Pan's Labyrinth

Recently I went to the movies and saw Pan's Labyrinth. One of the reasons I chose to see this movie was because I read it had been nominated for six Oscars. I also looked at the reviews beforehand and saw that it was universally endorsed by the critics. The synopsis described it as an enchanting, yet dark fairytale. So I was really looking forward to seeing it and was expecting a fantasy tale along the lines of Spirited Away or The Chronicles of Narnia.

Pan's Labyrinth was not at all like those movies. This is not a bad thing, but I feel that it has been marketed in a somewhat misleading fashion. At first I thought it might be a movie that children would go and see, but I quickly changed my mind after a particularly brutal and graphic scene. The movie has a fair amount of violence, and I'm talking violence that is very realistic and unstylised.

The story is set during the Spanish Civil War. It centres around a young girl named Ofelia who has just moved with her pregnant mother to live with her new stepfather. The stepfather is a particularly nasty army commander, and most of the movie's violence happens when he is onscreen. This aspect of the movie contrasts sharply with the mystical world of fauns and fairies that Ofelia frequently visits.

Ofelia learns that she is the human incarnation of an ancient princess, and to return to her rightful spot on the throne, she must complete three tasks before the next full moon. I became excited when this aspect of the story was introduced, and was anticipating a wildly imaginative fantasy adventure. When Ofelia began her first task by entering a hollowed-out old tree and making her way through a dark muddy tunnel, I was reminded of Alice in Wonderland, and I said to myself, "Yeah! This is the stuff!"

However, after Ofelia's completion of the task, we were back to reality and the story returned to its focus on the battle between the Spanish soldiers and the rebels. This side of the story actually receives more attention than the above-mentioned fantastical tale. It has elements of espionage and torture, and is quite intriguing. But I still found myself a little disappointed, because I thought I was getting a story set in a fantasy world. War movies generally don't appeal to me.

Yet this was a memorable movie - the character development is good, and the addition of fairytale-like aspects gave it quite an unusual feel. There's one very creepy scene where Ofelia enters a hall that is home to a hideous creature. The scene had a foreboding atmosphere, similar to what one might expect from a David Lynch movie.

I don't want to give away the ending, suffice to say that the two stories merged in quite a meaningful way. I did want to see more of the fantasy world, but I think this may be because I had been led to believe that the movie was something that it wasn't. The viewer should know beforehand that this is a war drama/suspense film, and that the fantasy elements are secondary. I'll finish off by providing my interpretation of the deeper meaning of the film, which won't make a lot of sense unless you've seen it: Pan's Labyrinth is an exploration of the human need for escapism during difficult times.