Back to Pan’s Labyrinth – it is precisely because this is a movie that my original point is still valid. I think I just didn’t communicate effectively, and that is why blueollie thought I was saying more than I was. The universe presented in a movie is not restricted to the same rules that govern our universe, and as such, you can watch Pan’s Labyrinth without immediately imposing our paradigm (or our collective set of heuristics) on the story.

In some cases this is easy. The movie Star Wars is so far removed from our reality, that its easy to say that “the force” exists in that universe. Pan’s Labyrinth on the other hand, has so much in common with our universe that it is easy to interpret it as our universe. My comment was simply the observation that a lot of people do this, and did this, with this movie very quickly. When we do this, I almost feel that we lose something. While we cannot hold onto all of our childhood beliefs, we can still hold on to the few things that can still be magical to us, like movies or storytelling in general.

So, in my interpretation of the movie, I hold that Ofelia’s experiences could have been psychological in nature, or she really could have been the princess of the underworld. There is simply not enough information to conclusively decide one way or another.

That said, I’m very fond of metaphorical magic (seeing the magic in the everyday, fantastic fiction, and stage magic). I just don’t believe any of it is really above and beyond the natural. It’s just natural phenomena and the power of suggestion. (Horror movies can horrify even those who don’t believe in ghosts etc.)

Hmmm, how about finding the best available explanation that fits with reality?

You know when our cars malfunction, we could assume that pixies are doing it. When we get sick, we can blame evil spirits.

“Rationalism has won over irrational superstition, and in so doing, has killed Ofelia’s mother.”

When presented with any information that we find that contradicts our current understanding of reality, we often quickly taken effort to neutralize the confusion by rationalizing what we see into what still fits comfortably into our paradigm.

This isn’t to say that I’m saying this is anything more than a movie, but it also seems as though many are quick to dispel any fantasy in their own mind. Some see a magic trick and immediately want to know how it is done, while others see the same and, despite knowing it is an illusion, do not seek out an answer. Perhaps they are the only ones that truly experience the “magic”. Or perhaps not. I’d like to think that they do.

“Where Narnia’s religious themes are obvious and intruding, Pan’s Labyrinth, in my opinion, does not stoop to this level. The moral and religious symbolism is there and integral to the whole yet doesn’t distract from the rest of it, ”

you betcha.. when a movie hits you over the head with what you’re supposed to take from it, i dislike it as it doesn’t respect the view/reader. RAWK!