Pan's Labyrinth: Introduction to Context

Pan's Labyrinth: Introduction to Context

Pan's Labyrinth is a film by Guillermo Del Toro that presents a fantasy story set in Spain in the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War.

Spain 1944:

- Civil war in Spain from 1936 to 1939. The Republicans were loyal to the democratic & left-leaning Second Spanish Republic -> they allied with the Anarchists. They fought against the Nationalists, a largely aristocratic conservative group led by General Francisco Franco. The war is a battle between democracy (Republicans) and fascism (Nationalists).

- Falangist -> characteristic of Spanish Falange Movement (e.g. 'he was executed by the Falangists')

Despite the film taking place in 1944, 5 years after Franco had taken over Spain, there was still a major resistance to fascism in Spain. 

- Captain Vidal is hunting the resistance. His character is a symbol for punctuality & military formality as he wants his son to be born into Franco's 'new Spain' + is willing to use brute force to get what he wants by killing all resisters. Much like Franco's regime, Vidal controls those around him through means of fear and violence rather than compassion.
- Mythology of heroism: Vidal carries a watch that his father broke when he died, wants his son to know his time of death so that the son knows the time of death of a 'brave' person. Mythology of heroism is a part of building fascist Spain. The fascist mythologies also link to the use of fantasy throughout the film. The film presents the fascists as undermining women; Vidal fails to notice his housekeeper (Mercedes) is spying for the resistance and she refuses to let him torture her. Also presenting as uncomprehending, e.g. he killed Dr. Ferreiro after he disobeyed his orders.
- Ofelia's fantasy begins to mimic the terror occurring in Spain; the pale man mirrors Spain's brutal reality. The Pale Man is shown as a totalitarian ruler, an all-powerful entity ruling with fear & violence that punishes any act of freedom or defiance (e.g. Ofelia eating the grapes). Del Toro creates a link between The Pale Man & Vidal; uses a similar image for both as they are both sitting at the head of a grand and lavish table in scenes shown in quick succession. Placing these images next to each other emphasises the link between them as their connection is solidified by their cruel actions.


Pan's Labyrinth is an allegorical commentary on the Spanish Civil War.

Vidal = Franco

Ofelia = Spanish nation (specifically the martyrs that fought/died for Republican cause)

Ofelia's brother = Reminiscent of King Juan Carlos (current Spanish monarch who endured decades as seeming enabler/supporter of Franco only to emerge after his death as full-fledged democrat/saviour of the nation)

Del Toro on context:

'You think of the transit of Spanish society from the 1940s to the incredible explosion of the post-Franco period. The 1980s in Spain were like the 1960s in the rest of the world! In the movie, Ofelia is a "princess who forgot who she was and where she came from", who progresses through the labyrinth to emerge as a promise that gives children the chance never to know the name of their father - the fascist. It's a parable, just as The Devil's Backbone was a parable of the Spanish Civil War.'