El laberinto del fauno notes

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The Film is directed and written by Guillermo del Toro and is set in northern Spain in 1944 in the repressive early years of the Franco regime, post-war Spain.The film has two distinct worlds that connect, the real harsh post-war Spain and the other in a mythical world of labyrinths and the supernatural

La guerra civil Española:

The action takes place five years after the end of the civil war in Spain, which divided Spain into republicans and fascists

When Franco won, the republicans had to choose to hide, emigrate or pretend their political views

We see a group of republicans in the film that are critically short of supplies

The war created deep social divisions, although on both sides range of ideological views was represented

Republicans made up of anarchists, communists and socialists

Nationalists made up of monarchists, Catholics and Falangists

Republicans received support militarily from Russia and Mexico and Nationalists from Germany and Italy

Following the victory for the Nationalists, there was the brutal enforcement of the Franco regime including forced exile,summary execution and labour camps

Society at this time:

1944, society was very divided and the Nationalists' winning exacerbated the division between rich and poor, upper class and working class

The military are seen as first-class citizens with many privileges as seen with Capitan Vidal

Stretched relationship between the nationalists and the church and priests

Capitan Vidal offers opulent food for those in the upper class

The Capitan he symbolises the anti-communist, pro catholic and strong sense of the unified Spain

When Carmen arrives, a clear hierarchy is present with her chauffer driven car and her private doctor

Many of the characters have strong political convictions

Mercedes risks her own life to supply the republican resistance and her hate for Vidal manifests into physical violence when she attacks him with a knife

The doctor is murdered for aiding a tortured rebellion by killing him

The resistance:

The resistance was guerrillas who fought against the dictatorship

Mainly hid and sought refuge in the mountains

Stayed near towns to receive help from friends and family

Mercedes represents the family that had to secretly help the republicans

At the beginning of the film, there is little evidence of them but they launch an attack to break into the mill to steal supplies

One rebel is captured and tortured by Vidal

The doctor who puts him to sleep, Mercedes and her brother Pedro are a stark contrast to the wickedness of Vidal

Sexism and masculinity

We have three leading women in this play contrasted by the major masculine figure who looks down on them and treats them as second-class citizens

In 1944, the middle class had many servants and often they looked after the children

The post-war effects were harsher on women as there was an increase in prostitution and the catholic church was just as repressive towards women

Women were only carers, mothers and stayed in the house which the church and state reinforced

In 1942, " la ley de reglamentaciones" forced women to leave work when married

As a widow, Carmen hoped being married was better for her and Ofelia

Vidal insists the baby should be a boy and insists Carmen make the journey to be with him

Vidal carries his fathers watch which stopped at the time of his death, which shows his admiration for his father

Vidals views align with the ' la seccion femenina' about an ideal women

He dismisses his wife's comments at the dinner party and Mercedes's intelligence as a woman to steal and supply the republicans and treats Ofelia with disdain

The rations cards:

These cards were used to provide and control the consumption of food

In the film we can see the queue to collect the food using the ration cards, they are seen to control and monitor who takes the food

The military would grant preferential treatment to those in higher social status, upper class had access to more while lower had to hunt or use black market

The farmers killed by Vidal were hunting for rabbits as they couldn't get more food

Core themes:

Fantasy vs reality

Subordination and disobedience

Nature and food

War,greed and lost innocence

Fantasy versus Reality:

Ofelia's passion for fantasy literature and her great imagination is away from the horrors of post-war Spain

Set around the duality of the real world and the fantasy world

Her death shows the harsh reality of the real world but her efforts are rewarded in the real world and justice plays an important role

Although the efforts of the rebels is not rewarded in the civil wars

The fantasy world is full of colour whereas the real world is dark and lacks colour and brightness

The three tests, fairys, faun and mandrake and the magic book transport her to another reality away from violence and cruelty

The first clash between the real world and the fantasy world is seen when Ofelia first meets the Capitan and he is preoccupied and Ofelia is holding her storybooks, he gets annoyed that she offers her left hand as a greeting.

The Capitan being uncomfortable with people talking about the significance of his father and the watch with the stopped time is significant as knowing he is about to die he smashes his own watch and then asks Mercedes to tell his son the time.

Mercedes used to read stories but no longer does which implies the harsh realities of post war spain, as when she speaks to Ofelia about it she plays a long but the reality of working as a housekeeper overcomes her but her poltical beliefs and sense of moral sacrifice are always present

Carmen, contrasty is trapped and pregnant in vidals reality and has no idea of the life that awaits her , she has no time for Ofelias stories and is proud of ofelias dress and urges her to mature quickly, and Carmen is seen to want to move on with her life quickly

Subordination and disobedience:

Mostly as a consequence of fear, cowardice and lack of own will and lots of blind obedience

People don't dare question the rule of the Capitan given the level of repression which is linked to the regime

Examples include the father and son hunting rabbits,the mocking of the lower class with ration cards

Ofelia disobeys the faun and puts sleeping medicine into the drink of vidal

Disobedience appears in the film as a virtue , a sign of independence and hope

Ofelia is disobedient right from the first scene of running into the forest, dirtying her dress and eating the food in the task, not calling Capitan father and the most striking which is refusing to sacrifice her brother

Vidal is unable to understand the reasons for the doctor's actions in killing the tortured rebel and so he is shot in the back by Vidal

Mercedes successfully aids the rebels and prevents her own torture by attacking him with a knife

Vidal is desperate to break the rebels will, but the rebel cant risk the safety of his colleagues and so would rather die , battle between disobedience and subordination in the form of good and evil

Nature and food:

Despite the insistence by Ofelia, Carmen moves in with Capitan Vidal

Ofelia loves her mother but there is a certain uneasiness with her as she doesnt accept the decisons her mother made

Mercedes understands and worries more about Ofelias uneasiness and her ill will towards vidal but her mother does not

Mercedes sings her a nursery rhyme, looks after and keeps her secrets and when carmen dies Ofelia goes to Mercedes to look after her

In contrast to Mercedes, carmen tells Ofelia off and is more concentrated on pleasing vidal

Nature is prominent in the film and the luscious green forest is ideal setting for the labeyrinth

Ofelia notices the crescent moon shape on her shoulder, denoting her relationship with the underworld,she feels comfortable in the the underworld

Clear femininity in the underworld with the ageing tree evoking the female reproductive organs, the tree appears to offer sancturary but its decay forshadows the struggle of of ofelias pregant mother, maybe even the plight of women in society

Milk is undeniably connected in the nurture in the animal world,the Franco regime used milk and bread and other foods in order to maintain control, ration cards, Mercedes milks the cows and this is mixed with mandrake from the faun, to improve Carmens health, so potent that throwing it on the fire causes he death in child birth.Therforethe nurture under a dictatorship does not nourish the soul

War,cowardice and loss of innocence:

Although the war has finished five years ago, the war like atmoshpere in the film is due to the rebels in the mountains

Rebels are hiding in the mountains having left there families in order to plan attacks against the regime, helped by people

The war exacerbated poverty and suffering and established future of uncertainty

The greed of the controlling supplies of food and tobacco is enjoyed by Capitan vidal

The bleak reality of banquets held by Vidal runs parallel to that witnessed by Ofelia in the fantasy world, the toud is gluttonous and putrid and pale man resides over the banquet .

The rebels in the mountains sacrifice thier very existence in search of better a society, Mercedes and the doctor

Ofelia has to loose her innocence, gain courage and maturity way beyond her years but she regains them at the end in her place in the underworld

No one in spain is untouched by the ravages of war as seen with her baby brother who doesnt have a mother, father or sister

Throughout the film we see the loss of hope and the consolidation of the regime and perhaps the only escape is a different world

Charecters:

Ofelia

Mercedes

El Capitan vidal

El fauno

El doctor Ferreiro

Carmen

Ofelia:

13 year old girl at a point of complete change in her life

She goes to live with Capitan Vidal with the pregnant mother who will be her new father

Melancholy child with a great imagination in a miserable reality

She gets involved with the faun and completes tasks for him

She is full of energy and life and accepts challenges and adventures

Despite the horrible time of war, she loses herself in the fantasy world of fairies and tasks

She is spontaneous and sweet and mature for her age and the disobedience follows her instincts towards the Faun

She believes the fantasy world is better than the real world

In the beginning, we see her as well mannered, temperate young girl but clearly anxious about the life that awaits her

Ofelia rebels against the imposed changes, particularly her new stepfather, but retains a deep love for her pregnant mother, worrying about her health and talking to the baby in the womb

She has a unique bond to the natural world, as she is led by an insect to the underworld where a faun tells her she is the princess

Ofelias independence, strong set of morals and clear moral code, resilience allow her to overcome the challenges in which she finds solace in the real world

She refuses to draw the blood of her brother, which encapsulates her disobedience throughout the film and her anti fascist way of disobedience

Mercedes:

She is quiet and works as the housekeeper for vidal

She is republican and her brother is the head of the republicans in the mountains

Mercedes without a doubt helps them, without Vidal knowing

She was cold and distant but with the arrival of Ofelia she becomes protecting and close

Ofelia becomes her accomplice and she is a maternal figure for her when her mother dies

Mercedes is insightful, loyal and hardworking and her stregth is shown fully in the scene where she prevents her torture by vidal

Working for Vidal is a clear sacrifice she has to make to help her brother and she is resourceful, with a strong sense of moral code and self sacrifice

Her caring and motherly instincts are shown in her care of Ofelia

She escapes Vidal when he tries to torture her after he finds out she has been fearlessly supplying the rebels, victory for womanhood given Vidals misogyny

Mercedes allows the viewer to appreciate the cost of war

Her relationship with her brother shows how the war broke family ties

She shows the suppression of women rights as to be seen and not heard and so she is forced to fight for her own freedom

Capitan Vidal:

He is twisted and cruel and he has no problem torturing or abusing power

He seems to not have much interest in Carmen apart from her use to providing him with a son and continuing the lineage

His treatment of women is related to the view of the Francoist ideologies of the time , he especially hates Ofelia

His ignorance towards the abilities of women is shown in only his concentration on the rebels

He is arrogant and tyrannical

Man of precision and obsessed with military power the success of the Franciost regime and suppression of the rebels

Dismissive of the power of women, he hates Ofelia and doubts Mercedes would aid the military rebels, his wife's purpose is only to provide him with a son

Cold towards his wife and his fellow soldiers as seen at the banquet when the success of his father is mentioned, he moves the conversation on

Presents the incapability of human empathy but we see his cruel actions are more disturbing as they are actions of a man of duty, twisted by war and the burden of filling his mythical status

The Faun

Half human and half animal

Responsible for Ofelia's entry into the underworld

Despite his dark appearance, Ofelia treats him with familiarity and even hugs him, a close relationship

Strong character and isn't afraid to scold Ofelia with a forceful voice when she disobeys him

He seems to have good intentions and heart and wants Ofelia to succeed

He treats her with lots of respect as if she were a princess

He is a wise character and for Ofelia is her access to a world far from violence, conflict and hurt

The faun tries to explain to Ofellia that her effort has a reward

Mystical creature and Ofelia's spiritual guide

He insists that Ofelia is the princess of the underworld and with her moon-shaped birthmark she should complete three tasks before the full moon

For Ofelia the faun although scary looking provides an escape from her new life at the mill

His effects are felt in the real world with the mandrake

He is a major source of symbolism in the film,

He presents a father like figure for Ofelia given her dead father and rejection of Vidal as her stepfather

He is let down by Ofelia and he tells her off, she hugs him and she defies him which symbolises her growing up, much like a teenager finding her own way in life

Similar to greek mythology in him guiding her when she needs but is also capable of leading her astray

The doctor

The doctor is essential, man of few words, very thoughtful, intelligent and has important morals

His heart is in the mountains although he works for Vidal as he helps them in the forest, the leg amputation and the tortured rebel

His reaction before his death is brave, although he has to be at service to vidal he clearly in the scene when he turns his back evidently on the regime

Educated, principled doctor with socialist beliefs

Cure people's ailments and pass on information, collaborates with Mercedes

He is conflicted with helping vidals men,having to amputate the rebels leg and helping the tortured rebel to die

When his duplicity is discovered by Vidal and he is shot In the back is shows the futility of his position

He is a source of hope for the hopelessness

Carmen:

Pregnant with Vidal's child which costs her life , mother of Ofelia, arrives at the mill to start a new life, loved by her daughter

Ofelia rebels against her constantly, as she does not want to live with Vidal

She believes that Ofelia is not a child anymore so should not read fairytales

Carmen tells of Ofelia for being too childish and not accepting her new life

She wants to maintain her social position, good intentions are to want Ofelia to be comfortable

She is seen as an insensitive and selfish mother

She is a microcosm of female repression in post-war years as she is socially excluded at the banquet, receives little attention apart from medical, restricted to pregnancy

Apart from Ofelia, she is the only one affected by the underworld with the mandrake

Middle-class women who have to make sacrifices in order to maintain it

Her views are unclear

Her journey to the mill is an example of how materially she is fine with her limousine but physically and emotionally she is poor and it deteriorates through the film

Directors techniques:

Allegory

Colour and camera angles

Light and shade

Sound

Special effects

Allegory (Story with a hidden meaning)

Juxtapose a Child's journey into a fantasy world with the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War, Ofelia is the only character in both worlds

She represents the Spanish resistance and Capitan Vidal represents the Francoist

Ofelia seeks refuge in myth and fantasy away from the ruthless society which shows an element of tragedy

She tells a fairytale to her unborn brother that shows the agony and frustration of the rebels

The placing of the eye into the stone figure at the beginning starts her journey but represents how only she can see this

The Francoists are unable to connect with the underworld as they lack humanity and are obsessed with the consolidation of power

The rebel's hope for victory is desperate but they retain their idealism and hope for a better society

The possession of keys by Ofelia from the first task and a dagger from the pale man's lair and Mercedes to access the provisions and kitchen knife to protect herself against Vidal

Although Vidal does not believe in the other world, his monstrosity is present , with the parrel editing of the scene of the pale man and his banquet and vidal and his banquet, two frightening antagonists

The striking comparison between the toad representing selfishness and greed of the nationlists, who hoard the limited resources

Time overlaps between the real and fantasy worlds with Ofelias escape from the pale man's lair with the egg timer and vidals father's broken watch

The use of the painting Saturno devorando a su hijo to prevent an uprising is a brutal representation of the time when Spain consumed its people during the Civil War

The use of colour and camera angles:

The rebel's makeshift uniforms are to blend into the landscape, green and brown, the nationalists in contrast are in blue

Capitan Vidal, worn by Vidal impeccably, well groomed appearance

The low angle and close range are often used to show Capitan Vidal, magnifying his sharp features which create a sense of awe, dread which is shown when he towers over his torture victims

In contrast, the females are shown using the medium shot , with aim of showing their subservience as women in the franc regime were treated, second class citizens

Vivid colours are not used in the real world but only in the last scene in the underworld with its rich palette and Ofelia's bright red shoes

Light and shade:

The absence of light shows the gothic air of the film

The labyrinth is tied to nature and is under almost constant darkness and this gives the faun a moral ambiguity

Within the fantasy world is where Ofelia must succeed and within dark menacing locations liek the tree, pale man's lair but it does not make her fearful

The director challenges the assumption that darkness is associated with evil and good with light

Many of the scenes of torture happen in daylight ie the prisoner

The poorly lit mill gives the sense of foreboding at night

Sound:

As Ofelia goes into the forest in the first scene there is a loud crack as she stands on a piece of sculpted stone, first dealing with the underworld

Ofelia and her mother feel unsettled at night by the old mills' groans and creeks

Capitan Vidal with his sharp noises of knives , the scrape of the razor across his face and the knife shlashed across his face by mercedes

Womes role in society is shown by mercedes and the other women in the house who work quietly around the house, whispering

Carmens opinon, when offereed is dismisssed

Special effects

Used in scences in immerse the viewer

The toads vulgraity is emphasised with the use of special effect

The makeup and costume needed to create the pale man is a icon of modern cinema

The use of special effects is used in both worlds to intensify emotion with the sewing of vidals face, makes the view repulsed

The madrake which is a plant has human qualitites brings it to life and with its shrieking and squirming on the fire

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