Pan’s Labyrinth was directed by acclaimed Mexican director, Guillermo Del Toro, and released on December 29, 2006. Del Toro is known for putting rich, sympathetic characters- usually children and otherworldly creatures- in grandiose stories. He has directed films from the Gothic Horror of Cronos and The Devil's Backbone, to the humor of his comic book adaptation of Hellboy. He combined both his favored character types when making Pan’s Labyrinth. The movie is also shot wholly in Spanish, with English subtitles. For the movie, Del Toro took inspiration from many places. He wanted to go back to the darker, less kid friendly fairy tales. He was inspired by everything from Snow White and Alice in Wonderland, to the Wizard of Oz and ancient greek
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On one side there was the fascist Nationalists led by Francisco Franco, vs the communist Republicans led by Manuel Azaña. Hitler and Mussolini, the fascist dictators of Europe, both backed Franco to attempt to get more allies in Europe. Stalin and the Soviet Union wanted the Republicans to win because would make more communist superpowers that could turn France communist. After the war ended, Franco won and was in total control of the whole country. Due to the fact that he never joined WWII, he is still remembered as a great leader in some places in Spain. The movie is set in 1944, just after the end of the Spanish civil war. The bloody conflict was ended with the victory of the new Fascist regime. They have an outpost in the Spanish countryside to fight the anti-fascist …show more content…
The first question it brings up is whether the film is happening at all. It has two narrative worlds, real and fantasy, and that is all the movie tells us. We are never told if the fantasy world is Ofelia’s coping method for the war, or if it is really happening. Scholars have long theorized that fairy tales give children a lens to see the confusing world of adults through. With all of these horrible things happening in her life, Ofelia must make a fantasy world to help her cope. When Ofelia outsmarted the giant toad, or outwits and outruns the Pale Man, she is learning how to stand up to the adults in her life. Ofelia doesn't really escape the horrors of her life, but she learns to come to terms with them by refracting them through the lens of her
On one side there was the fascist Nationalists led by Francisco Franco, vs the communist Republicans led by Manuel Azaña. Hitler and Mussolini, the fascist dictators of Europe, both backed Franco to attempt to get more allies in Europe. Stalin and the Soviet Union wanted the Republicans to win because would make more communist superpowers that could turn France communist. After the war ended, Franco won and was in total control of the whole country. Due to the fact that he never joined WWII, he is still remembered as a great leader in some places in Spain. The movie is set in 1944, just after the end of the Spanish civil war. The bloody conflict was ended with the victory of the new Fascist regime. They have an outpost in the Spanish countryside to fight the anti-fascist …show more content…
The first question it brings up is whether the film is happening at all. It has two narrative worlds, real and fantasy, and that is all the movie tells us. We are never told if the fantasy world is Ofelia’s coping method for the war, or if it is really happening. Scholars have long theorized that fairy tales give children a lens to see the confusing world of adults through. With all of these horrible things happening in her life, Ofelia must make a fantasy world to help her cope. When Ofelia outsmarted the giant toad, or outwits and outruns the Pale Man, she is learning how to stand up to the adults in her life. Ofelia doesn't really escape the horrors of her life, but she learns to come to terms with them by refracting them through the lens of her