A fairy tale is something everyone wants to believe in because it is an escape from the horrendous reality that we have to face everyday. Unfortunately, sometimes it is taken to a next level that is extreme and becomes one where it actually overlaps with reality. When that happens, disaster will strike, and when it does; it will hit hard like a wrecking ball against an egg. And oh yes, the wrecking ball shattered Ofelyia’s so-called fantasy world in Pan’s Labyrinth. The fairy tale murdered Ofelyia in the end.
First of all, if you feel that what Ofelyia went through in her out-of-body experiences with the Faun and others were real… Accurate and detailed evidence will be given to ensure that your minds will be changed.
Reason one: Crisis appears, Fantasy appears
Example one: Mother writhes in pain while traveling to Captain’s house… Insect appears and took her away from her mother.
Example two: Guerillas at battle with Captain Vidal and his comrades… Faun appears and took her away from the dangers of the battle.
Reason two: Del Toro’s interview
“One is the transit of the girl towards her own center, and towards her own, inside reality, which is real. I think that Western cultures make a difference about inner and outer reality, with one having more weight than the other.”
Del Toro admits it himself that the fantasy world of Ofelia is false through this answer in an interview. He implies that Ofelia’s fantasy world only applies to her inner reality meaning that it doesn’t exist in the real world.
Therefore, the real world would catch up with Ofelyia as her fantasy world couldn't protect her in the end. As Ofelyia went through her challenges of trying to prove to the Faun and others that she is good enough to be a princess in another world where her father and mother resides, the phases continually got harder and harder. In the first challenge, Ofelyia took a big risk going into the forest all by herself and that was when the fantasy world had more power over reality. As time progressed, the third one proved to be the most dangerous one as Ofelyia felt empowered enough to drug Captain Vidal and ‘kidnap’ the baby from him. When she got shot in the labyrinth by Captain Vidal, it was proof that the fantasy world cannot be overlapped with reality.
In my opinion, the hidden message behind the movie was that creating a fantasy world is good when trying to escape reality, or in Ofelyia’s case, fascism. However, the movie made clear that an extreme fantasy world won't survive.
(http://www.poemofquotes.com/quotes/movies/pans-labyrinth.php)
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You made me realize something about the movie. I never noticed that Ofelia escaped to her imaginative world whenever a crisis appeared in reality.
ReplyDeleteThis is a really good evaluation and you have such strong evidence to back it up. You really have 'hit' the three bullets on page 268 in Lunsford!
All i can say is that you presented real good evidence, it all makes sense.
ReplyDeleteI liked how you gave us strong evidences with your reasons.
ReplyDeleteLike Cancan, I did not notice that Ofelia's fantasy appears when the crisis appears. Great observation by Cookie Man. May I have a cookie?
ReplyDeleteThere was a different interview I read where del Toro blatantly says the world he created in Pan's was real. But he also said it was obviously up for discussion.
ReplyDeleteWhy do I never notice a thing? haha
ReplyDeleteJust like what Jane Doe said.
I guess I will always be learning new thing about this movie.
Nice blog. :-)
damn! i never noticed that, like i would have noticed it in the first place anyways. you really immersed in this thing, great job
ReplyDeleteI believe that del Toro is trying to tell us that fantasy is the best thing a child could have when the problem interfere with a child's emotions. But in the reality, escaping the problem will never cure it. I like your analysis.
ReplyDeletei like your kind of evidence and your thoughts with ofelia's splitted fantasy and reality
ReplyDelete