Pan's Labrynth Flashcards
Why is the Underworld presented in such a bright, royal tone, with yellow and red colours?
It’s to contrast the blue and dark real world, which always seems to be either raining or cloudy making the overall atmosphere seem depressing and dreary, and contrast with the warm and welcoming underworld. Making it a nice goal for Ofelia to work towards
Is Ofelia possibly Schizophrenic and thereby imagining everything in her fairytale world?
It’s possible that Ofelia is imagining all the Fantasy elements as no one else ever sees the fantasy, including Vadal even when he is looking where the Faun should be, he can’t see it, however that could be a metaphor for his rigid and fascist nature. However when Ofelia escapes from her room using the chalk, it has to be real as there are no other exits for her to take, meaning the fantasy events were indeed real, unless she did find another exit we didn’t see.
What is the significance of Ofelia’s name?
Her name is greek, and it translates to Helper and Aid, and since she helps and aids several characters like Mercedes and The Baby, it seems fitting.
If the movie thematically holds rebellion and choices to be primary themes, how does Ofelia rebel and choose her destiny?
She rebels against the real world by travelling between the fantasy world and the real world. As well she rebels against Vidal and his direct orders so that she can help people. She also rebels against the faun at the end, even though it means she can’t go to the underworld.
What Transgressions thought the film does Ofelia Perform? How do they effect the plot?
Ofelia ends up ruining her dress, the start of her transgressions after she deals with the frog. This could be seen as her rebelling against Vidal’s control without realising it.
Once Ofelia takes her brother, she is living up to her name as a helper, and rebels against Vidal once again but on a more personal level, removing family from him
Why is Captain Vidal Invested so much into Time and his watch.
It serves two purposes, both as a reminder of Vidal’s control, as time is the most controlling thing there is, and as a reminder of his father, who he wishes to one up.
Does Vidal genuinely Love Ofelia’s mother?
No, he only cares to an extent since she is carrying his son, once she dies he doesn’t care. A man seemingly without emotion.
Does Vidal possess some sympathetic qualities?
Vidal is seemingly a one note villain who is malicious and without emotion, however towards the end, he shows some emotion where he seems saddened and shocked when he’s told his son won’t be told about his existence.
Why does Vidal seemingly despise Ofelia’s and her Mother’s penchant for fantasy?
Because it isn’t something he can control, the limit is their imagination, it plays into his want to control. Furthermore it’s seen as childish and he has no room for childish behaviour in his vision and world.
Who is Pan?
Pan is the Greek god of the forest,
Why is the Faun called Pan in the English version?
Seemingly to tie into the name of the film, with the Faun also having wood and earth like elements being apart of his body, as if he where made up of parts of a forest. Furthermore he does carry a pan flute.
Are we the viewers meant to trust the Faun?
No, intentionally the faun’s true desires are left a mystery, and especially towards the end when he tells Ofelia to kill her younger brother, we loose trust in the faun.
What is the meaning of the Pale Man?
The Pale man is meant to represent the greedy and monstrous white man, with his greed being personified with the banquet no one can touch and his monstrous side shown with the piles of children’s shoes, drawing similarities with the holocaust.
Furthermore, the pale man echoes some of Vidal’s personality traits and monstrous side, which is made more apparent with the banquet scene where Vidal is in as similar position at the table while talking about rationing the villagers.
Why doesn’t Mercedes simply off the captain when she has the chance?
Either to show that she isn’t a monster like he is, or more likely to show him that he is a monster by turning him into one with the joker like cut on his face.
The monster side of him is shown as he starts to sow it back together.
In terms of rebellion and choice how does Mercedes choose to rebel?
She rebels from the inside, by acting as a mole and insider for the rebels. She rebels in secrecy, but towards the end she’s more blatant about it by directly attacking Vidal.
She rebels against her male oppressor as both a rebel against Vidal’s fascist regime and against Vidal’s toxic masculinity as a woman.
