Pan's Labyrinth Flashcards
What year did the Spanish Civil War occur?
1936-1939
Who was the dictator that ruled Spain after the Spanish Civil War?
Francisco Franco
What political ideologies did the people of Spain turn to in response to Franco’s regime?
- Socialism
- Communism
- Anarchism
What was the estimated number of deaths caused by Franco’s regime?
Approximately 250,000
What does Captain Vidal represent in the context of the film?
A substitute for Franco
What does the Doctor represent in the film?
The people
What is the significance of the lighting on Captain Vidal’s face?
It reflects his political views
What was Franco’s political ideology characterized by?
A mixture of political authoritarianism and conservative Catholicism
What does Del Toro aim to highlight through the film?
The forgotten stories of those resisting paternalistic ideology
In what year was the Law of Historical Memory passed?
2007
What was the purpose of the Law of Historical Memory?
To resurrect the memory of those killed in the struggle and eliminate symbols of Francoism
What does the Pact of Forgetting refer to?
A political decision to avoid confronting Franco’s legacy after his death
What significant event occurred on July 17-18, 1936?
A military coup aimed at halting political democracy
What were the three key factors that contributed to the Spanish Civil War?
- Uneven levels of development within Spain
- The role of the church
- The role of the military
What does the phrase ‘años de hambre’ refer to?
The years of hunger in Spain during Franco’s regime
What does Ofelia’s character represent in the film?
A critique of conformity and fascist order
What does the toad symbolize in the film?
The Francoist regime sucking the life out of Spain
In the context of the film, what does the Pale Man represent?
The Catholic Church and its oppressive nature
What is the significance of the dinner party scene?
It highlights the inequality and hypocrisy within Franco’s regime
What is the relationship between Captain Vidal and the concept of toxic masculinity?
Vidal embodies an extreme form of masculinity that rejects femininity
Fill in the blank: The film was released in _______.
2006
What visual technique does Del Toro use to represent the past in the opening sequence?
Anticlockwise camera roll
True or False: The film Pan’s Labyrinth is set during a time of political stability in Spain.
False
What is the significance of the watch in Captain Vidal’s character?
It symbolizes his obsession with order and his father’s legacy
What does the phrase ‘God has already saved their souls’ imply in the film?
The indifference of the Catholic Church towards the suffering of the oppressed
What does Ofelia’s rejection of the dress symbolize?
A rejection of prescribed femininity and conformity
What does the imagery of the tree in the Toad sequence represent?
Ofelia’s mother’s fragile condition and impending puberty
How does Del Toro visually differentiate the fantasy world from the real world?
Using warm colors for fantasy and cold colors for reality
What does the fireplace behind the Pale Man symbolize?
A connection to the oppressive nature of the Catholic Church
What challenges the pact of forgetting in Pan’s Labyrinth?
The aftermath
The aftermath refers to the consequences and memories of the fascist regime that persist despite attempts to forget.
How is the geometry of the Pale Man’s dining room similar to Vidal’s?
Both are long rectangles with a chimney at the back and the monster at the head of the table.
What does the fireplace behind the Pale Man symbolize?
Aesthetics of womanhood used in the fantasy world.
What does the fireplace behind Vidal represent?
Aesthetics of fascism, connoting order and control.
What could the crackling fire imagery represent?
The serpent from Adam and Eve alongside Hell.
What does the Pale Man do to the fairies?
Bites their heads off, linking to the painting of ‘Satan devouring his son.’
What do the eyes in the palm of the Pale Man symbolize?
Vidal’s (and Franco’s) surveillance and control.
What does restricted vision suggest about Vidal?
He is incapable of seeing beyond his narrow worldview.
What drives all monsters in Pan’s Labyrinth?
An unrestrained appetite for greed and power.
What does the hourglass symbolize in the film?
Womanhood.
What act of disobedience does Ofelia commit?
She eats the food she was told not to eat.
What does Ofelia’s act of disobedience link to?
The idea of the Spanish starving and the risk of eating a simple grape.
What does Vidal’s staggering gait and outstretched hand mirror?
The Pale Man chasing after Ofelia.
How does Vidal’s monstrosity shift throughout the film?
From internal to external, exposing his inner evil.
What does Del Toro say about disobedience?
It is a virtue, while blind obedience is a sin.
What is Ofelia’s ultimate act of disobedience?
Refusing to kill her brother.
How can the ending of Pan’s Labyrinth be interpreted?
- It’s in Ofelia’s head.
- The fantasy world is real.
What does Del Toro’s open ending encode?
A democratic ideology allowing audience interpretation.
What does Ofelia’s rejection of Vidal signify?
Her defiance against the brutality of the fascist state.
What does the cold blue color palette represent?
The harsh brutality of fascist rule.
How does Mercedes challenge Vidal’s patriarchal legacy?
By destroying his ego of handing down his legacy.
What is confirmed about Vidal’s moral blindness in his death?
Even after being shot, his eye rolls back and fills with blood.
What motif does Del Toro use throughout Pan’s Labyrinth?
Eyes and sight.
What can the meaning of eyes and sight be interpreted as?
- Revisiting the past through Ofelia’s perspective.
- Confronting the horrors of the past.
- Signifying moral blindness.
- Representing surveillance of the fascist regime.
What does Mercedes singing a lullaby to Ofelia signify?
Ofelia being reborn.
What intertextual reference does Del Toro make to The Wizard of Oz?
Dorothy’s red shoes.
What does Ofelia’s rebirth symbolize?
Her return to her mother and father in the underworld.
What does the warm golden color palette represent?
The replacement of the cold blue aesthetic of the real world.
What is the significance of the circular windows behind Ofelia’s father?
Reinforcing the aesthetic of womanhood in the fantasy world.
What does Del Toro describe the story as?
The story of a girl who gives birth to herself as she wants to be.
What bond do Mercedes and Ofelia form?
A mother and daughter bond.
What does the death of the toad represent?
The rebirth of the tree and Spain after fascism.
