Pan's Labyrinth is a fantastic film when it comes to atmosphere and overall storytelling. One of the things that I feel makes the film work is the sense of time and place. Del Toro picked this instance of war from Spanish history and crafted his tale around it, weaving a delicate balance of destruction and whimsy. By sticking to an actual event in history, the whole film becomes much more grounded in realism, even in the instances of mythical monsters appearing.
If this film were an all out fantasy movie like Alice in Wonderland as opposed to the fantasy/war drama that it actually is, I think it would miss its mark entirely. The war-torn atmosphere of the film is integral to the plot and themes of the narrative.
As for themes of sacrifice, they can be found in a few scenes. If I remember correctly, the mother dies after childbirth or perhaps during. This is a direct sacrifice of mother for son. The rebel who loses his leg. The man who attempts to keep his friend/son/father safe, then is brutally murdered with a bottle. Ofelia's ultimate death at the end of the film.
The childbirth thing can be seen in countless movies/books. Loss of limbs goes back a long way, like in the book Johnny Tremaine. His hand gets all burnt and smelted and he has to sacrifice his career and his social status. The bottle scene was a senseless death, like that of Piggy in Lord of the Flies. As he tries to rationalize and speak sanely, he is crushed with a rock by the other kids. Ofelia herself is almost Christ-like, although I suppose her father is more akin to Satan, being leader of the underworld and all.
No comments:
Post a Comment