Analysis

Analysis

Symbols and Tropes

Hero's Journey

Ever notice that every blockbuster movie has the same fundamental pieces? A hero, a journey, some conflicts to muck it all up, a reward, and the hero returning home and everybody applauding his or...

Setting

Spain, 1944History lesson time: the Spanish Civil War was a conflict that lasted from 1936-1939. (Yeah: the 1930s were a rough time pretty much globally.)This conflict saw a battle—or, more accur...

Point of View

Traveling with TransitionsIn a film that cuts back and forth between different worlds, the types of transition are obviously going to be key. Let's start with the first notable transition we get hi...

Genre

FantasyJust to clear the air here: Fauns aren't real. Neither are fairies, or giant toads, or pale men with hands for eyes that eat children (phew, we were a little worried about that one). That's...

What's Up With the Title?

The Labyrinth Of The FaunOkay, let's get one thing straight here; the Faun is not Pan. (Check out the Faun's Character Analysis for more info.)In the original Spanish title this is clear—it's cal...

What's Up With the Ending?

"Yo Sacrificò"Remember Ofelia, lying on the ground, blood flowing back into her nostrils as she stares blankly toward the camera? Well, it turns out our beginning was actually our ending; Ofelia's...

Shock Rating

RJust because there aren't any sex scenes or drug uses doesn't mean this is a fairy tale for children.There's a lot of violence in Pan's Labyrinth, and we're not just talking about bloodless bullet...