GITS Script Reading and Analysis Series: “Pan’s Labyrinth″ — Theme
Onto the subject at hand today as we continue our analysis: What are some of the key themes in the draft of Pan’s Labyrinth we read? I don’t know what you think theme is about, but — as I articulated here previously — I think theme = meaning. And more pointedly, the emotional meaning of a story.
So what are the themes in the Pan’s Labyrinth script? Which of the story’s themes do you feel are the most resonant ones at work?
To frame the discussion, here are some thoughts from an interview with del Toro about the thematic importance of the labyrinth in the story:
“The labyrinth is a very, very powerful sign,” explained del Toro. “It’s a primordial, almost iconic symbol. It can mean so many things, culturally, depending on where you do it. But the main thing for me is that, unlike a maze, a labyrinth is actually a constant transit of finding, not getting lost. It’s about finding, not losing, your way. That was very important for me. It is a place where you do sharp turns and you can have the illusion of being lost, but you are always doing a constant transit to an inevitable center. That’s the difference. A maze is full of dead ends, and a labyrinth may have the illusion of having a dead end, but it always continues.
I can ascribe two concrete meanings of the labyrinth in the movie. One is the transit of the girl towards her own center, and towards her own, inside reality, which is real. I think that Western cultures make a difference about inner and outer reality, with one having more weight than the other. I don’t. I come from an absolutely crazy upbringing. I had a f**ked up childhood. And I have found that [the inner] reality is as important as the one that I’m looking at right now.
The other transit I can say is the transit that Spain goes through, from a princess that forgot who she was and where see came from, to a generation that will never know the name of the fascist. And, the other one is the Captain being dropped in his own historical labyrinth. Those are things I put in. But then, as I said, the labyrinth is something else. Each culture will ascribe a different weight to it.”
See you in comments for a discussion about the themes in Pan’s Labyrinth. And let me note that Teddy Pasternak got us off to a whale of a start on the subject of theme in the movie in our character Comment thread here.
For Day 1 of our analysis of Pan’s Labyrinth, go here.
For Day 2 focusing on structure, go here.
For Day 3 focusing on characters, go here.
[Remember next week (10/16–10/20), we will be reading Blade Runner, your choice for the Science Fiction genre. You may access the 1981–05–15 version of the script here.]
NOTE: THIS SERIES AND THE USE OF SCRIPTS IS STRICTLY FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES!
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