Pan's Labyrinth

It's pretty much all about the Spanish Civil War, isn't it? The main characters are symbols for various groups in Spain at that time. I remember reading something that went into it in depth but I can't find it now.

One thing I do recall is that it's a warning to Spain not to sweep its ugly past under the rug. That "forgotten" memory is represented by the toad in the tree. Damn. It was a great article (and IMO an awesome movie) ... where was that?

One data point: Guillermo del Toro is Mexican. He's no more Spanish than you or I.

You should see The Devil's Backbone if you haven't already. It's a companion piece to Pan's Labyrinth, set in 1938 or 39 as the Spain was falling under Franco's control. The Devil's Backbone is a ghost story and a horror film rather than a fantasy. But the two movies are meant as companion pieces (although one is not sequel to the other).

It's not really a case of Spaniards vs non-Spaniards. Most educated people in the world are reasonably knowledgeable about the Spanish Civil War and the legacy of Franco. It's mostly just Americans who aren't. I think that teaching the Spanish Civil War in this country fell victim to the Cold War, because the good guys in Spain were clearly the communists, anarchists, and atheists. It didn't fit the established narrative.

That's the thing which most distinguishes del Toro's Civil War films from the Narnia Chronicles: The Narnia stories are pure Christian allegory, with an expressly evangelical purpose. But del Toro is doing something very different (and tricky). All the sympathetic non-fantasy adults in both Devil's Backbone and Pan's Labyrinth are atheists. (Remember the little girl asks Carmen if she believes in fairies, and Carmen says "I used to when I was little. But now I believe in nothing." She's also the bravest human in the whole movie. The orphanage doctor in Devil's Backbone is likewise an atheist, which is explained in the scene that gives the film its title.) Del Toro is creating a world of violence in which children retreat into the supernatural, but only the atheist adults treat those children kindly or with any sense of humanity. It's a remarkable balancing act, and I not sure yet quite what it means. However, if he's intentionally playing off supernaturalism vs. conventional religiosity vs atheism, I don't think there's a better setting than the Spanish Civil War.

I'm not sure where del Toro is going with the Spanish Civil War films, but I hope he makes more.

This is what I love about the interwebs. Other people do my homework for me.

I'm familiar with the rough outlines of the Spanish Civil War, at least to the extent of knowing who the major players were. I don't know enough about it to recognize allegorical portrayals of those characters (as I might with an allegory of the American Civil War). The outlines of the allegory are clear, but the details remain somewhat obscure.

I'm also not sure how to fit the supernaturalism of Ofelia with atheism as HP describes it. I certainly caught the reference, but Carmen is clearly wrong within the fiction of the movie. Since she is basically the conscience of the movie, that certainly confuses the matter.

The more I think about it, the more I like the analogy between the Spanish Civil War and Bleeding Kansas. Maybe I should have chosen an American historical event less similar.

Thank you for that comment HP. I went to see Pan's Labyrinth beause I wanted to see a decent fantasy film, and found instead something much richer and more satisfying (if distrubibg).

I'll have to see if I can find The Devil's Backbone somewhere around town (or on the interwebs)

Josh,

If you ever have the time I can recommend Antony Beevor's book "The Spanish Civil War" as an excellent introduction. It it is confusing in places that is becuase the war, and especially the changing allegiances were confusing. When the book was published the then Spanish PM insisted every member of his cabinet read it and the next cabinet meeting was a discussion of the book! (Beevor is an unusual author in that the book was originally published in a longer Spanish version authored by him, rather than being a translation. The English version is a shorted version of the original Spanish version).

One thing, make sure you get the recently published book, and not the one with the same title he wrote some 15 years ago.

I'm also not sure how to fit the supernaturalism of Ofelia with atheism as HP describes it.

Well, according to the director, the seemingly supernatural bits are meant to be real, so that would make them odd, but natural. There's no god, per se, just a satyr and an alternate-dimension kingdom. Oh, and a guy with eyes in his hands who eats children.

Anyways, let's see if I can get the symbols right. The dead father is the former Spain. The baby is the Spain-to-be, which the fascists (the Captain) want to see born from the former spouse of the old Spain, whether the mother dies in labour or not. The toad is the suppressed dark past. Carmen represents the leftist government who promises that the baby will never know of its father. I'm not sure if Ofelia is a symbol for anyone other than... anyone.

BTW, here's an interview I enjoyed: http://www.twitchfilm.net/archives/008507.html

I had the good luck to have had historian Gabriel Jackson as a teacher in university. He wrote an extensive treatment of the Spanish Civil War.

"Spanish Republic and the Civil War, 1931-1939"

Isn't the assumption of theists that the supernatural is real? Saying that fairies are real doesn't mean they aren't supernatural, after all. Drawing doors with chalk is classic magic, which is definitionally supernatural.

FWIW, del Toro seems to agree in that interview. Mercedes was wrong to stop believing in fairies, because the supernatural actually happens. It's a great, very informative interview, thanks for posting it. Now I need to get ahold of Devil's Backbone, don't I? And expand the reading list.