About the reality of the soul

Rating: 8/10 (18 December 2013)

Most people seem to be accepting the notion that the girl's fantasy world is a form of compensation and/or escape mechanism for/from the brutal world that surrounds her, but there is much more to it! Those familiar with psychoanalysis, and mainly Jung's deep psychology will recognize a plethora of symbols in the film's images, from lingams to mandalas, archetypical characters like the king and the queen and so on. But what has touched me the strongest is the solemnity and depth of the words pronounced by an unseen priest (?) at some moments, about fate and the wisdom and mercy of God. Some of the most basic religious issues are present in the movie (even the forbidden fruit), as is Jung's concept of individualization. Del Toro wanted to make us think about these issues; the movie is not a contraposition of reality vs fantasy, but an insight into the human mind/soul, and that reminds me of a quote from Herzog's Fitzcarraldo: "life is a succession of illusions (including violence, I say) that won't allow us to perceive the reality of dreams".