Comments on: Dream-bursting

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sun, 13 May 2007 19:56:00 +0000

My partner was disappointed somewhat in the movie, since his expectations from watching trailers etc set it up as largely fantasy. I liked that it contrasted the real and the fantastic worlds, unlike fantasies that are generally portrayed as wholly seperate from the real world. I took moments of like the captain not seeing the faun and O. spotting the fairy as further blurring of those boundaries.

There is a terrific short story by AS Byatt (blanking on the name, it was in her latest collection) that explores some of these themes. It's about what happened in a forest during WWII and how the girls involved remember the event.

I've heard wonderful things about the "Beehive" - I missed it when it was at the Wexner last year. Thanks for the reminder.

Jennifer B.

By: Rebecca

Rebecca — Wed, 07 Mar 2007 20:48:00 +0000

I saw something last night…

For anyone interested in Pan’s Labyrinth, please please please see the beautiful 1973 film from Spain, “El espíritu de la colmena” (“The Spirit of the Beehive”) (For more info go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Spirit_of_the_Beehive).

It blew me away. As Lucuis Shepard mentioned on his review of “Pan’s Labyrinth” at http://www.electricstory.com/reviews/review.aspx?title=new/labyrinth, surely Del Toro has seen it, and clearly he was heavily influenced by it.

I’d be interested to hear what others think of the Beehive if they see it.

By: Patrick

Patrick — Wed, 07 Mar 2007 20:27:00 +0000

On further thought, I’m even more firmly of the opinion that the ending was ambiguous at best, and most likely ‘true’. The fact that the underworld scene happens AFTER Ofelia has breathed her last (judging from Mercedes reaction, and the fact that everyone had moved along to the next issue at hand), and from the fact that it was narrated as had all the magical scenes, by another voice (not Ofelia’s, possibly the faun’s)those two things in combination made me believe we were seeing something other than the wishful thinking of a dying little girl. And as far as the final scene being too sweet and happy, I thought that made perfect sense. She had been facing challenges in the previous scenes, the last one being the decision not to sacrifice her brother for her own happiness. Having passed the trials, the faun no longer was testing her, so he was free to be the loving servant he had always been.
I agree though, that the movie was much more about the war than the fantasy elements, which was took me and my friend by surprise when we saw it. The commercials really did seem to be marketing a fantasy movie.

By: Rebecca

Rebecca — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 17:56:00 +0000

In response to your comment, “In truth, despite the fact that the movie has been marketed as fantasy, I’m inclined to think that del Toro really agrees with Ofelia’s mother and Mercedes that fairy tales are childish things, not appropriate for the terrible times in which they live,” I think you’re right. I mean, I guess that’s where I was most disappointed in del Toro. To me, terrible times seem even more worthy of fantasy, not as escapism, but as a means to illuminate and feed the imagination. There’s something so crucial about being able to access that part of our collective awareness, especially during times of war. Maybe in a certain way, access to imagination (if imagination is one slice of humanity, and I think it is) could be one antidote to war. Just a thought.

By: Nancy Jane Moore

Nancy Jane Moore — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 14:25:00 +0000

Warning: spoiler.
I finally saw this movie yesterday. Having read your comment, I was expecting some questions at the end. Interestingly, I did not have a problem with the fact that the captain couldn’t see the faun — I wouldn’t expect him to be able to see it. But since he was initially blocked at getting through the labyrinth in the place where Ofelia had entered, I was surprised that he showed up so easily.
I had more problem with the scene before the king and queen in the underworld. Unlike the earlier fantasy scenes, this one struck me as something Ofelia made up — a happily ever after life with mother (wasn’t the queen actually her mother?) and father and baby brother. The faun, who had been very frightening earlier, is suddenly sweet and kind, as if he’d only been testing her. But in the earlier fantasy scenes, she had no control of what happened at all.
In truth, despite the fact that the movie has been marketed as fantasy, I’m inclined to think that del Toro really agrees with Ofelia’s mother and Mercedes that fairy tales are childish things, not appropriate for the terrible times in which they live. (Mercedes is much nicer about it, but she has clearly taken the side of reality.) Or, at least, that the fantasy was always meant to be in Ofelia’s head and not real. I thought the movie was really much more focused on the war than on the magic.

By: Rebecca

Rebecca — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 15:22:00 +0000

Interesting idea of her being the innocent…thanks for that insight. Yes, the two moments that felt like betrayal (to me) were her dying at the end and the Captain not seeing the faun. To me, because she was dying while seeing the kingdom, it felt like a girl’s dying dream, or maybe entree into heaven–not a literal realm where she is the princess. As for the Captain not seeing the faun, I thought it would have been so much better if he’d seen the faun, and maybe rubbed his eyes, or something to indicate that he didn’t believe what he was seeing–that he thought he was hallucinating due to being injured, and drugged… I think a little touch like that would have been more true to the dream of the story. I will certainly want to see this again.

By: Patrick

Patrick — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 03:29:00 +0000

I’m assuming you’re talking about the moment when Ofelia’s step-dad finds her talking to air, when she’s talking to the faun? I don’t think I agree that moment unequivocally meant Ofelia was in a fantasy, and the Capitan was seeing reality. The ending stayed ambiguous for me, even with that moment. I guess I agree I would have preferred it not happen, not sure what it gives us, unless we’re to see that the Capitan is stunted and dehumanized to such a degree, he can’t see anything past his own reality. I think if the movie truly wants us to think she was fooling herself all along, then there would have been no need to show her in the kingdom being reunited with her royal father and mother. As soon as I saw her blood dripping into the labyrinth, I suspected she was the innocent.