Pan's Labyrinth

Pan’s Labyrinth takes place during the Spanish civil war; all the while, the main character is caught up in a fairytale. One of the important concerns in fairytales is choice. Mark Kermode’s review of the film Pan’s Labyrinth quoted Guillermo del Toro, writer/director, saying he wanted to “counterpoint an institutional lack of choice, which is fascism, with the chance to choose, which the girl takes in this movie.” I also think Guillermo del Toro decided to base the film during a real historical event so the main character would have a reason to become entwined in fantasy world. If there is something in reality that is scary or frightening, people will escape to a world where they do not feel that sense of terror or pain. Yes, the story might have been able to work with just the fantasy world, but it definitely would have not worked as effectively as it did. I think it needed both worlds, especially reality, where war or something terrible is happening. Again, the dark reality gave the main character in the film the need to escape. In the case of Pan’s Labyrinth, it was Ofelia escaping to her fairytales and the labyrinth to find a way out of the reality she was living in, with the horrible Captain and her sickly mother. Also, the themes of obedience/disobedience and sacrifice were incorporated many times throughout the story. For instance, Mercedes, throughout the film, obeyed the captain’s every command while she was actually disobeying him in helping the rebels. She kept a second key, lied to the captain about having it, and then would supply the rebels with food, drink and other supplies. There is also an example of disobedience when Ofelia disobeys the faun and eats something from the feast. As for sacrifice, there is an instance when Mercedes almost sacrifices her own life by cutting her throat before she gave up information about the rebels. Another example is when Ofelia says no to sacrificing the baby and ends up sacrificing her own blood instead. These themes are relevant to other stories such as Jack and the Beanstalk. Jack was supposed to sell the cow for money or food, but he sold them for "magical beans", much to his mother's dismay. Depending on the version of the story, Jack even sometimes ends up being killed (eaten) by the giant.