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Spoiler:
One can argue that when Captain Vidal saw nothing while Ofelia was talking with the Faun/satyr at the end, it was either in her head or he just wasn't pure enough to see the magical world she could, moreso that she was of their world and he wasn't so that's why she'd see it and he wouldn't.

Other things to break-down:

Task 1: The tree is shaped like a uterus and she goes in seeking the toad, its invader, who feeds off of the creatures in the tree and in turn is killing it. This symbolizes her unborn brother's harming her mother and her wanting this to stop.

Task 2: Like you said, Belial, the Pale Man represents Vidal and his storeroom and that dinner party that he through with the rich people from the town. I think you pretty much nailed the explanation of it. Add to that the Pale Man's hunger for babies, much like the captain's push for having a son despite everything.

The mandrake, the plant that wanted to be human, made the same motions as the mother as she laid in bed.

Another thing I noticed, though it's not vital to the story, the spirally etching in the ground that caught Ofelia's blood is exactly like the one in Hellboy that Ilsa and Kroenan used to resurrect Rasputin by killing their guide in the mountains and letting the blood flow through the etching in much the same fashion that's presented in Pan's Labyrinth. Both films were directed by Guillermo del Toro.

I don't know if the symbol appears in other movies that he's done (Blade II, etc), but it's funny that it shows up here.

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Ã¥Â¤Â©Ã¥â€ºÂ½JOE Posts: 1437/2999	Oh yeah. The art looks similar to Rocko's Modern Life(/Rugrats?). Oh the days of being young. If I were to watch those shows now, I'd probably think they were shit. Or maybe not, who knows! Transformers though, will stay forever wicked.
Xeoman Posts: 5595/11757	Ah! Real Monsters ...
Ã¥Â¤Â©Ã¥â€ºÂ½JOE Posts: 1436/2999	Originally posted by Q I What show is that again? I like, used to watch it I think. I really want to watch Pan's Labryinth. Even though some of you are saying it was overhyped, you still said it was good, so it doesn't stop me from wanting to see it. Visually it looks pretty cool. Speaking of Silent Hill, I also thought that was visually gnarly. The rest was meh, but it's something I'd watch again because of how it looks, made me want to play the game.
Xeoman Posts: 5592/11757	Yeah, there were quite a few gory scenes. Though, I think after seeing Silent Hill, I can't say there's much out there that's disturbed me since. Though, the first thing in Pan's .. Spoiler: When the Captain just kept pounding at the guys face with the butt of his gun, ugh. That was a little untasty.
WhiteRose Posts: 1025/1461	Saw this movie and it wasn't what I expected, but I still liked it, thought it was a bit gory for me at points. I think what I love so much about is it is so open to interpretation as we've seen so far. Really let's your mind ponder away at the true meaning of the things going on in the movie.
Belial Posts: 281/647	Honestly, I never saw Hellboy... del Toro also filmed another movie based in the same era, titled The Devil's Backbone, or rather, El Espinazo del Diablo, which also has an fantasy-like quality, but mostly a ghost story. anyway: Perhaps when we're young and innocent, we all see a fantasy world that those who are not innocent, can not see, but that does not make it any less real. Anything that one truly believes can be true, is indeed real. Religion is a good example. A Christian woman prays for her sick son to get well again, and it happens. A witch, or Wiccan, performs a spell to make her pet better, and it happens. Spoiler: Ofelia wishes her mother to get better, recieves a mandrake root from Pan, and the mother gets better (until later in the film). Ofelia wishes her brother would be in safer arms, and recieves the chalk, draws a door to get into the captain's room, and rescues her brother (more or less).
Rogue Posts: 2726/11918	You know, I think it's really open-ended and meant for the audience to interpret what they want when it comes to if the fantasy was real or not. The whole movie has this general theme of innocence during war, and it's in Ofelia's innocence that she sees the things she does. Perhaps it's even her way of coping with the harsh realities around her and it's all in her head. Spoiler: One can argue that when Captain Vidal saw nothing while Ofelia was talking with the Faun/satyr at the end, it was either in her head or he just wasn't pure enough to see the magical world she could, moreso that she was of their world and he wasn't so that's why she'd see it and he wouldn't. Other things to break-down: Task 1: The tree is shaped like a uterus and she goes in seeking the toad, its invader, who feeds off of the creatures in the tree and in turn is killing it. This symbolizes her unborn brother's harming her mother and her wanting this to stop. Task 2: Like you said, Belial, the Pale Man represents Vidal and his storeroom and that dinner party that he through with the rich people from the town. I think you pretty much nailed the explanation of it. Add to that the Pale Man's hunger for babies, much like the captain's push for having a son despite everything. The mandrake, the plant that wanted to be human, made the same motions as the mother as she laid in bed. Another thing I noticed, though it's not vital to the story, the spirally etching in the ground that caught Ofelia's blood is exactly like the one in Hellboy that Ilsa and Kroenan used to resurrect Rasputin by killing their guide in the mountains and letting the blood flow through the etching in much the same fashion that's presented in Pan's Labyrinth. Both films were directed by Guillermo del Toro. I don't know if the symbol appears in other movies that he's done (Blade II, etc), but it's funny that it shows up here. Really, while it was billed as a fantasy, the movie's more of a war film with fantasy interlaced into it.
Belial Posts: 280/647	Call me a dork, but I've been lurking around a Pan's Labyrinth message board... and here are some things that link both the fantasy element and the realistic elements *SPOILERS* ...a possible interpretation is that the Pale Man is Ofelia's fantasy's representation of Vidal. I think it's the Ortiz dude, below, who compares Ofelia and Mercedes, and that can carry over to the scene with the Pale Man. A great feast is before the Pale Man (Vidal and the storehouse) which is all sitting there just for himself. Ofelia and her fairies (Mercedes and the guerrillas) come along and steal some of the food (the attack on the storehouse). As a result, the beast awakens with a vengeance (his attack on the rebs), is no longer blind (eventually figures out both the doctor and Mercedes' roles), and chases Ofelia (Mercedes) who narrowly escapes, though not without the loss of two of her companions (several of Mercedes' comrades). Also, do you think that the fantasy was real or Ofelia's imagination due to her dire situation?
Rogue Posts: 2724/11918	I'm in agreement with Xeo. I liked it a lot, and all of the fantasy scenes were definitely grand in nature and visually stunning, but it's quite funny how the trailers, ads and synopses conveniently leave out the real world storyline featuring the tyrannical step-father seemingly lifted from the Nazi rampage scenes from "Schindler's List." While this captured a brutal world with great panache, the ending did not satisfy the rest of the movie, thus making it a tragedy regardless of the so-called happy ending. Understandly, not all films can be upbeat, a moviemaker should not sell out to please the whole, this was probably one of the more depressing films I've ever seen. Good grief. It's a masterpiece, but were I to watch it again on DVD I'd skip to the scenes featuring Pan or the "Pale Man." The rest either dragged or went onto different tangents that were seriously unnecessary (guy with leg wound, torture, etc. There's a reason for DVD special features. Hmm?). Again I return to, while not all movies can be love, luck and lollipops, I'd rather just concentrate on the fantasy aspect in this one which really was spectacular. EDIT: Oh, and something else to throw in there:
Xeoman Posts: 5583/11757	In all honesty I felt it was a little overhyped. It was alright, but really not what I was expecting at all. I don't know. Not a horrible movie by any means, and not something I'd "want my money back" on, but it didn't blow my mind. However, compared to other movies out right now ... its probably one of the best.
Katana Posts: 1805/3649	I actually had no idea this film was in Spanish. Teehee. I've really only seen random posters advertizing this movie on the internet, and that's about it. No previews or anything...but the pictures were so well done that I'm hooked. Subtitles don't bother me either, so...and I can't see why it wouldn't be playing in my city...writes that down on her must see list
Belial Posts: 279/647	I suppose it can be compared to that. It wasn't so much as a stylistic element as it was a realistic element. I'm sure gorier things have happened in times of war.
Logos Posts: 480/641	Originally posted by Belial lol, I totally agree. A lot of people didn't like it because it wasn't an obviously black and white kind of movie. You had to really think about how two worlds connected.... and the so called "unnecessary gore." Can't forget that. Gore can be a necessary stylistic element. Might I ask if the situation is something around the lines of: who is the demon, but that he has horns and a pointed tail?
Belial Posts: 278/647	lol, I totally agree. A lot of people didn't like it because it wasn't an obviously black and white kind of movie. You had to really think about how two worlds connected.... and the so called "unnecessary gore." Can't forget that.
Logos Posts: 479/641	I too want to see it, if at least to see if it's as good as "critics rave." Why can't they just politely affirm that "that was quite a good movie"?
Belial Posts: 277/647	Has anyone else seen this movie? It's in "select theatres" because it's subtitled (it's in Spanish). Personally I don't mind subtitles and it did absolutely NOTHING to take away from the story itself. It was amazing. At some points you just cringed, knowing that what was happening HAD to hurt... but you just couldn't move your eyes away. It may be an awesome fantasy movie, but trust me, it's rated R for a reason... shudders Spain in 1944, a 12-year-old girl, Ofelia (Ivana Baquero), moves with her pregnant mother and stepfather into a new home in the countryside. Her stepfather, Captain Vidal (Sergi LÃ³pez) has been sent to this remote area to rid it of a small Republican militia. Disliked by the sadistic and abusive Vidal, Ofelia, who revels in ancient stories and fairy tales, walks into an immense and ancient labyrinth, where she meets a faun (Doug Jones) named Pan. He tells her she is the long-lost daughter of the king of the Underworld and to regain entry to her kingdom she must carry out three tasks. From then on, Ofelia has an access to a strange and dangerous world of fairies and extraordinary creatures such as the terrifying Pale Man. It's a very mythical and original story, and caught my attention more than most movies do.