of physical and spiritual transformation. Ophelia’s character depicts a hero who has been resurrected as a human. Thus, she begins her journey to cross the threshold, “pass from the everyday world in the world of adventure,” (Campbell). There are many stages in the film that depicts Ophelia’s introduction to the stages of being a hero. More so, it focuses on tasks, which Ophelia must pass or fail in order to determine her role in the film; Princess of the Underworld or just a human soul. This is lead by the faun who simply reassures a place of ‘paradise’ for Ophelia only with her cooperation to listen and follow her morals.
Blanche is a delusional character who creates life from her imagination to help her pass through the hardness of life. Blanche admits that living in fantasy is much better than living in reality. When she was talking to her lover “Mitch”, she admits that the world of fantasy is much kinder as she says, “I don't want realism. I want magic!” (Williams, 117). Blanche does not care if this magic is factual or not. The importance of magic to Blanche is that she has the choice to choose fantasy which allows her to believe in and hope for something better than harsh world. She is aware of that, making the world as attractive as sh...
The Maze Runner by James Dashner is a science fiction novel that includes action and thriller. The novel is about a sixteen year old boy named Thomas who wakes up with no memory from where he came from or who he is or what he was doing there and in a metal cage box surrounded by many teenage boys looking at him weirdly. Throughout the novel there is many science-fiction themes and characteristics displayed such as futuristic technology, alien, robot like creatures environmental and social changes also unrealistic and fictional events.