Context for Pan's Labyrinth

Context for Pan's Labyrinth

1. Socially

   • Fascist ideals are in place after winning the Civil War, meaning many people hadto devote themselves to supporting fascism and general Franco.
   • In the film there are women and children beingf treated as second-class, for example, how Ofelia's mother, Carmen, is opressed by her husband, and how Mercedes is never suspected of helping the rebels as she is not deemed capable of doing so

2. Politically

   • The Fascist regime had just won the civil war, although pockets of left-wing rebels has survived
   • General Franco had begun to lead a military style dictatatorship, and opponents to the regime were at risk of persecution from the new government

3. Ideologically

   • The nature of Franco's dictatorship made it dangerous to have ideas that contradicted fascist ideals
   • For example, devotion to a strong leader, emphasises the military, so this ideology was dominant

4. Del Toro's influences

   • His influences aren't so much associated with society and history, but mythology, fairytales, and specifically, his film 'El Espinaz del Diablo'
   • The story of the film itself is in the style of a fairy-tale, containing typical aspects. There is also a fairy-tale told within the film, and Ofelia is constantly reading such stories The opening of the film, and Ofelia is constantly reading such stories.
     • For example, the number three as Ofelia is given three tasks