I am doing my presentation on Pan’s Labyrinth. I am going to focus on the fact that Ofelia could be insane since she is the only one that sees all the magical creatures. This could be because she is the only child at the camp, but it might be something she is making up to protect herself from reality.

First encounter with fairy(3:38-4:15)
At the very beginning of the movie Ofelia is introduced as a quiet girl that likes to read fairy tale books. When the car that is taking them to the military outpost stops, she gets out of the car and this is the first time she sees a “fairy,” but we only see an insect. She tries to follow the “fairy” but she is stopped by her mother, Carmen. This scene shows how Ofelia is already creating her own magical world because no one but her sees the “fairy,” which means this could be a product of her mind.

 Fairy in bedroom (16:00-20:45)

Later on, when Ofelia is sleeping with her mother she sees the fairy again. She tries to wake her mother but Carmen doesn’t wake up. Ofelia then follows the fairy to the labyrinth and this is when she first sees Pan, the guardian of the labyrinth. At this point, Ofelia is developing her own world to a greater extent since after they ‘meet” she learns that she is the magical kingdom’s long-lost princess. She could be making this up because she is lonely and powerless in the real word and by making up the story she is giving herself the motivation, self-steam, and power she wants to have and needs.

 Labyrinth scene (1:33:35-11:34:50)

As the story develops, we keep seeing how Ofelia is the only one experiencing magical things. However, the scene that proves how she is seeing the Pan on her mind is when she takes her baby brother to the labyrinth. Ofelia thinks she is talking to Pan but when Capitan Vidal catches up to her the camera shows that it is only her holding her baby brother in the labyrinth.This further supports the idea (and even proves it) that all the magical things Ofelia has seen are a product of her own mind as a way to protect herself from reality.

As the movie goes on, we learn that Ofelia’s father died and that she doesn’t like her stepfather, Capitan Vidal. This makes her feel vulnerable, especially since it is also a time of war and destruction. She is also lonely and powerless so as a way to protect herself and not feel bad she creates her own fable to feel important and wanted.

Discussion questions:

What contributes to the idea that Ofelia might be insane? And if she is insane, what do you think her insanity represents?

Michael Sanders, Section 4, Pan's Labyrinth Discussion

Ofelia lives in a world of fairy stories.  She immerses herself in her books, and she begins to lose a clear line between what is real and what is “make-believe.”  The first time she is seen, in fact, she is turning the page of a book of fairy tales.  Ofelia has little regard for rules or authority, disregarding her mother’s orders to call The Captain “father” and The Captain’s proper greeting etiquette, all within the first few minutes of the film.  She represents childhood, freedom of thought, and independence.

The Captain is the opposite.  He lives solidly in the “real world.”  He is practical, efficient, and rigid.  His first shot in the movie is him holding a pocket watch, a symbol for the demands of life.  His life is run by his pocket watch; rather than happiness at seeing his new wife and daughter, the first emotion we see from The Captain is irritation that they are running late.  He represents adulthood, structure, and oppression.

While these things are true, they are not actually interesting, and are being used only to establish a foundation upon which to explore the ending of the film.  

At the end of the film, The Captain finally catches and shoots Ofelia in the Labyrinth.  Shortly afterwards, he is shot by revolutionaries.  However, the natures of their deaths are completely different.  Ofelia has a vision of the Underworld, to which she is returning as royalty, while The Captain dies alone, with no one to remember him.  The Captain is informed before he dies that his only connection to the world, his son, “won’t even know his name.”  He fails to continue to “live” through others, because, while many people feared him, nobody loved him.  On the other hand, Ofelia was loved by many people, and therefore will continue to impact the lives of those who loved her.  In a way, she continues to live on through them, regardless of whether or not her vision of returning to the Underworld is real or not.

If we replace these characters’ names with what they represent, we can find more meaning in their deaths.  The Captain was oppression, so his death would symbolize the death of oppression in the community.  Understandably, nobody mourns his passing, and are glad to see him gone.  They are also determined not to allow his son to become the same oppressive force as his father.  Ofelia represented freedom, so her lack-of-death symbolizes how freedom can be temporarily rescinded by oppression (The Captain shooting her), but is reborn with the death of oppression (Ofelia being reborn into the Underworld).  

If you would like to watch the closing sequence, it begins at 1:45:40, and continues through the remainder of the film.  

Here is a link to an online version (NO PROMISES ABOUT THE CONTENT OF WEBPAGES, ADS, OR ANYTHING ELSE THAT MIGHT COME UP ALONG WITH THE MOVIE.  THE INTERNET IS A DANGEROUS PLACE.  YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.)

http://putlocker.is/watch-pans-labyrinth-online-free-putlocker.html

Discussion Questions:  

In what ways does Ofelia symbolize freedom?  In what ways does The Captain symbolize oppression?

This movie has, in many ways, a sad ending, considering that the main character dies at the hands of her stepfather.  One of the final shots is of Mercedes crying over Ofelia’s body.  There is also her vision as she dies, however.  Considering what I said about Ofelia representing freedom, is this really a sad ending, or a hopeful one?

-Michael Sanders

Kristel Quintanilla Presentation

Hey guys hope you're all staying warm and dry in this weather. So my presentation is on Pan's Labyrinth. I'll be focusing on the three tasks that Ofelia has to complete and how it is a catalyst in taking away her innocence. 
Its a terrible thing for a child to loose their innocence. Parents spend lots of time and effort into keeping their kids sheltered from the horrors of the world. One of the things that's used is the idea of magic. In Pan's Labyrinth magic becomes a big part of Ofelia's life while at the base. But this magic has the opposite effect of sheltering her from the terrors of the world around her. 
The first task: (36:40-37:10)
The first task is simple enough. It's to get rid of toad that is killing a tree. The thing is she has to kill the toad to save the tree. Sure all she does is give him the three stones but those act as poison to him. He dies and the tree lives. This make her not only aware of the concept of death but she herself has killed. Yes it wasn't very gruesome but it is still killing.
The second task: (57:08-57:50)
This clip only shows the paintings on the wall which shows Ofelia that children are being eaten. This is a clear destruction of her innocence because here is a creature that eats children. It can be seen as a way to get children to behave and obey their parents but she witnesses the creature bite the heads off of the innocent fairies. It shows her that she is completely to blame for their deaths. 
The third task: (105:15-106:15)
The third task can be used to argue that she hasn't lost her innocence because she refuses to give up her brother for her benefit, but then she's the one who has to die. She suffers because she's shot in the stomach. She may not have given up her brother but she knows the feeling of pain and suffering and she knows death completely. She has a painful passing that is slow and she is alone in the labyrinth with no one. Mersedes only shows up at the very end.
So the magic in this film didn't help to protect Ofelia as magic usually does for children. Instead it presents the pains of the world to her plainly.
Discussion Question:

Did the magic help shield Ofelia from the terrors of the world or did they make a difference at all? If they did, how?

12/11 Class Directions

Hello students!

Since our discussion section is unfortunately cancelled today, we are going to have a different sort of discussion online today. Your participation for the day will consist of posting and responding to students' posts on this blog. All work is due by 6:00 pm today.

We will proceed as follows:

Student presentation and discussion:

- Each student presenting will post their argument in written form. This is due by the start of your discussion section time (section 3 - 4:10, section 4 - 5:10). The format is not important, as long as it is not too long (same amount of information as a 3-5 min presentation), and we understand your argument, evidence, and analysis.
- Make sure that you clearly title your post "_Name_ Presentation and Discussion" so that other students know where to find the "discussion".

- Please provide the information for the scene that you will be analyzing and, if possible, a link to a clip (youtube, etc.) for us to watch.

- End your post with your discussion question(s). Every student is required to respond to all discussion questions. Your posts can be long or short, depending on your thoughts on the issue. You are encouraged to read other students' responses and respond to them as well.


Feel free to email me any questions. I will also be available on Skype during my scheduled office hour today, 11-12, at mieka3000, and also from 4-6.