El laberinto del fauno: what is its true genre?
If you look back through
del Toro’s catalogue of work (especially Cronos
(1993), The Devil’s Backbone (2001)
and Hellboy I (2004)), you will see
that they have all got similarities. All three of the narratives contain a form
of monster; whether it is the Devil, the vampires or the ghosts. In 2006, del
Toro brought Pans Labyrinth to our
screen which was no exception to his previous work. Initially, there is no evidence
of the Devil itself or any type of monster. Instead, the audience is faced with
Fascist Spain, and it certainly could be argued that some of the human
characters have in fact switched roles with the monsters, and the humans themselves
are portraying these monstrous creatures, for example, Sergi Lopez’s character,
Captain Vidal is an evil fascist
leader, not exactly a loving father figure; while it is the monsters,
especially Faun, who take on the more
paternal roles, caring and protecting Ofelia.
From the trailer below, a first time viewer is given lots of themes and genres to consider, however, after it had been viewed by the general public, Pans Labyrinth become well known as an 'adult fairytale'. In addition, Dennison suggests that the narrative combines 'the magical and the realist, the fantastical and the political; its narrative centers on the child’s connection with the magical underworld '(2013*), however it important that each viewer is not influenced by critics suggestions; the viewers in interpretation is key to helping them understand the narrative.
From the trailer below, a first time viewer is given lots of themes and genres to consider, however, after it had been viewed by the general public, Pans Labyrinth become well known as an 'adult fairytale'. In addition, Dennison suggests that the narrative combines 'the magical and the realist, the fantastical and the political; its narrative centers on the child’s connection with the magical underworld '(2013*), however it important that each viewer is not influenced by critics suggestions; the viewers in interpretation is key to helping them understand the narrative.