Obedience, Fairy Tales, and Trauma

Rating: 8/10 (25 May 2019)

If nothing else, Pan's Labyrinth is bold. Bold in its choice to subvert the fairy tale, bold to use its impressive but unconventional effects, and bold in its commitment to always keeping you on your toes.
But this boldness is not without substance. This is a sad story - there can be no doubt about that. But why? In the end, I think, it comes down to its theme of obedience. Throughout the film, obedience (or the lack thereof) is explored: from Ofelia's constant disobedience to her mother and the faun to the guerillas in the forest continuing to resist, despite their loss in the civil war. We root for these people, and admire their resistance. But always it is punished. This is what makes the film so heartbreaking. Even when victory comes, there is always a bittersweet tinge. There is no better example of this than in the final scene. Ofelia disobeys the captain by not allowing him to take her brother, and is shot for it. Yet, even in death, she resists, believing wholeheartedly that she has done her duty and will live with her mother and father as a princess forever.
This brings me to a final point - my interpretation. I believe that the entire magical world was a coping mechanism for Ofelia's miserable situation. This is shown during Ofelia's last encounter with the faun when the film cuts to the captain's perspective, and he sees nothing as well as with the film's emphasis on the bottle of red fluid that explains why Ofelia's mother recovered - not because of the mandrake root. This interpretation may be ridiculous or widely known. I haven't researched it. This is simply mine.
Thank you for your time.