Father-absent series: Pan's Labyrinth

Rating: 9/10 (15 June 2010)

When the good doctor asked him why he was so sure his unborn baby was a boy, he simply said "Don't mess with me." He deliberately instructed the doctor to save the baby if the childbirth goes into trouble. He regularly gains strength and faith from a cracked watch left by his father, who broke the watch to acknowledge the child his time of death. Upon defeated, his final wish is the same of his father's, but was answered by "He(the baby boy) won't even know your name" and a bullet in the face. It was a demise the audiences felt he deserved much earlier because he's a perfect Nazi, spreading inhuman evil with his dreading presence. He likes to sense with you, but prefers more striking demonstrations which advertise his insane ego. Ladies and gentlemen, you've seen evil fathers, but you haven't seen something so implying as a father, even he's practically only a stepfather.
This review intends to explore how the "absence of father" can affect stories, human minds and essentially, our souls. Please also refer to other reviews in "Father-absent series".
If the ways of our fathers were wrong, do we have a way to know it and for some chances to defy it? I tend to doubt that. C.S.Lewis said in his book The Problem of Pain that humans as we are today are not quite the same species the creator made in the first place because somehow we chose to fall from original grace. Dealing with terms of spiritual world, true definition of purity and innocence and co-existence of heaven's way and human's way, Pan's labyrinth is quite a special movie. When this movie was spreading to Asia back in 2007, the public was shocked by the sheer aesthetic value as well as a very poignant, equally brutal and fairy feeling attached to this unique experience. However, the critics, professors and young graduates alike also fell into a debate as what on earth was the director Del Toro wanted to tell us. I respect all the theories that can make their own senses, which I have no intention to dive into today. What I feel compelled to find out is the movie's implications on a higher level.
Despite the movie's offer of high production values especially those great nature views, the visuals are all wrapped by a haunting loneliness, helplessness and confusion. Ofelia's father died in the bombing, her mother was forced to marry a monster for surviving. The only real father she got was in the children's book. Despite all the goodwill from this fantasy-inspired, heavenly-crowned God-like father, his runner/servant-angel was a "Pan", who talks in riddles and assign Ofelia with dangerous missions to return to heaven's heritage. Even the most warm-hearted woman around couldn't get a grasp of what's really happening to Ofelia, not to mention those self-crowned, tyrannical men. It's never this clear a message, "there are no men anymore in this world but male monsters in men's shape". Translated into my real world, am I really so different from Captain Vidal? For the record, I don't kill people like having breakfast, and I don't torture people like enjoying butter on a toast. No, I've killed no one with my hands, but I've killed in my mind. Why? Because I am a male human. I loved to allow my anger to rape my sadness, awkwardness and goodwill to apologize and rebuild relationships. It's been years for me, decades for my father, thousands of years for talented Oriental men looking for a perfect flag to devote our blood to and worship our egos in. More importantly, I, like Captain Vidal himself, enjoyed the temporary alliance of my ancestors' honor and my own pride, thus also the power and justification to reign over weaker, more obedient groups. That's the lawful way to grow your pride and ego, and to carry on one's family line especially in traditional Oriental families. Ironically, as a Christian now, I still feel the need to grow in this way sometimes, and often felt beaten by womanizers and smarter people who I tend to look down upon. Luckily, now I know it's a dead road, a highway to the hell.
Captain Vidal's army was triumphed over by brave guerrillas, but his way of killing wasn't. Of the worldly terms, Ofelia doesn't have to save his baby brother from anyone because no one intends to kill him. Of worldly terms, Ofelia died a foolish death, a death so fatefully descends upon her just like the male monster Vidal always have wanted. Pan's final task for Ofelia was far less difficult in physical terms, but intrinsically more difficult for a species that already betrayed its creator. I tend to believe it's not Ofelia's love for her little brother that bought her a ticket to heaven. I believe it's Ofelia's decision to let the heavenly father's way to carry on her rather than the world's way, as illustrated by all the explosions in the backdrop.
In the end, one side is the haunting escalation of violence. The survivors only have the chance to sob upon the dead, after all the bullets hit their destinations, after all the people killed the ones they wanted to kill. On the other side, Ofelia reclaimed princess and reunion with her family. It's only a movie of course, so I don't see the necessity to go into debates as "which side is essentially the reality".But for real,is there a heaven? do we believers reunion in heaven? I think it's a question better asked when one's got experience, wealth, health, reasons, intelligence all striped down to zero. It's a question better asked when one has a Bible in his hand which one can turn to Gospel of John chapter 14 verse 2 to 3. It's also a question better asked when one's willing to let our heavenly father's spirit, his way and truth running inside one's soul.