What happens when make-believe believes it’s real?|Aug. 25, 2006|Mexico|118 Min.|R
Genre: Drama;Fantasy;War
Description: “Pan’s Labyrinth,” a 2006 film, tells a captivating story set in 1944 Francoist Spain. The plot revolves around Princess Moanna, daughter of the underworld’s king, who ventures into the human world. Her memory is erased, and she becomes mortal, eventually dying. Believing her spirit will return, the king builds labyrinths as portals to guide her back.
The narrative follows ten-year-old Ofelia, who travels with her ailing, pregnant mother, Carmen, to meet her new stepfather, Captain Vidal. A staunch Falangist, Vidal is tasked with hunting republican rebels. Ofelia encounters a stick insect that transforms into a fairy, leading her to an ancient labyrinth. There, she meets a faun who claims she is the reincarnated Princess Moanna. He presents her with three tasks to complete for immortality and her return to the underworld.
Ofelia succeeds in the first task—retrieving a key from a giant toad—but grows concerned for her mother’s worsening health. The faun provides a mandrake root to aid Carmen’s recovery. Accompanied by fairy guides, Ofelia completes the second task—obtaining a dagger from the Pale Man, a child-eating monster. Despite warnings, she eats grapes, awakening the Pale Man, who devours two fairies before Ofelia escapes. Her disobedience angers the faun, who withholds the third task.
Throughout the story, Ofelia witnesses Vidal’s brutality as he hunts rebels, interrogating and torturing captives. “Pan’s Labyrinth” intertwines fantasy and reality, exploring themes of courage, morality, and the clash between innocence and cruelty.
Cast director: Guillermo del Toro
Cast actor: Ivana Baquero, Maribel Verdú, Sergi López, Doug Jones, Ariadna Gil, Álex Angulo, Roger Casamajor, Manolo Solo, César Vea, Ivan Massagué
Original name: El laberinto del fauno