Today I had the good fortune to catch a truly though-provoking movie. It was the one whose commercial has been flashing continusly on MRT station screens throughout the island.



Also known as El Labertino Del Fauno, it's entirely in Spanish with, thankfully, huge coherent subtitles. It helped that I was nearer to the screen.

***

SPOILERS AHEAD

The movie opens with the introduction of a young girl, Ofelia, who travels with her mother through the woods in a car. She is reading a favourite book about fairy tales, while her mother shakes her head and looks on. Heavily pregnant, Ofelia's mother asks for the car to be stopped so that she may take a break. It is while Ofelia wonders about in the woods outside that she meets a strange stick instect. When she leaves in the car, the insect follows behind.

The scene next shows the car being part of a motorcade that arrives at a mill. The year is 1944, and Spain is in the heat of Civil War. Ofelia is here with her mother to meet her stepfather, a cold fascist officer by the name of Captain Vidal. It is evident from the start that they dislike each other, and that his real concern is not for her mother's welfare, but the baby she carries.

Despite the brutal environment she is thrust into, Ofelia tries her best to cope. Not long after she arrives, she runs towards some stone ruins she sees a short distance away from the mill. After wandering inside for a while, she is found by Mercedes, Captain Vidal's kindly servant. She warns Ofelia not to stray into the labyrinth, an ancient relic that existed long before the arrival of men in the mountains. Ofelia agrees to leave it alone, though it is obvious that the place has made a strong impression on her.

One night, led by the strange stick insect, she enters the labyrinth. There, she meets the old faun that guards the labyrinth. The faun explains that Ofelia is not mortal, but a lost princess from another realm. In order to return to her world, she must complete 3 tasks before the moon is full. Desperate to escape from her brutal father, and wanting to believe in something better, she agrees.

So it is that Ofelia begins her journey. It is one of wonder and terror, as the demons from the alternate reality seem to be resonate increaingly with the monsters of the real world. A brave innocent thrust into a hostile environment, she must do as best she can, searching deep inside herself for the answers to her questions. Ofelia never backs down, and every step of the way, demonstrates how a true heart can trumph, even in the face of death.

***

All in all, I found it to be a true gem of a film. It is a unqiue departure from the usual positive and idealistic aspects of fantasy, in a sense that it is rooted in the real world. Also, unlike the usual situations where the real and fantasy worlds co-exist, both seem to overlap here instead.

It also has some gore and horror elements, which I found oddly refreshing. Honestly, this isn't a kids movie, despite the fact that it has been so publicly advertised. The most horrible part I found involved a demonic being called the Pale Man. An odd, deformed human-like thing that feeds on human flesh; I find him strangely terrifying. He isn't particularly ugly or powerful, but something about him makes me feel unsettled. It still gives me shivers when I remember how Ofelia met him. *shudder* Will not want to watch that part for a long time.

The plot is meaningful, as it is rife with symbolism. Gueillermo Del Toro, the guy who wrote the script for, directed and produced this movie, sure knows his fantasy references. Haha. He draws inspiration from everything, art and culture included. The result is a fusion of horror, fantasy and psychology. Something more cerebral in nature from the usual popcorn fare churned out by Hollywood. Even now, I still ponder over it, checking out every detail for meaning. It just sticks in your head, refusing to leave until everything is laid bare.

The question that especially bugs me is this.

Was Ofelia's adventure even real?



Maybe we'll never know.