BATTLE OF DRAMA AND FANTASY: A MOVIE REVIEW ON PAN’S LABYRINTH

Rating: 4/5

SUMMARY

                The movie to our surprise was in Spanish language and we barely understand it, but good thing there’s a subtitle to help understand what the movie is all about. Pan’s Labyrinth is a mixture of drama, suspense and with a touch of fiction that focuses on the story of a family. The story started when Ofelia, the main character, and his mother was travelling along the mountainous and rocky road. Her mother is pregnant and became sick as they traveled. Ofelia found a rock along the road and picked it up when an insect followed her all throughout her journey. Ofelia and her mother are on their way to her stepdad- Captain Vidal. Ofelia is fond of imagining about realms of fairies and even asked Mercedes, Captain Vidal’s home caretaker, if she believes on fairies. One night, the insect went to Ofelia and her mother’s room and Ofelia showed a book with a picture of a fairy in it, and the insect imitated its picture. The insect, who turned into a fairy, asked Ofelia to follow her which is the labyrinth they found earlier that day behind Vidal’s house. There was an underground hole in the middle of the labyrinth and their lives a faun where she asked Ofelia to finish three tasks. The faun gave her a blank book where all the tasks are written and she went back to their house.

                The first task was to feed a toad with three magic stones that is living under a dead tree. It was a warm night when her father is having a dinner with some fancy guests. The place was muddy and Ofelia crawled beneath it until she reached a large toad as big as her. The dress her mother gave was dirty and she did not let Ofelia eat during the dinner. The second task was to get a knife where she drew a magical door using a chalk. Only a limited time was given to her or else that door will be closing. Behind those doors is a monstrous creature known as the pale man. It has no face, no eyes, long nails, scrappy skin and almost naked. The faun warned her not to eat anything in there but to her temptation, Ofelia picked a few pieces of grapes in the table where the pale man is ‘sleeping’. The monstrous creature woke up and chase her until the door trap her inside. The chalk fell down from it before the door fully closes and she was able to draw a door.

                The faun was disappointed with Ofelia as she broke the rule, but was able to get the knife. Going back to the real world, Pedro, the brother of Mercedes, was discovered to be part of the rebel group and was tortured by the men of Vidal. A few days later, Vidal caught Ofelia in the room of her mother where she was getting a ‘mandrake’. Her mother woke up and threw it into the fire and she experience pain from her stomach and she was about to go on delivery. Ofelia’s mother died but her son, who was a boy, was able to be saved. Few moments later, Vidal discovered that Mercedes is helping her brother and their group to rebel against him and put Mercedes on danger but was able to be saved and gunned Vidal. Ofelia then steals her brother in order for the faun to give her a chance. Vidal chases Ofelia with his little brother on the labyrinth even if he is on pain. The faun asked her little brother in order to fulfill her dreams of coming to her ‘palace’. Vidal finds Ofelia and killed Ofelia through shooting a gun. As Vidal escapes from the labyrinth, Pedro’s rebel group was waiting for him outside. Vidal was begging to bare his name to the child and tell him what happened when he grow up. The group took the child and shot Vidal near the eyes. Ofelia’s blood dripped over her body and to the floor and there, the portal opened and the last scene showed who her real parents are and waiting for her while sitting in a throne.

ANALYSIS

                The movie is full of symbolisms. For example, the hour glass on one of the scenes signifies that in our life, we only have a limited time to live. If we don’t maximize or make the most out of it, then we will regret it in the end because we missed an opportunity that something better should have happened. Along with those scenes, the pale man symbolizes the problems we face in life. No matter how limited our time is, we must not be affected and not let anything bring us down. Just like what Ofelia did, she was almost chased by the pale man but she was able to escape. In our life, even if problems are keep on coming to our life, there must be a way how we could overcome it. Another symbolism I found in the movie I the antibiotic that Captain Vidal found in the middle of the forest. That antibiotic came from his resident doctor, which is also healing Carmen at that time. Mercedes and the doctor are in tandem in helping the rebel groups. The antibiotic symbolizes the important thing we have in our life. These important things might put us in danger just like what happened when Mercedes and the doctor was almost caught. Lastly, Captain Vidal symbolizes the greed we have in our world. He is self-centered and not thinking about the situation of other people.

                The movie can be related in today’s time. The movie might be somewhat fictional and a fantasy but it shows the value of family. There are a lot of accidents involving mass shooting happening nowadays. Some are accidents, but some are intentional which can be considered as murder or homicide. There are continues growing number of rate in terms of mass shooting nowadays. Imagine Captain Vidal taking the life of his own stepdaughter. If in the movie it happened, what else in real life?

The main importance and lesson of the movie is that we must learn how to value our family because at the end, it’s where we will always come back. Our family is the one always there for as no matter what happen. Our family is the where we will always run back at the end of the day. Our family is our number one supporter and our family is there all the time. The movie shows this at the end of it where Ofelia was able to be with her family in their ‘happy place’ when the portal opened.

                I gave the movie 4 stars out of 5 because the movie was really good and the class enjoyed it. Although there were no enough time to watch it in class, we chose to still finish it immediately at home because there is this sense of ‘bitin’ if you don’t watch it immediately.  But still, there are room for improvements for the movie because for me, there are a few unnecessary scenes which make it difficult to understand at first. But overall, the movie was good and it is appropriate for all ages. Even a child can enjoy the movie, maybe except for the part where the pale man would come alive.