Violence in Pan’s Labyrinth
In a slightly longer presentation at my blog Musings, but also more briefly over at IMDB, I have attempted to generate some discussion about Pan’s Labyrinth, a 2006 film by Guillermo del Toro.
I think the film is fantastic, but I confess to initially being struck by (what I perceived to be) the rather one dimensional presentation of Captain Vidal, and I admit to seeing this (initially) as one weakness of the film.
Some reviewers have already picked up on the distinction between what Pan’s Labyrinth conveys with its words, and what it conveys with its images, so I don’t want to give the impression that a brand new interpretation is in the works here.
The issue some have with Pan’s Labyrinth — what makes it a disturbing watch for some viewers — is its violence. My present thinking, however, is that the horrific violence we see Captain Vidal commit draws the viewer into an emotional satisfaction at the potential (and actual) violence committed against him. I wonder if, deep down, director Guillermo del Toro has communicated how self-righteously we might, one one hand, buy in to what we have been told throughout the movie about the centrality of conscience, but how easily, on the other hand, we are swayed by what we have seen. I am wondering if he seeks to convey that despite what we have heard about the importance of the conscience, that conscience can nonetheless be muted to the violence committed against a person who, we have been shown, is a supposedly worthy victim of such violence. Consequently, if our own inner voice can so easily be ignored, how different is the viewer from Captain Vidal who has succeeded in muting his own conscience?
A strange post for Thanksgiving, I realize, but I am thankful for (what Ebert calls) the New Mexican Cinema.
K.
Kelly Wilson is a Seminarian for the Archdiocese of Winnipeg. Besides Vox Nova, he writes at his blog Musings.
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