The film Pan’s Labyrinth, has several common concepts with Joseph Campbell’s theory on heroes in Hero with a Thousand Faces. His theory emphasizes on tests that show their moral and basic instincts for the rite of passage to their threshold, in this case, the underworld. Campbell’s theory is a concept that surrounds an individual’s journey to heroism. This concept pertains to Ophelia due to her circumstances as a child who ventures out on thresholds, tests, and so forth. Campbell’s depiction relates to Ophelia as he describes the levels in which one must attain and accept as a female heroine. Furthermore, his theory exaggerates on the making of a hero to the resurrection in terms of physical and spiritual transformation. Ophelia’s character depicts a hero who has been resurrected as a human. Thus, she begins her journey to cross the threshold, “pass from the everyday world in the world of adventure,” (Campbell). There are many stages in the film that depicts Ophelia’s introduction to the stages of being a hero. More so, it focuses on tasks, which Ophelia must pass or fail in order to determine her role in the film; Princess of the Underworld or just a human soul. This is lead by the faun who simply reassures a place of ‘paradise’ for Ophelia only with her cooperation to listen and follow her morals.
In many ways, Ophelia is interpreted as a hero who has set out to test her moral skills and at the end it is determined whether she has passed the tests in order to “define the hero’s role in society,” (Campbell). There were three tasks all together, first was to receive a key; second, follow instructions to get a dagger; and third was facing a monster; Captain Vidal. The ultimate test Ophelia faced was shown at the end of the fi...
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...sychologically mind altering like the Pale Man, where fear was challenged. Ophelia’s adventure through the threshold, tests, and death holds significance to the film and meaning. The hero’s return to the threshold is basically what Campbell refers to as a resurrection of the hero who returns to her royal placement as Princess of the Underworld. Even with her final task of initiation, her obedience to the faun failed but the test was accomplished because of her self-sacrifice. She proved her selfless act of heroism instead of spilling the blood of her beloved brother. Hence, this is considered a spiritual journey/transformation for the hero as she is initiated to the rite of passage; the Underworld. The final scene is more of a positive transition from the human world to a different realm that praises Ophelia (the hero) for her self-sacrifice and loving nature.
Pans Labyrinth directed by Guillmero Del Toro is presented in a way that creates meaning through audio and visual elements. This essay will examine these techniques within the opening sequence of the film that introduces the protagonist, motifs, themes and overall aesthetic of the film as well as discussing the sequence in the overall context of the film. This sequence incorporates elements such as music, non digetic and digetic sound, camera framing/angle and movement techniques, colour, lighting and editing to establish a diverse range of interpretations. Throughout Pan's Labyrinth, there are several contrasting factors all introduced in the opening three minutes. The sequence first defines the kind of story that Pan's Labyrinth is, a childs book and a sort of sinister fairytale. Then the following elements are juxtaposed., adulthood and childhood, cruel reality and imagination, and a kind of heaven is contrasted with a type of hell, these elements are all incoperated into the picturebook like imagery. This essay will analyse the opening sequence of Pans Labyrinth in depth, using film techniques as evidence.
Pan’s Labyrinth (2006) written and directed by Guillermo del Toro is a dark fantasy film that uses fantasy and inspired true events of the after effects of the Spanish Civil War to create a symbolic parable that was influenced by fairy tales and myths. Even though this film is explicitly about the times during Franco it is also a film that can speak for any time period, past, present, and future. Through the use of phantasmagorical elements in the fantasy sequences del Toro uses doubling to reinforce the horrific events that have and can happen again in reality. The film takes place five years after the Spanish Civil War during Francisco Franco’s reign of terror. The story focuses on Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) as well as Ofelia’s evil stepfather, Captain Vidal (Sergi Lopez). Both characters represent something bigger than they actually are; Ofelia is seen to represent Spain and the antifascists whereas Captain Vidal represents Franco and fascism. Ofelia has to complete three daunting tasks given to her by the Faun (Doug Jones) that is said to reunite her with her family, the King and Queen of the Underworld. Del Toro uses doubling of the mythical realm with the ‘real world’ throughout the film that emphasizes the underlying meaning of the film. The film also follows the story of the anti-fascists rebels that are hidden amongst the trees and mountains. The character Mercedes (Maribel Verdu) is able to fool Captain Vidal for most of the film and help the rebels. It is not until the near end of the film where Captain Vidal realizes that Mercedes has been helping the rebels the entire time and it is due partly because of his misogyny that he is unable to see her as a threat to his cause.
"Pan 's Labyrinth" is directed by Guillermo del Toro, is a magical realism drama. The screen shows the magical world of bizarre situations, a fictional out of Pluto 's daughter "Ophelia" to roam the world. To 1944 as the background, the fascist murder of guerrilla fighters as a real-world story. The whole film myth and reality are intertwined, is a complete metaphor and reflection on the Spanish civil war. One side is the little girl innocent fairy tale, while the Nazis are inhuman torture and slaughter. Two living scenes intertwined in a film, brings out a moral and human conflict. This is the child to see everything in the eyes, and what we see, it seems that the other world.
Pan’s Labyrinth. (2006) Directed by Guillermo Del Toro. [Film] Spain: Tequila Gang, Warner Bro. Is set 1944 Spain after the civil war led by Franco. The film can be seen as a dark fairy tale fantasy with elements of violence. The film’s narrative is set between the real world and fantasy. The film is set around Ofelia, who is the main character we follow her journey as she is forced to move in with the Captain who is fighting a regime. It centres on Ofelia completing tasks that are set by a mysterious faun who believes that Ofelia is Princess Moanna from the underworld. I believe Pan Labyrinth focuses on many themes within the film I love how the director has so many hidden messages within the different themes.
Guillermo del Toro was born in Guadalajara Jalisco, Mexico and was raised by his Catholic grandmother. He had an interest in filmmaking at a young age but learned about special effects and makeup first. In 1993, del Toro got his career break with Cronos after it won nine academy awards in Mexico (Guillermo del Toro). Soon after, del Toro created his first Hollywood film, Mimic. Unfortunately, del Toro describes Mimic as the worst film he has ever made and the hardest to work on due to constant interruptions by producers. He returned to Mexico in order to form his own production company, greatly disliking the demanding Hollywood studios (Guillermo del Toro). Del Toro is well known for his films in the horror genre and his love for dark beauty
This shows once again the elements of a tragic play. You can also see the innocence of Ophelia throughout the play. She tried to remain loyal to each of the three men she loved, and it ended up costing her life. However, her “suicide” was not really considered suicide back in the day, so she was still allowed to have a “Christian” burial. It was not considered suicide because she is not the one who caused her grief. Suicide was only considered suicide back then if you killed yourself for something you had done, for example, if you had murdered someone.
Discuss how the use of the fantasy genre in Pans’ Labyrinth influences the way it portrays themes.
In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Ophelia is the most static character in the play. Instead of changing through the course of the play, she remains suffering in the misfortunes perpetrated upon her. She falls into insanity and dies a tragic death. Ophelia has issues surviving without a male influence, and her downfall is when all the men in her life abandon her. Hamlet’s Ophelia, is a tragic, insane character that cannot exist on her own.
Culturally, women have been expected to be soft spoken, gentle, delicate flowers. They should not question a man's opinion or go against their will. Ophelia, in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, is an example of a young naive girl who faces the dangers that come from only following what others want, and not thinking for herself. The men in this play use her for their own benefit and she suffers the repercussions, which leads her to madness and “accidental” death.
Ophelia first appears in Hamlet in Act 1. Scene 3 speaking to her brother Laertes of Hamlet. Within her first four lines, she reveals herself to be a strong woman when she says “but, good my brother, do not, as some ungracious pastors do, show me the steep and thorny way to heaven, whiles, like a puffed and reckless libertine, himself… recks not his own rede” (1.3 50-55). At this time period in which women are expected to be obedient, voicing these thoughts of hers, that Laertes is not in the position to give her these commands because he is a hypocrite himself, shows that Ophelia has some strong attributes. Ophelia further demonstrates her ability to appear tough in Act 3. Scene 2. during the pla...
Ophelia is conditioned to obey Polonius and Laertes’ commands, thinly veiled as guidance for her “own good.” She is never trusted to have a mind of her own, often having her intelligence openly insulted, causing her to be dependent on the men in her life. These men exercise authority over her, patronize, and degrade her, lowering her self-esteem to a non-existent level, and leaving her a...
Ophelia trusts the advise given and her obedience is very evident in this matter as she avoids contact with Hamlet until she is told by her father, with the King and Queens approval, to meet up with him by 'accident' in the lobby. Deceit not being in her nature, believing that her father, the king and queen are right and true; that Hamlet is mad; and probably curious to know if Hamlet is "mad in love" with her the young, obedient, powerless Ophelia does her part to search out the truth. But tragically this one forced step outside of her true character begins her downfall. In a precarious predicament, loyalty to her father compelled Ophelia to lie to Hamlet when he asked about her father?s location at that moment saying he was at home instead of behind a tapestry right the...
Ophelia loves Hamlet; her emotions drive her to perform her actions. Some would say that Ophelia’s emotions could have actually been what ended her young
In Hamlet, Ophelia seems like a character who is unimportant and is just kind of there for plot context. Ophelia is much more, Ophelia is tool employed by Shakespeare and the characters in order to convey thoughts, ideas, and feelings to the audience, and one another. Ophelia is like the center of the story, she cant be left out, the plot forms around her. Ophelia definitely serves more purpose than the obedient and perfect girl gone wrong.
Ophelia is depicted as a tragic, romantic, completely powerless heroine, following the mythology created by Gertrude when she describes Ophelia’s death in extensive detail, “Fell in the weeping brook. Her clothes spread wide,