Pan's Labyrinth is an enthralling piece of film, being aesthetically pleasing and Guillermo del Toro twisting the themes of Fantasy and fairy tales and combining it with the setting of Fascist Spain was very exiting and fresh to see. Overall, I initially enjoyed the film and it's ambiguity as to whether The Faun had truly innocent intentions or not. Alongside this, having the very grim backdrop of the Franco-Spanish setting creates a distinct set piece compared to other works of film, blending Fantasy with a harsh grim reality. The Fantasy elements of the film didn't take away from the struggles of war, nor did it distract from it. This to me was strange as the genre of Fantasy for the audience is an escape, however here the themes are blended together well and the escapism element of fantasy is presented through Ofelia. It's not like the themes of war have never been in fantasy; Lord of The Rings, A Song of Ice and Fire/Game of Thrones and of course the many of the worlds from the Warhammer franchise cover war. However, nothing feels as real and brutal as this, showing themes of Fascism, Authoritarianism and revolution. The ideas of revolution and the themes of choice and disobedience are very present throughout both plots in the film.
One thing I definitely enjoyed about the movie was the aesthetics. The combination of CGI and SFX really impressed me. I appreciate the amount of work it takes for the artistry behind set design and costume and prop making, as the prosthetic suits Doug Jones has to wear need to fit him and allow him to move properly in order to physically act out his scenes. The work on The Faun using CGI to give the legs the strange unguligrade look they have to further differentiate between the real and the fantastical. Alongside this, the costume design for The Pale man is very iconic; the eye sockets in the hands give such a distinctly haunting aesthetic and vibe. This and the loose slabs of flesh hanging off its thin frame, inspired by Guillermo Del Toro's fat loss, also present a harrowing image that sticks with the audience.
Finally, capping this off is Doug Jones amazing performance. His jittery bodily movements as The Faun and the dragging, lumbering movements as The Pale Man are very distinct from each other and yet both performances are uncomforting. Moving away from visuals, I want to discuss characters. Looking at both plots of the film and picking a character from each, Captain Vidal and The Faun very much intrigue me.
Vidal is a good representation of the brutality of Fascism. He executes anyone who he believes is a part of the rebellion against him with the hopes to ensure absolute power at any cost no matter the death toll, innocent or not. Meanwhile he cowers in his large and lavish abode, while the rebels are trying to change this sort of chain of being. Del Toro creates such an unlikable character and personality through Vidal which presents his feelings towards Fascist ideology. However as a viewer, you can't help but have this sense of false respect for him. The actor, Sergi López, commands any scene he's in and holds this aura of power and authority. As a character, Vidal is precise and clean, always dressed in neatly ironed uniform and shaving clean everyday, which continues up until the end of the film.
The Faun has this layer of ambiguity about his actions and goals. This could be interpreted as him being secretly evil, almost Machiavellian, using Ofelia for his own gains and means. I could also be interpreted that his vague attitude is to act as a test for Ofelia, to see if she truly trusts him and is obedient to him. I like that he's the gateway to the more fantastical elements of the film, with del Toro twisting the Narnian Faun/Satyr guide stereotype.
Overall I highly enjoyed this film, especially the visual and thematic elements of it. It's compelling performances and the artistic elements aesthetically and auditorily are also something to behold with a richly immersive setting and well thought out characters. This new take on fairy tale style fantasy was interesting and refreshing to me, having the fairy tale tropes be twisted and intertwined with more adult themes.
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