Mythology Overload! : Pan's Labyrinth

 

Life has been tough lately, but what's better than a short break with a Guillermo del Toro film? What's even better is a fantasy film to lighten up the mood! It's more like a distraction from the flood of depressive waves of adulthood and the harsh realities of life, which haven't helped one bit with the words slipping through my fingers recently. 

After watching Pan's Labyrinth, recommended by a friend, I was left with some thoughts and unanswered questions that led me to do more research. This is neither a critique, since I don't quite count myself as a movie critic, nor a reviewer. I'll be sharing my thoughts on the storyline, some characters, symbolism, and, of course, a few mythological references that I feel need to be discussed to further understand this movie. Without further ado, let's have a quick recap of the plot of the movie before talking about the details! 

Warning, spoilers ahead. 

The Plot 

Pan's Labyrinth is set in 1930s fascist Spain during the Civil War. It tells the story of an 11-year-old called Ofelia who, despite the others around her, believes in fairytales. The belief that will lead to a change in her fate later in the movie. In my opinion, the genius in this movie lies in the spectacular blend of the world of fairy tales and myth with the gruesome realities of a society at war. 

After a long journey with her sickly mother, she meets up with her cold-blooded, cruel stepfather, who is a military captain capturing rebels fighting the fascist Spanish government of the time. Her mother, who's sick with pregnancy, would be her companion for a short while, but her stepfather's abusive and controlling nature would later disturb their short-lived serenity together. Amid the chaos, Ofelia, derived from a childish fantasy of the fairy world, is led by a stick bug (later revealed to be a fairy) to a labyrinth close to their place of residence. In the middle of the maze, she walks down a stone staircase and meets a faun. He reveals a shocking fact to Ofelia: that she is the reincarnation of the missing princess of the underworld who fled her home and died in the mortal realm. To return to the underworld and her real father, she's given three tasks by the Faun to complete: first, retrieve a golden key by destroying a monstrous toad living in a dying fig tree; steal a dagger from the pale man; and spill an innocent's blood. Ofelia is obliged to complete all three tasks without any mistakes to prove herself as the rightful princess of the underworld and return to the immortal realm, her father's kingdom. 

the labyrinth 

Before discussing the details of the tasks, let's talk about the labyrinth. The deep-rooted Greek mythology references in this movie don't escape the labyrinth itself. In Greek mythology, the labyrinth of Crete was built by Daedalus, commissioned by King Minos of Knossos. It was built for 2 purposes only: to contain the ferocious minotaur and to feed him human flesh. King Minos taxed Athens in order to get 7 young men and maidens every year and release them into the labyrinth for the minotaur to feed on them. Long story short, Theseus, son of King Aegeus, sails to Crete and kills the Minotaur with the help of Ariadne, King Minos' daughter. 

The labyrinth made by Daedalus was so complicated that nobody could enter with confidence, not even Daedalus himself. The labyrinth in the movie is no different, as Ofelia is warned to stay away from the labyrinth or she'd get lost. In contrast to Theseus, Ofelia had no Ariadne with magical thread and was led by a fairy into the labyrinth and eventually made it to the middle of the labyrinth, where she followed the fairy and walked down a stone staircase to meet with the faun. 

The labyrinth was not the major conflict, but the first conflict that leads Ofelia to bigger conflicts also could symbolize Ofelia's state of mind. Being the stepdaughter of a brutal captain who kills rebels as a hobby was never chosen by her nor wanted. Ofelia is constantly finding a way to spend more time with her mother and finding peace within her drastically deteriorated lifestyle. the peace that she finally finds with Mercedes, the housekeeper, who repeatedly warns her about the Faun and the labyrinth whenever Ofelia talks about them. Nevertheless, the labyrinth could stand for the disobedience and the complexity of her childish mind about the fairytale fantasies she had chosen to live by. Furthermore, the labyrinth is a stand-in for her free will and the road she's taken to cope with the circumstances coinciding with the gruesome realities of the Spain of the time. 

Guillermo del Toro doesn't fail to induce more ambiguity into the movie by utilizing a labyrinth to introduce more characters and realities/dreams to haunt Ofelia. With regard to the dark background of the Daedalus' labyrinth and the cinematography of the scenes, it's hard to not think of it as a trap for a little kid who's seeking for something to fill in the holes of her heart with. And honestly, with a faun showing up in the middle of the maze, it doesn't help the feeling at all.

The Faun 

Before debating the faun, it's necessary to discuss Pan, Faun, and their differences. Needless to say, the character introduced as Faun in the movie appears to be widely embedded in Greek and Roman mythology with partial differences. "Faun" and "Pan" come from distinct origins. Faun is a Roman rural deity; Pan, on the other hand, is the Greek god of shepherds and nature. Both deities love music and play instruments like panpipes. 

In terms of appearance, both pan and faun are half-goat, half-man creatures with the legs, hooves, and horns of a goat but the torso of a man. In contrast, in terms of behaviour, Pans are known as tricksters; they're lustful, sometimes fearsome, and known for sexual exploits, chasing after the nymphs given the chance. The faun is thought to be generally gentle and humble, less wild and more restrained. 

The primary difference in appearance between the Greek mythology faun and the faun in the movie is that, in Pan's Labyrinth, the faun's body is made of forest except for the face, which resembles a goat's with huge horns. He has roots for legs instead of a goat's, and his body is covered in shrubbery and moss. A somewhat unsettling fact about this character is that throughout the movie we witness a drastic change in the faun's appearance. At the beginning of the movie, the faun appears old with grey and saggy skin. His movements are uncertain and shaky. His voice is weak and unsteady, and his eyes are cloudy, giving him a blind look. As the movie progresses, the Faun gradually looks younger and more vibrant. His skin looks less wrinkled, and his eyes are clear to a light blue. His voice is more confident, and his movements are steadier. By the climax of the movie, he's youthful and persistent compared to his first appearance. He talks to Ofelia in an almost upright manner and orders her around. 

The fan's transformation and appearance are entirely symbolic. His lack of human properties showcases the "good" in him and the fact that he's originally the God of nature and forests. Moreover, similarly as nature could be both nurturing and menacing, faun can be interpreted as both good and evil. His initial look adds to his untrustworthiness and Ofelia's fear of him, but in the end his youthfulness gives courage to Ofelia to take on all her tasks. 

The Faun aging backwards parallels Ofelia's journey from childhood to adulthood. Just like Ofelia, who's undergoing great physical and psychological change, the faun is mimicking her ability of transformation, just like nature itself and the cycle of life and death, and goes on and on forever, either in nature or in human beings. 

Although the movie's English title translates into Pan's Labyrinth, the Spanish title is "El Laberinto del Fauno." In the movie the faun is never called Pan, as he introduces himself as a faun. Del Toro, the director, has claimed that this translation was chosen for marketing purposes and has nothing to do with the Faun being a Pan, since Pans are known to be tricksters and playful with a desire to destroy rather than care.

Ambiguity in Pan's Labyrinth 

Pan's Labyrinth is rich with ambiguity. from the nature of the faun to the world Ofelia lives in. The story concludes with an ambiguous ending, leaving us with a dozen interpretations. 

Is Faun a blessing in disguise? 

As we get to know Faun throughout the movie, despite his claims, he doesn't quite come off as the benevolent guide he bluffs about. His contradictory nature really does leave the audience in a state of doubt, as his motivations stay unclear until the end of the movie. It's hard to pinpoint whether he's a good or evil character, and the audience can never be certain whether he's helping Ofelia to prove her royalty or misleading her. 

The multidimensional characters and different symbols introduce more moral ambiguity as Ofelia gets closer to the faun. As mentioned earlier, Ofelia meets him when he peeks out of the dark somewhere in the middle of the labyrinth after she calls Echo's name. Del Toro creates this eerie atmosphere with perfect colour symbolism, so the faun could easily be seen as a manipulator rather than a guide. Towards the end of the movie, the Faun appears in Ofelia's bedroom. They no longer meet either at the labyrinth or in the forest. Considering the gullible nature of a child and a faun's not-so-bright mythological backgrounds, it's really hard to tell if the faun is entirely benevolent or malevolent by the end of the movie.

There are numerous little Easter eggs in this movie that have a Mythic or folkloric inspirations that simply can't be wrapped up in one blog. so do come back for part two where I'll focus more on Ofelia's trials and her journey.