Pan's Labirythn Discusion (spoilers involved)

[ThaSaltCracka]

Hey All,

I know many of you have seen this movie already, including our esteemed overload El D. Of course I liked it as well.

Anyways, I am sure there are several topics from the movie worth discussing. Some of the stuff I don't understand, some I do.

As soon as the movie ended, I immediately thought this movie had several connections to Christianity and Christs life. One being, life after death, in a kingdom which could be described as heaven. In this movies specific case, the main character is God's sibling. Also, the main character gave her life for others. Pretty amazing stuff really. So I am wondering does anyone else feel the same way? I found it quite profound actually.

Another question, and this is one I asked in the OOT thread. What was the story with the evil child eater thingy? What purpose did it serve? Is there a backstory, maybe one based in Spanish Folklore? I also mentioned that I had a hard time trusting the Faun during the movie and when I saw all the kids shoes in the evil dudes room, I thought he sent her there to die. Was this just a trick by the director?

The third question. Did she just imagine the whole thing? Or were parts of it dreams since the main portions of the "fantasy" tales happened at night? A little strange if you ask me, especially since the tree story happened during the day.

last question, Since the labirythn was real, what was with the hole in the ground? Was it based on some ancient civilization in spain or something.

Sorry if these are dumb questions, feel free to bring something new to the table.

[dknightx]

i dont understand the part where she, instead of opening the middle lock, opened the lock on the left, and still was able to get the "correct" item.

my vote is that it was all in her head ... one reason is because when the evil dude came to kill her, the camera from his angle did not show the girl talking to the faun, just to herself.

[pete fabrizio]

I liked this movie up until the scene with the guy with eyes on his hands. I liked how she disobeyed the fairies and got the knife. And then when she ate the food, I thought she did it on purpose so that she could kill the monster, and that would be the real test -- like whether she had the will and courage to break the rules in order to save lives. It just didn't make sense why she would be so dumb otherwise.

Oh and it was too violent.

[Georgia Avenue]

I agree I think it was supposed to be all in her head, Dancer in the Dark-style. I mean, I know there's ambiguity, but I think that the director's point could be that people triumphing over evil in the real world by working together for justice is the real magic.

Also, I loved the scene where she's eating grapes and that monster is coming after her...It's sick that she'd create a fantasy world where she sets herself up to fail and be berated for acting like an idiot.

Lots of penetration in this movie don't you think? People getting stabbed and stuck with needles and sewing themselves back together and sticking their fingers or bodies in tiny holes and cupboards.

What can it mean I don't know?
--GA

[JaBlue]

Here are my takes on your questions:

[ QUOTE ]


As soon as the movie ended, I immediately thought this movie had several connections to Christianity and Christs life. One being, life after death, in a kingdom which could be described as heaven. In this movies specific case, the main character is God's sibling. Also, the main character gave her life for others. Pretty amazing stuff really. So I am wondering does anyone else feel the same way? I found it quite profound actually.


[/ QUOTE ]

I took the ending as "the girl is imagining herself living forever in the kingdom but she actually just dies" because of when she's holding the baby, talking to Pan, and general sees her but not the faun. I felt like the movie took place in two different realms: that of reality as represented by everyone except the girl, and that of faerie tales as represented by her adventures. Of course there was the introduction that seems to imply that the world of faerie tales is actually here, but I still think that in the movie's reality the girl just dies.

[ QUOTE ]

I had a hard time trusting the Faun during the movie and when I saw all the kids shoes in the evil dudes room, I thought he sent her there to die. Was this just a trick by the director?


[/ QUOTE ]
I think part of Pan's appeal is that its impossible to know whether or not to trust him. The girl's whole imagination and the part of the movie coming from this is based on trust in faerie tales.

[ QUOTE ]

The third question. Did she just imagine the whole thing? Or were parts of it dreams since the main portions of the "fantasy" tales happened at night? A little strange if you ask me, especially since the tree story happened during the day.


[/ QUOTE ]
I think the girl was imagining everything. That doesn't make it any less real for her, though, and since she never had the chance to outgrow her imagination like the maid and her mom, it doesn't matter [for her].
something new to the table.

[/ QUOTE ]

[Alobar]

[ QUOTE ]
i dont understand the part where she, instead of opening the middle lock, opened the lock on the left, and still was able to get the "correct" item.

[/ QUOTE ]

I figure it meant she was the "chosen one". Like she knew which one to pick even tho the fairys effed it up.

Personally I think the whole thing was in her head. It makes much more sense and I think makes the whole thing a much better movie. It also jives more with the feel of the movie. I mean the whole movie is shot so dark and violent, and the fantasy being a fantasy fits in more with that.

I really want to (and should) watch it again before I argue either side tho. I think a second viewing specifically watching with that particular theme (real or not real) in mind would be very illuminating.

[ThaSaltCracka]

[ QUOTE ]
i dont understand the part where she, instead of opening the middle lock, opened the lock on the left, and still was able to get the "correct" item.


[/ QUOTE ]

Forgot this part. I think this may be another part of the movie where the director is trying to trick us into thinking the Faun was bad. Also, any speculation on what would happen if she picked the wrong item?

[ThaSaltCracka]

if you think its all in her head, do you think the made up characters are based on people in her real life?

[pete fabrizio]

[ QUOTE ]
I agree I think it was supposed to be all in her head, Dancer in the Dark-style. I mean, I know there's ambiguity, but I think that the director's point could be that people triumphing over evil in the real world by working together for justice is the real magic.

Also, I loved the scene where she's eating grapes and that monster is coming after her...It's sick that she'd create a fantasy world where she sets herself up to fail and be berated for acting like an idiot.

Lots of penetration in this movie don't you think? People getting stabbed and stuck with needles and sewing themselves back together and sticking their fingers or bodies in tiny holes and cupboards.

What can it mean I don't know?
--GA

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't think it's all in her head, as there's too much supernatural stuff that has real effects, but the movie obviously tries to walk that line. The fact that it's subtle and only witnessed by the girl I think is just standard "there's magic in the world that we're too caught up in our adult troubles to see" stuff. I.e., I think it's supposed to be a real fairy tale, but it's still important that no one notices.

[Wires]

I don't think there is any doubt that the fantasy world takes place in the child's imagination.

Ofelia is forced to live in a terrifying military compound where her mother is dying and her new father, the Captain, is a sadistic maniac. Ofelia is horrified by this and is powerless to do anything about it. She creates a fantasy world not only as an escape but as a way of regaining control over her environment. As challenging as the quests may be there is never any doubt that she will succeed.

Over one of their first nights at the compound Ofelia rests her head on her mother's belly and recites the fairy tale about the princess to her unborn brother.

All of Ofelia's quests are a continuation of the original princess story. The faun reveals to Ofelia that she is the princess from her fantasy and she must complete three quests in order to return to her kingdom. Once there she and her mother will be safe.

I never considered the fantasy world to be anything more than her imagination. I think the final scene where she is talking to the faun reveals makes this clear.