El laberinto del fauno (or pan's labyrinth) is a wonderful mix between a war drama and a children's fairy tale. It is not to be mistaken with not a children's movie, because the violence is often very graphic and very disturbing. It is full of children's fantasy however, and in my opinion it gives a good view of how some children might deal with trauma.
The story plays in postrevolution Spain, just when Franco got in power. In the mountains of Spain are some revolutionaries who still resist Franco's rule.
The story's main protagonist is a little girl called Ofelia that travels to the battlefront with her pregnant mother. While on the front Ofelia fantasizes about her being an underworld princess, about to be called back in the name of her (real) father (the king of the netherworld) by the faun Pan. To achieve this feat she must pass three tasks, each more dangerous than the other. This side of the story is the dark, gothic fantasy world in which Ofelia flees to escape the horrors of the war, her lost father and the neglect she feels from her pregnant mother, who is more worried about her baby.
In the grown-up world, the story revolves around the resistance, Franco's army and the local populace. This side of the story is both grim and brutal in both its violence and its realism.
Both stories are beautifully interwoven and reach a climax that leaves the audience wondering whether Ofelia has really imagined her fantasy or whether they are really real.
El Labirinto del Fauno is a beautiful movie that breathes atmosphere and has a wonderful plot that leads to a very gripping end in which both storylines participate in equal parts. Definitely a must see!
