Pan's Labyrinth: Typical Fantasy Genre

Rating: 8/10 (30 May 2014)

Pan's Labyrinth is a typical fantasy film because the element of imagination brought forth was extremely unique and the plot was one of a kind. The film follows little girl, Ofelia, who travels with her expecting mother to live with her mother's new spouse in a rustic area up North in Spain, 1944, after Franco's victory. Ofelia has to perform three tasks in order to not become a mortal and again be with her family from another realm. Pan's Labyrinth kept me quite entertained and excited to see what was going to happen next. For example, Ofelia noticed the fairy in the woods, while driving to the Captains house; simply because the land she once lived in had been waiting for her to bring her back home to her father, who in Ofelia's human reality passed away. Many portals had been set up in the human world to allow her to cross back to her original family.
The continuity editing of this film did not allow for any distractions for smooth transactions from scene to scene. Also, eye- line match allowed for the viewer to see what Ofelia was from her point of view, which made the film feel more realistic, as if you were actually in the scene. The continuous sound of the fairies allowed for Ofelia and the viewer to know when they were in near proximities. Ofelia's lullaby that she asked Mercedes to sing played throughout the film. Mercedes admits to not remembering the words so she hums it to Ofelia, and after that it is calming when heard, for instance when Ofelia dies by the hands of the Captain and makes the ultimate sacrifice with her own blood rather than her innocent baby brother's blood. Hard light was used in the Captain's home, which gave the effect that he was the bad guy in this film and in the scenes with the Faun. Soft light was utilized for the outdoor scenes, in the bedrooms and the middle realms where Ofelia had to perform some of her tasks. The perspective shots used in this film are zoom shots and shallow focus, especially in the scene with the Pale Man. Many camera positions are used in this film: bird's eye view, high angle, eye-level angle, and point of view shot. The majority of the camera distances were medium long shot and medium close-up; this effect allows the viewer to be right there with all the action and mystery of the film. Crane shot was used during the first scene, panning is used throughout, and steadicam shot is utilized for the action scenes in the woods. The representation of the Spanish Civil War was a social context that was present in this film. Ofelia's mother married Captain Vidal and they had just moved into his house because the Captain wanted his son to be born in his presence. The film, also, was a foreign film, spoken in Spanish. The meaning of the film, Pan's Labyrinth, is that there may be more than meets the eye; what you see on the surface is not even close to what lies beneath. If we can allow ourselves to have an open mind, the world we see so clearly has so many hidden treasures, portals, secrets, lies, and wonders. There are many realms we have been to, not just this human life, and when we open our minds to see, feel, and hear, we will know the truth is far more than we will ever know. This film was very enjoyable because the fantasy and imagination displayed does not allow for the viewer to know what is going to happen next. The plot, purpose, and adventure are unlike any I have ever seen. I would recommend Pan's Labyrinth to all audiences who can understand, preferably over the age of 13. I rate this film 8 out of 10.