As an example of Magical Realism, Pan's Labyrinth happens to be the best movie produced in this literary genre in recent years.
In class we will be discussing the symbolism found in the movie, but in particular, that represented by each one of the twelve characters: Ofelia, Ofelia's Mother, Capitán Vidal, Mercedes, The Doctor, Pedro (Mercedes' brother), The Faun, The Monster in the dining hall, The Sick Tree, The Fairies, The Labyrinth...
I invite each one of my students to share their thoughts on this movie, its characters and their symbolism and what the teaches us about Magical Realism as a whole...
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I really enjoyed watching the movie, Pans's Labyrinth. The movie contains a lot of symbolism. I believe that the frog and Capitan Vidal have something in common. They both represent corruption and authority. Fascism is a political theory advocating an authoritarian government. The captain took this role in the movie. He is a dictator to his people, while the frog is one to the tree. The tree rotted, and eventually died because Spain, at this time period was falling. During the Spanish Civil War, the Spanish people were fighting amongst each other. I do feel that the frog foreshadows the Captains death, and the tree directly relates to the fall of the government. The Captains death rids Spain of an authoritarian government and allows its people to rebuild something greater.
ReplyDeletePan's Labyrinth was pretty interesting. I have seen it before but now I have a better understanding of it. I believe there is a deeper meaning to the "magical" as opposed to the realism in the story with the Spanish Civil Way having ended. Maybe since Ofelia was innocent and was forced to do those missions for the Faun and caused some trouble, maybe she represents the innocent people of Spain who did their part in the war who, on both sides promoted it or tried to prevent it.
ReplyDeleteWith Mercedes as a symbol of hope, even though the guerrillas have already lost, they still made final efforts to show that they are still there and prove they are still standing strong.
I enjoyed this movie very much.
Rosaleen,
ReplyDeleteI think that your comparison between the Captain and the Frog is brilliant. Quite perceptive!
Hartley,
ReplyDeleteIs there a point when hope is given rescinded? Or does "hope spring eternal?"
Your view of Ofelia and the symbolism one may find in her is very interesting...and yes she does represent innocence...and although the war ended five years before the story takes place, remnants of resistance remained in the mountainous areas of Northern Spain...people who refused to give up on hope.
i agree with rosaleen,the movie had alot of symbolism. the frog,the creature under ofielas mom bed, the fairys ect all symbolized something and everything made so much sense in the film. i really enjoyed watching the film. it was different, exciting and fun to watch. after watching the film i was kind of confused but after the disscussion we had in class really made me understand it more and look back at the characters roles and understand them from a different perspective. so to end this, i really enjoyed the movie it was great =)
ReplyDeleteOh, I think I can answer this one for Hartley. :]
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, hope does spring eternally. The Pan’s Labyrinth concludes its story with the ending of Spain’s fascism. Throughout the whole movie, Spain’s authoritarian type of government fought many battles with the guerillas. Although it seemed like Captain Vidal had the power to eliminate the guerillas for good, he did not. For this reason, I believe his intention was to drive the guerillas away by crushing their hope or as you say Mr. Beeche, trying to make them rescind it. However, if so, his plans backfired, and the victorious guerrillas were successful. Because of their hope from each other and especially Mercedes, the guerrillas showed two distinct values. One, cooperation of one another can lead to the greatest achievements. Two, certain individuals who hold strong beliefs in their desires can pursue their dreams. This explains why several human generations were able to keep traditional beliefs of nonexistence reality. For example, Christians hope to resurrect into heaven, children will hope Santa brings them presents on Christmas and so forth.
This is the second time that I have watched "Pan's Labyrinth" and I like it twice as much as I did before. I believe i like the movie more because we as a class really went in depth with the characters and found the lesson behind the movie. As many have said, there were lots of symbolism in this movie. I believe that Captain Vidal symbolized all the chaos and corruption during the Spanish War. Captain Vidal as well as the frog represented fascism in that the captain was taking over the people while the frog took over the dying maple tree. Another important symbol is the labyrinth. I believe that the labyrinth represnet the choices in life that not only Ofelia made but everyone. Everyone makes their own path in life whether is it is a good one or not. We are all unique individuals and set somekind of history here on earth.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this movie. This is also my second time watching Pan’s Labyrinth, but I had a more depth understanding when I watched it in class the second time. The movie contained much symbolism to the Spanish Civil War. After doing my thinking head on Captain Vidal, I came to the belief that he symbolized Francisco Franco who was the dictator of Spain. I also believe the frog symbolizes the Fascists because the frog has an unlimited amount of food – the bugs and is taking power away from the dying tree. Similarly, the Fascists – Captain Vidal and his men had a bountiful amount of food for dinner, while they hand out small food rations to the poor. The labyrinth also had a connection to Ofelia’s tasks. A labyrinth is supposed to be a maze with complicated paths and trails like Ofelia’s tasks which are also confusing and difficult. By completing the tasks, Ofelia was promised that she would become the princess of the underworld. The labyrinth was also somewhat of a portal to the underworld because Ofelia wouldn’t sacrifice her brother, but instead her own blood which opened the “gates to the underworld.”
ReplyDeleteThe movie was a great film and I really enjoyed it. It deserved all the awards that it received. The symbolism that I saw in the film was that Ofelia represented innocence and purity. She represents these things because she wouldn't let Pan take blood from her little brother. She wanted to protect him and she was willing to give up her life of royalty to make sure that her brother remained unharmed. I believed that Carmen, Ofelia's mother, married Captain Vidal because he had power and she thought that his power would keep her safe. She doesn't want to stand up to Captain Vidal because she is a follower of the government and by doing this she loses her individuality. At the beginning of the movie, she allows Ofelia to believe in her fairy tales but later on she wants her to stop believing in them because Captain Vidal doesn't like it. She stands by her husband even though Vidal doesn't really love her. He loves the baby more than he loves her. The significance of the labyrinth is that it is like a test that Ofelia must go through before she can be the daughter of the king. Even though she makes a mistake Pan gives her one more chance and she comes through. This movie has taught me that temptation is very dangerous and it can lead to consequences that are unexpected.
ReplyDeletePan's Labyrinth was an fantasy and action filled movie that surprised me throughout the whole thing. I enjoyed watching Ofelia escape reality through her fantasy filled thoughts with the faun and the labyrinth. The way the characters appeared in the movie somewhat reminded me of The Chronicles of Narnia because they both had similar characters that could have possibly been in the same movie. I felt that at first because of the faun's hideous appearance it was going to be a character representing some evil but I felt his significance in the movie was his representation of the certain obstacles all of us must overcome some time in our life. Also, he was a representation of Ofelia's escape to reality.
ReplyDeleteThe monster in Pan's Labyrinth represented temptation and punishment. Before Ofelia entered the room with the monster, she was specifically warned to avoid the well prepared food. When she went down there, however, she glanced at the monster, fetched the dagger, and was immediately entranced by the feast. Although the fairies, representing Ofelia's conscience, tried to keep her from releasing the monster, she swatted them away and ate a grape. The punishment, for this action, was the resurrection of the monster. The monster portrayed consequence. As a result of Ofelia's misbehavior, it devoured two out of three of the fairies. Having experienced such an event, Ofelia has lost innocence, represented by the eaten fairies. She cannot retrieve the fairies back, just as she cannot gain her innocence back. She barely even made it out alive.
ReplyDeleteThroughout the movie, Pan’s Labyrinth, the viewers were introduced to many ruthless characters, including Captain Vidal. The captain showed not an ounce of mercy upon other human beings. After capturing a rebel from the opposing force, he tortured the stutterer relentlessly in hopes of obtaining vital information about the enemy. He showed no human compassion to the point that the only way to relieve the stutterer’s pain was through death. Not only did he show no empathy towards his enemies, he also never cared about his wife. When given the choice between the life of his wife or unborn child, he preferred the unborn child because it was capable of carrying his name. The most relentless event occurred at the end of film when Captain Vidal shot his own stepdaughter to death. The captain had the option to spare her life since she posed no danger to anyone including his son. Instead, he made a decision to end the life of an innocent girl.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed watching Pan’s Labyrinth. I didn't really know what to expect because it was the first time I heard of this movie. The character that stood out to me the most was Mercedes. She represents women since they were looked down on by men. The Captain underestimated Mercedes, not knowing that she was working with an outsider until later on. I believe she represents the women well and shows that women are capable of doing anything that men can do. She was able to escape the Captain from being tortured and was able to capture him with the help of her brother, Pedro. Overthrowing someone so powerful shows how courageous and smart Mercedes acted.
ReplyDeleteAnother character that symbolizes is the monster in the dining hall. I think it somewhat symbolizes the war. Ofelia was specifically told not to touch or eat the feast that was in front of the monster. But she did and that's what woke up the monster causing it to eat her two fairy friends and come after her. If the two enemies didn't disturb each other, this war might have not started in the first place.
I liked Pan's Labyrinth a lot and felt that there are many connections between the characters and todays world. In my mind, Ophelia represents anybody trying to find a sanctuary of peace and happiness that we can escape to amid our busy lives. On the other hand, the captain symbolizes those who wish to bulldoze anyone in their way in order to get what they want. Mercedes and the doctor represent the actions that everyone may need to take to survive. One who is physically ready to stand up to injustice and danger, and another who is willing to stand by their beliefs even if it means losing one's life. The test of the frog corrupting the maple tree, represents the corporations or people that corrupt our society. The symbolism of Ophelia killing it shows that no matter how daunting or dirty we have to get to save our society, it is always worth it(symbolized by the leaves growing on it in the end).
ReplyDeleteThe movie Pan's Labyrinth was very interesting. I really enjoyed watching it because it had so many interesting scenes that incorporated magical realism in it. For example, when the fairy first came to Ofelia, it was weird because in the real world things like that don't happen. It did indeed have a lot of symbolism. For example each character represented a different symbol. The capitan represented how corrupt and his authority in the military there was. Mercedes brought new hope into the picture. And I really enjoyed the movie and all the symbolism that was in it as well.
ReplyDeleteHaving this been the first time I have seen "Pan's Labyrinth", it was nothing I had expected. All the symbolism and "magical" aspects contributed to a great story of a little girl trying to in some sense "find her way". Everyone has an imagination, Ofelia just made her imagination a reality. Through Ofelia's imagination we are given a way to see through her eyes.
ReplyDeleteThe fairies really caught my attention throughout the film. They served as consciences to Ofelia and every other character open to their existence. The fairies serve as a moral compass for each character helping them choose the "just" path. For example, while Ofelia is in the montster' room the fairies are guiding her. They tell her not to eat the food, even though it was tempting.
My favorite character would have to be Mercedes. She stood for everything a woman should stand for. She sacrificed her life, knowing that she could get caught any day for helping the men in the woods. She represented all the hope that was within the hearts of the people of Spain.
I thoroughly enjoyed watching Pan's Labyrinth this week in class, as I have in the past. I believe this is the fourth time I have watched this movie. The first time I watched it in the theater with my mom. I do no think that I totally understood all the symbolism presented throughout the entire movie. The second time I watched it, it was in my Spanish class. Again, I had a difficult time comprehending. The third time was in your World Literature class. As we watched and discussed the movie during class,I gained a greater understanding of the symbolism or each character and how everything is connected. This was a fantasy and magical realistic movie. Both realms were represented. Each character was significant in their own ways. To highlight one, Ofelia, often resembled hope, purity, and innocence. She was a young girl that lived in an unappealing situation. She was in the middle of no where, with no one to turn to, she was all alone. Therefore, she created an alternate world to escape from the hell she lived in. Although her own world was filled with excitement and danger, it was what helped her get through the day. Each time I watch Pan's Labyrinth, I still feel the suspense. It'll never get old.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed watching the movie Pan's Labyrinth. I wasn't accustomed to it at first, and thought it was weird. But it turned out to be a good movie. I think it was a good idea to show us a visual representation of magical realsim to get us more intrested in the genre. Pan's Labyrinth was a great example. In the movie there was a lot of symbolism, and I think every character represented something different from Captain Vidal to the frog in the tree. Ofeila was a strong character and she represented hope. She teaches us to always follow your heart and never back down no matter if nobody believes in you.
ReplyDeleteI thought this was a very good movie and was a perfect choice to display magical realism. In the movie, Captain Vidal stood out to me the most. He stood out because his character was just so ruthless and showed absolutly no mercy. I believe that he represents pure evil. He killed the two men in the beggining for no reason and had no remorse afterwards. Also, I think he is so sure that the baby is a boy because he just wants his name to be carried on and he thinks women are weak. If the baby would have turned out to be a girl I don't think he would have cared if it died but instead try again till he gets a son.
ReplyDeleteI thought the movie was interesting due to its messages on imagination and moral values. Imagination was represented through Ofeila who used it as her personal way to escape from her dreadful life, where she could barely find support. It clearly illuminates Ofeila as a character symbolizing hope. She also symbolizes hope in the scenes of the Labyrinth, which I find to be a significant part of the movie because it truly demonstrates the difference of moral values between Ofeila and Captain Vital. Ofeila possess good moral values because she refuses to let anyone hurt her baby brother even if it meant giving up her royal palace. Her decision eventually causes her to lose her own life to sacrifice blood. Even during the last minutes of her life, she still continues to imagine herself happy and accepted in the royal place, which shows how Ofeila is hope that continues eternally. On the contrary, Captain Vital’s action in shooting Ofeila even when her baby brother was in his hands causes Captain Vital to symbolize pure evil. When he is confronted by Mercedes and her people, Mercedes refuses to let Ofeila’s baby brother to know anything about Captain Vital in the future. This representation of end of evil results in the benefits of freedom to Mercedes and her people because of Ofeila, hope.
ReplyDeleteBeing the last one to comment makes me seem like I take the ideas from other people... but oh well here I go. Loved the movie, seen it three times. Favorite seen has to be where the fantasy crosses the real life, when the Captain sees Ofelia talking to Pan. Some symbolism in the story would be the fairies being the innocence and good of Ofelia. And I would agree with Rosaleen that Captain Vidal is like the Frog where they both take what ever they want without worrying about who gets int their way. The frog sucks out the nutrients it needs and Captain Vidal use Carmen for an heir. Sick, sick man, same goes with the frog.
ReplyDeleteLuis,
ReplyDeleteThat happens to be a very good point...it is a very telling scene...where adult reality crosses, and passes, childhood fantasy, just as we dispose of our threads of childhood the older we get.
AB
After watching Pan's Labyrinth, I really enjoyed it and all the different aspects of magical realism that it included. The whole movie was filled with symbolism from every character and represented a time during the Spanish Civil War. I think Ofelia's whole journey was a big symbolism of hope and good moral values, while Captain Vidal possessed bad moral values. Also, the labyrinth was a symbolism of the many different choices that we can make in life and the monster symbolized evil and the temptations that Ofelia wanted to make. It distracted her and tempted her to do things that weren't the right thing to do, but it made Ofelia lose her proper morals.
ReplyDeleteThe way I see this movie is that it looks like a nearly perfect blend the real and the magical. Magical Realism blends these two together in a way that somehow, the magic seems real. In the case of Pan's Labyrinth, I see that the visible sights of magic are the labyrinth, the tree, and the knife.
ReplyDeletePan's goal is to purify Ofelia, so she can enter the kingdom where she was originally from. The labyrinth, in the past, was used in some cathedrals as a type of prayer. People would walk through the labyrinth continuously saying prayers until they reach the middle. The labyrinth in this movie is similar except the middle holds a stone, which supposedly acts as a gateway to the kingdom.
The tree represents Spain. The toad represents Captain Vidal. The toad was killing the tree by staying in its roots feeding and becoming fat. Vidal hords the food, while the rest gets ration cards for little food.
This was the first time I ever saw the movie so I didn't really know what to expect. The movie did contain some aspects of Magical Realism. It incorporated the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War and opened the minds of the audience in how an imagination can go beyond its limits. The character that really appealed to me was Mercedes. She really set a foundation of what a real person with courage is like. I admired the fact that she risked her life to protect her beliefs and protect those closest to her. A part of me believed that somehow she has a relation with the labyrinth. Maybe she, too, had an imagination like that of Ofelia. Also, after watching this movie, I learned more about the impact the Spanish Civil War had on certain people, especially those that worked to fight for freedom/justice. I wasn't too familiar with the Spanish Civil War, but I feel that after discussing the background of the war and the movie with the class, I gained a great learning experience. *Two thumbs up-
ReplyDeletePans Labyrinth directed by Guillermo del Toro was a very interesting movie. This was my first time watching it and I was very surprised that the movie was in Spanish. I at first assumed that the movie was going to be in English. Pans Labyrinth is a perfect example of magical realism. The fantasy aspect came from all the fairy tale creatures, and the realism aspect came from the events that occurred during and after the civil war in Spain. The most important character to me was Mercedes. During the movie she serves the terrible captain, but at the same time helps her brother and the people in the forest by supplying them with food and medicine. I think she represent the image of hope for the people of Spain because she redeems herself by risking her life and helping the people she loves dearly. The most important symbol was at the end with the flower blooming. In my opinion the flower also represents hope in that the people are like seeds that will one day grow and blossom into a flower with time.
ReplyDeleteIn Pan's Labyrinth, symbolism played a huge role throughout the movie. The Labyrinth itself was symbolic of life. It demonstrated how life isn't always easy and how the choices we make affect the path we follow. Similar to the Labyrinth, the evil monster in Ofelia's fantasy showed how the choices we make affect out lives. That specific scene of the movie demonstrated how we are constantly faced with temptation but it is our final decisions and actions that impact our life. When the monster chased Ofelia it showed how we must live with the consequences of our actions. Two other major characters were Captain Vidal and the Frog. They both represented evil and the corruption of the Spanish government. Also, they symbolized greed, power and the control. Although hardship was a common theme throughout the movie one character that symbolized hope was Mercedes. Even though she despised the Captain she worked for him because she knew what she was doing for others was more important then her happiness. She knew that not only her brother needed her but also Ofelia. Mercedes reminded Ofelia that goodness still exists in such a harsh environment. Symbolism was a useful tool that helped to teach many important lessons about life and about the choices we make.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed watching Pan's Labyrinth because it contained a mix of fantasy and drama. Although the magical aspects of the story play out as a fairy tale for children, there is a deeper meaning to it in which today's society can relate too. One of the most important symbols in the movie was the labyrith itself. It represents one's destiny. In the movie. Ofelia was able to open the door to the labyrinth by sacrificing herself instead of her baby brother. By doing this she found her own path to happiness even though she was living in turmoil. Despite the struggles we face in life, we have to realize that there is still good out there and that we have to overcome difficult obstacles. Ofelia's character points out that people shouldn't give up hope.
ReplyDeleteI invite each one of my students to share their thoughts on this movie, its characters and their symbolism and what the teaches us about Magical Realism as a whole...
ReplyDeleteThe movie as a whole was great. It reminded me alot of the movie The Chronicles of Narnia. both films are set around the same time, have similar child-age principal characters, mythic creatures (particularly the fauns), and themes of "disobedience and choice." One character that I found showed the most symbolism was Mercedes. She symbolized the people of Spain. She was also a pivitol person within the story because she played two people. The one helping in the revolution and the one helping the people fighting against the revolution. This movie is a great symbol for magical realism because it brought an everyday issue and combined it with bits of magic, which is really what magical realism is.