Pans Labyrinth

Pan’s Labyrinth is set in Spain in the 1940s, around the time of the Spanish civil war. Though seemingly magical, the movie is heavily rooted in reality, with the serious themes of war, and the likelihood that Ofelia is actually just suffering from schizophrenia.

Everything she experiences seems to be delusions had while she’s disassociating from the traumas of her reality.

The magical aspects of this movie also seem to be an allegory for morality and the brutalities associated with fascism.

Director Guillermo del Toro, known more recently for directing The Shape of Water, expected this movie to attract only a small audience, but how wrong he was. At this point, Pan’s Labyrinth has appealed to the senses of enough people to be considered one of the greatest films of its genre.

Color was also done very intentionally for this film, and heavily considered by costumer Lala Huete, and makeup artists David Marti and Montse Ribé.

For Guillermo, shades of yellow are used to portray kind characters. He also uses yellow and blue lighting to differentiate between scenes of fantasy and reality.

Unlike much of what we see in recent movies, Guillermo used costumes and makeup to create his characters, instead of relying on CGI. Thanks to this, the film is also known for having some of the most memorable creatures, likely lending a hand to its overall success.

All in all, this film is a worthy add to any list for cinephiles who enjoy some spoonfuls of history mixed in with their fantasy.