Pan's Labyrinth Comparative Essay

A films classification as a specific genre is dependent whether it is able to meet the expectations in which the audience expects. According to Ed Sikov’s Film Studies: An Introduction, “[g]enres rely on repetition and variation [of conventions] rather than uniqueness--familiar, recognizable conventions rather than raw, pure inventions” (143). There are numerous genres and subgenres in which films are able to be classified as depending on their elements. Both Zhang Yimou’s Raise the Red Lantern and Guillermo del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth are classified as dramas, among other things. However, the historical elements in with the directors tackle in their film are consistent with historical dramas. Both Yimou and de Toro are able to use their main …show more content…
In Pan’s Labyrinth, director del Toro is able to capture the story of Ofelia by showcasing her struggles in a fragmented family during a post-war Spain through a fairytale-like narrative. The film’s conventional elements allows the film to be categorized as both a historical drama and fantasy film among other genres. The historical elements of the films narration are in line with what might be expected from the historical drama genre while the fairytale elements of the film are similar to other fantasy films. Ofelia’s father died when she was younger and her pregnant mother takes her to live with her new stepfather, Captain Vidal. Her mother’s remarks that she is too old to be reading fairy tales creates a barrier between her and her mother that furthers the isolation she feels from her family. Additionally, there are no other children at the camp, forcing Ofelia to become a part of an adult, post-war world. In order to coop with the new life changes that have overtaken her life because of her fragmented family structure, Ofelia makes herself a heroine assigned with completing tasks that will grant her access to the kingdom from which she supposedly