In Clark and McDonald’s (2010) text, the theme of the fantasy genre is dispelled through an analysis of the “realization” of Ofelia’s experiences in a fantasy world. The article describes the various aspects adult-themed behaviors that are often interjected into Ofelia’s imagination, which makes the fantasy world more like the “real world” in the plot of this film.
The depiction of real life as a more dangerous environment is another major problem with the escapist theme of Pan’s Labyrinth. Ofelia’s intersecting experiences between the Spanish Civil War and the Underworld define similar dangers that Ofelia must face as a child. Franco's Civil War was certainly a horrific event in Spanish history, yet the premise of escaping reality is not …show more content…
"Pan's Labyrinth (El Laberinto Del Fauno)." Film Quarterly, vol 60, no. 4, 2007, pp. 4-9. University Of California Press, doi:10.1525/fq.2007.60.4.4.
Smith’s (2007) journal article defines the historical realities of the Spanish Civil War, which Ofelia must endure as a child in Del Toro’s film. The blend of historical reality with the fantasy genre implies a deletion of escapism as a primary theme in the fantasy genre. Smith’s (2007) article provides a context for Del Toro’s merging of historical and fantasy styled films, yet it reflects the harsher reality that Ofelia must experience in her “fantasy world.” Surely, Ofelia is not escaping the horrors of war, as her mind is reflecting the darker side of her subconscious mind as a form of shock or trauma. This aspect of the fantasy film genre is denigrated, since many children in fantasy-based films are merely escaping the hardship of life. This is why Del Toro’s film is not a film for children, but for adults that already have a conceptualization of the violence and hardships of war. This article is an important contribution to this paper because he defines the complex inter-genre approach that Del Toro takes in contrast to Burton’s more sensationalized approach to violence
The depiction of real life as a more dangerous environment is another major problem with the escapist theme of Pan’s Labyrinth. Ofelia’s intersecting experiences between the Spanish Civil War and the Underworld define similar dangers that Ofelia must face as a child. Franco's Civil War was certainly a horrific event in Spanish history, yet the premise of escaping reality is not …show more content…
"Pan's Labyrinth (El Laberinto Del Fauno)." Film Quarterly, vol 60, no. 4, 2007, pp. 4-9. University Of California Press, doi:10.1525/fq.2007.60.4.4.
Smith’s (2007) journal article defines the historical realities of the Spanish Civil War, which Ofelia must endure as a child in Del Toro’s film. The blend of historical reality with the fantasy genre implies a deletion of escapism as a primary theme in the fantasy genre. Smith’s (2007) article provides a context for Del Toro’s merging of historical and fantasy styled films, yet it reflects the harsher reality that Ofelia must experience in her “fantasy world.” Surely, Ofelia is not escaping the horrors of war, as her mind is reflecting the darker side of her subconscious mind as a form of shock or trauma. This aspect of the fantasy film genre is denigrated, since many children in fantasy-based films are merely escaping the hardship of life. This is why Del Toro’s film is not a film for children, but for adults that already have a conceptualization of the violence and hardships of war. This article is an important contribution to this paper because he defines the complex inter-genre approach that Del Toro takes in contrast to Burton’s more sensationalized approach to violence