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?
Ofelia may not necessarily be insane. True, as Jennifer mentions in her analysis, whenever Ofelia sees the fairies, the Faun, and the "hand-eye man" she is always alone - away from independent, more trustworthy observation. In fact, her escaping into the fantastical world understandably falls in line with Erikson's theory of human development. At a time when Ofelia should be discovering her identity, she is faced with the extreme stresses of domestic and political upheaval. Thus, she may be escaping into the supernatural world as a way to discover who she is through struggles that are relatively safer to overcome.
ReplyDeleteThe obvious fact that everything Ofelia is experiencing is personal and experienced only by her already casts doubt on her mental state.
ReplyDeleteEven though she is the only one having these encounters, no one can deny that those experiences were very true to her. Thus, her "insanity" represents more of an alternative reality, because the one she is in has no appeal to her.
The images and visions Ofelia sees may be entirely made up in her mind, and not exist at all, but that in no way makes them any less real to Ofelia. If we define insanity as making up these images and scenarios solely in her mind and actually believing them, then yes, Ofelia could be considered insane. But considering all of these scenes are very real to her, perhaps no one else, then no, she's not insane. I think the entire universe she may or may not have created symbolizes Ofelia's strength, and ability to be resilient in her life. Whether or not it was real or imaginary, she made the choice not to kill her little brother, proving that she was pure of heart regardless of whether or not she hallucinated.
ReplyDeleteI do not believe that Ofelia is insane, but that she is simply resilient. Her vulnerable state directly contributes to her fabrications and they are her way of coping with her situation. This can also be related the Freud's theory of the 'omnipotence of thought.'
ReplyDeleteThis is a good point.
DeleteI agree with the above statements that she is not necessarily insane. I do not think the intent of the director or producer was to imply that she is insane- there are no clear references that she thinks differently from most of the people in the movie. I think the background story of Princess Moanna dying that was not part of her memory implies that there was a separate story that Ofelia is part of and that she is special-- a deity, which explains why no one else saw the creatures of the fantasy world but her.
ReplyDeleteApplesauce= tiffany jiang
ReplyDeleteIt depends on what we accept as "real" in this film. IF we reject all fantastical elements, then yes, Ofelia is insane. However, if we accept magic exists in the world of the film, then it is not ridiculous to think that there is a magical, talking fawn that can also choose to only been seen by certain individuals. Depending on the viewer, presented with the same evidence, Ofelia could be insane or completely sane.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't necessarily call it insanity, but rather call it the fantasy world that children tend to create around them. Most can distinguish between the fantasy in their heads and the reality around them, but as in the common case of imaginary friends, not always. So if this world is not real, this may indeed be the case. Ofelia, sees these creatures that she created in her mind and to her they are very real. The significance of this, I think, would be to represent the innocence, freedom, and creativity of childhood. To Ofelia, the world is significantly more interesting which shows how, to children, the world is bright, colorful, and infinitely more fun. Whereas, to the adults, the world is generally bleak and demands their time be spent in certain ways. I would liken this effect to childhood when you created stories and imaginary world and played like that, in your fantasy world, even though you were just in your own backyard. Fast forward to present day, and you will find you can no longer do this. That same fantasy no longer immerses you as it did when you were a child because the way you look at the world has changed.
ReplyDeleteI do not believe that Ofelia is meant to be portrayed as insane. As a child, one is not aware of what reality truly is and therefore fills in the blanks with one's own imagination. By further extrapolating this concept, the director is able to portray how gruesome realities of life may be viewed through the eyes of an innocent child.
ReplyDeleteOfelia's imagination doesn't make her insane. What can make her insane is the way she acts out to these images she makes up. A child can play with their imaginary friends and have fun, but Ofelia makes it extremely real. She looses touch with reality and takes it so far that it cause her to loose her life. One can argue that she's a child and doesn't know any better, but even then a child can still have the instinct to know when they are in danger. Ofelia takes her brother away and knows that the Captain won't be happy about it and may kill her, but she does it anyway. Her insanity could represent her way of trying to deal with her father and mother's deaths. She has no one else in the world so she makes one up for herself. Her desire for her family drives her to these great lengths to be happy in a world where they are alive and there is no pain.
ReplyDeleteEveryday we create our own fantasies in our minds with our hopes and desires in our imagination. Although these thoughts may not be tangible and understood by everyone, the perception of Pan's reality is not any less real because it is her way of understanding the world and its values.
ReplyDeleteI agree that Ofelia was able to see the fantastical creatures because she was connected to the Underworld. Contrastingly, the other human characters in the movie did not have a purpose in the fantastical realm, so they had no reason to interact with them.
ReplyDeleteIt is difficult to prove that she is insane, as long as she faces the unrealistic world alone and we can interpret the magical world as an alternative world which she is the only one person who can perceive among people in the real world shown in the film. However, it is true that the film leads us to interpret her insanity as an ostrichism of a child who is wondering and seeking a meaning of his/her existence during the war period.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I didn't watch the film thinking that it should be seen realistic because looking at it as a fairytale would explain why Ofelia wouldn't be insane. Ofelia sees creatures because she isn't an ordinary girl, she actually has another identity and that may or may not be the princess of a kingdom and the film just so happens to capture the journey she goes on to find out who she is
ReplyDeleteI do not support the idea that Ofelia is insane. Her strong imagination is a coping mechanism for the destructive world around her, her parent's death, as well as a step father she doesn't like. The world in which she creates allows her to feel comfort, and be the focal point (the princess) - this conveys her desire for control. This alternative world seems to be an imagination or release for Ofelia in her search for freedom and understanding.
ReplyDeleteI don't believe that she was insane, but was a child learning to cope with the world around her with her imagination. Every child has an imaginary friend. It gives her someone to talk to, rather she created a whole world. If all of this happens to be true, it could be due to her connection to the Underworld allowing her to see things others cant.
ReplyDeleteI do not believe Ophelia is insane. Ophelia is a mere child. Having to come to a new place where she is not at home is scary for her. But if Ophelia is insane I believe her insanity best represents the chaotic situation her family has been put in. Vidal forcing his way into Ophelia's mother's life is a hard thing for Ophelia to take.
ReplyDeleteOphelia does not seem to be insane, but rather connected to the underworld in some nonhuman way. Ophelia is the only one that is able to see the fairy tale creatures which makes her different from the rest of the humans. When she is shot and killed in at the end of the film she goes to join her mother and father, along with the monsters and fairies in what seems like a heaven type place. I believe ophelia to be have special powers that allow her to see and experience the things that she does.
ReplyDelete