From behind the Wardrobe to within the Labyrinth: A Comparison between “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe” and “Pan’s Labyrinth”
International posters for "Pan's Labyrinth" and "The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe" The journey from the naïveté of childhood to the wisdom of adulthood has been captured in cinema in innumerable genres, styles and contexts. A popular technique, in both fiction and cinema, is to parallel the coming-of-age of the young protagonist with a secret, hidden, fantastical world that is discovered. This hidden world reflects much of the real world it exists, and holds challenges that the protagonist must overcome in their path to survival and self-discovery. This theme of combining fantasy and coming-of-age into a film can be seen in the films “Pan’s Labyrinth” and “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe”. However, the treatment of the same genre is starkly different in both films. The characterization of the young protagonists and plot elements represent the differing views in child psychology, political opinions, religious interpretation and realism.
The young protagonists discover a new world : (top) the Pevensies enter a wintry Narnia in awe, (bottom) Ophelia cautiously makes her way in a mysterios pale man's lair to complete a task.
While “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe” looks to preserve the purity of morals and virtues by shying away from reality as much as possible, “Pan’s Labyrinth” is unafraid to delve into the darker aspects of childhood, combining ethereal fantasy with gritty reality. This reflects not only the personal ideals of the film-makers, but also cultural differences in the country of the film’s origin (England/New Zealand and Mexico, respectively).
There are several similarities that make these two films comparable. Set around the same time period of the era of World War II, both films deal with a young protagonist’s adventures into a fantastic mythical place, which exists within the world of ordinary in secret. In both films, the protagonists encounter mythical creatures with wondrous abilities, and both face an ominous adult adversary. However, the ways their journeys are treated are very different, in both visual and narrative contexts.
Fantastic creatures: (top) the magnificent Aslan the lion from "Narnia", (bottom) the friendly yet deceitful faun from "Pan's".
The film “Narnia” is based on the first of the “Chronicles of Narnia” children’s books series by author C.S. Lewis. In it, the four Pevensie children, Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy, are sent to their great-uncle Professor Kirke’s home, after their home in Finchley, London, was bombed, in 1940 during the London Blitz by Nazi Germany. One day, during a game of hide-and-seek, young Lucy discovers the hidden world of Narnia behind an old closet. In Narnia, it is permanently winter due to a curse by the evil White Witch of Narnia, who can only be stopped by two young boys and two young girls, prophesized by the people of Narnia as two sons of Adam and two daughters of Eve. The arrival of the Pevensie children spells trouble for the White Witch, as they take it upon themselves to rid Narnia of her evil influence.
Walking in a winter wonderland: the Pevensies glimpse Narnia in permanent winter, with a distinct lack of gloom or doom in the air. The children are keen to explore, eager to step into a new world.
“Pan’s Labyrinth” is based on an original story and screenplay by Guillermo del Toro. It is about the story of a young Spanish girl named Ophelia, who moves, along with her heavily pregnant mother, to a new home in the mountains where her cruel stepfather Captain Vidal is posted to flush out the Spanish Maquis guerillas, in fascist Spain circa 1944. Upon arrival, she meets a mysterious, unnamed faun in an old abandoned labyrinth near her home, who believes she is a mystical princess reincarnated. The faun then presents her with three tasks she must complete in order to rejoin her “people”.
One small step for a ten-year-old...: Ophelia hesitates before stepping into the Toad's lair to complete her first task. She is eager to get away fom her world, but is not free to do so, because of her mother.
The timeline of the films are nearly the same- in the midst of World War II in Europe. However, the presence of the war is treated in starkly different manners in both films. In “Narnia”, the children are sent away, in order to escape the war. The fact that the film contains a scene depicted the Pevensie children escaping during the bombing, a scene not included in the books, is the only clue audiences have as to when the film is set. When the children discover the world of Narnia, they disappear into it completely, thus escaping reality permanently.
Thus, the realism and destruction of war in the form of totalitarian governments and air raids was left behind. Instead, the children dealt with epic battles between centaurs, fauns, talking animals and evil witches. This physical departure from reality into complete fantasy is an indicator of how culture dictates that English parents should be protective of their children. In a country were class boundaries and aristocratic mentalities were prevalent in the Colonial days, children were encouraged to know as little as possible about world politics, especially during the 1940s. England was losing its hold as a world power, with its colonies in India and Africa struggling for independence, and their vulnerability in Europe’s power struggle was hidden from the public, especially the youth, to maintain national pride.
The central battle of the film focuses not on a personal journey, but shifting the balance of power. The battle is fought to win, and victory goes to the pure-hearted – a subtle message about the ideology spread by the British government to keep national morale up during the war. After a battle is won, the four children are crowned the kings and queens of Narnia - a subtle representation of the British faith in monarchy and aristocracy, because there is no clear reason give as to why they even deserve the throne.
The books and films also dealt with escapism. After World War II, Great Britain relinquished the title of world power to the United States. The economy was bleak, and England was socially and culturally ravaged by the horrors of war. Though the story was set during the war, it was written after the war, in 1949. By setting it in the war, it set to remind people that there were magical places of wonder and amazement, hidden deep behind the world of violence and misery. By the end of the film, the Pevensie children accidentally return to their own world, and are immediately very unhappy about it, because they now have to deal with the reality of the human world. So now, the problems they once thought they had escaped must now be faced, because they never really went away. Thus, the idea of the British “stiff upper lip” doesn’t necessarily stem from bravery or stoicism, but rather by artfully ignoring the problems, at least in this film.
The most central and obvious theme of “Narnia” is religion, particularly Christianity. The Pevensie children take on the role of the apostles, as they are the shown the way to righteousness and decency by Aslan, the enigmatic, wise lion, who is a characterization of Christ. Aslan is depicted much like Christ – a wise person, but with rather vague answers regarding moral choices, and deemed untrustworthy by non-believers. He is even slain and brought back to life simply by the faith the people of Narnia put in him – like Christ. The Narnian army is betrayed by Edmund to the White Witch because of his greed and hunger for power – much like Judas. Aslan sacrifices his life to repent for Edmund, a “son of Adam” – much like Christ. The film even shows Lucy and Susan weeping over his corpse together – just as the Virgin Mary and Mary Magdalene are often depicted doing so during Christ’s crucifixion.
He died for our sins: Susan and Lucy weeping over Aslan's corpse, in a very Biblical fashion indeed.
Visually, the film is bright and well-lit, representing the underlying message of hope, redemption and “seeing the light”. The scenery of Narnia is constantly depicted as snowy landscapes, but still resembles a winter wonderland rather that a bleak snowy wasteland. Warm colors like earthy reds and browns are seen in settings to represent the absence of the influence of the White Witch, whereas her palace has the icy tones of white and blue. The scope of destruction is limited in its imagery – the White Witch merely turns her adversaries into stone rather than killing them. This ensures the young audience realizes the extent of her cruelty without being subjected to any gore or brutality. As per the studio’s policy, there is no bloodshed shown at all, taking away the realism of battle. The armors worn by the Pevensies during the climactic battle resembles Arthurian armors, a throwback to the legends of the golden age of England. The mythical creatures of Narnia like the centaurs and fauns conform to the stereotypical images as represented by Greek and Roman mythology. Interestingly enough, the villain of the piece is always portrayed in white, as opposed to the conventional black, keeping with the theme of ice and snow being her weapons of choice.
Scenes of "Narnia": (top left) preparing for battle is ominous yet the bright colours and lighting suggest hope, (top right) old-fashioned armour protect the Pevensies, (bottom left) the icy-cold White Witch of Narnia in her snow motif of white and blue, (bottom right) warm colours bathe the house of Mr Tumnus the faun.In “Pan’s Labyrinth”, Ophelia’s escape to another world is not only temporary throughout the bulk of the story, but also superficial. Not only does she never see the magical world she once belonged to, her interaction with the mysterious faun and other creatures are limited as well. After every meeting she has with the faun, whereupon she receives further instructions about the three tasks she must complete, she has to always return back home to reality. Although set in Spain, the film-makers and producers are Mexican, and the film represents an essentially Mexican aesthetic. Thus, the fact that Ophelia returns home to reality until her tasks are complete seems to convey the fact that Mexican culture is more pragmatic and upfront in presenting the nature of the world to their children. Mexico has long undergone many socio-economic and political struggles; much of the exposure to reality was undergone at an early age for most people. Their sensibilities do not imply that there is anything to be gained from sheltering their children from reality.
The presence of the war is much more strongly felt in “Pan’s Labyrinth.” As a Spanish army captain under the Franco regime, Captain Vidal ensures any Spanish Maquis guerillas found are dealt with appropriately – murdered, execution style. The iron grip of the Fascist regime is shown in the cruelty of Captain Vidal and his actions. The central theme is about how the right path of self-sacrifice and nobility is always harder is represented both in Ophelia’s quest to rejoin her kind in her magical world, as well as the struggle between the Spanish rebels and Franco regime. Ophelia’s ultimate goal to escape her mortal world can only be achieved through patience, perseverance, fearlessness and unwavering faith in her task – much like the rebels. Within a mythical quest, thus lies a socio-political message. In wanting to topple the Fascist regime so that Spain may become a democracy and belong the to the people again, and in returning to the Underground Realm, the Spanish rebels and Ophelia both seek to return something to their rightful places.
The classic villain: Captain Vidal, the main villain of the piece, relfects evil in his actions and ideology. His constant ominous presence in Ophelia's life drives home the presence of WWII in the story.
The moral choices and questions of right and wrong are more ambiguous in this film. Ophelia cannot fully trust the faun and his intentions so she is always skeptical about the tasks she is presented. However, the deeper choices she has to make are difficult, some too complex for a ten year old to comprehend. Such moral dilemmas ring true to reality, where a right choice is never clear. Although the Spanish rebels engage in violent acts and rise against the government, they have noble intentions and therefore not the villains. This allows us to see the shades of grey present in people, that everyone is not always all good or all bad. Ophelia’s inner struggle between her desire to leave the world for someplace she belongs, and her love for her ailing, lonely mother adds complexity to her character. By giving her this complexity, the film-makers establish the onset of emotional maturity in what was once an innocent carefree child.
The central theme of the film is self-discovery and choice. While there is no clear message to the film, the thematic elements of inner conflict are presented in Ophelia’s tasks to rejoin her true parents in the Underground Realm. Ultimately, in sacrificing her own life, Ophelia proves her purity and innocence and finally enters her own world, where she is content and loved. The phantasmagorical elements of the film are obviously meant to fictionalize the events and set up the fantasy setting of the story. However, the constant shifts between the reality and the fantasy, and often its overlapping, remind the audience that reality is inescapable. What we can do to change it requires making the right decisions, which aren’t always easy to make. There are some Biblical elements to the film, such as the harsh consequences Ophelia faces after eating a grape in the Pale Man’s lair much like when Eve consumed the Forbidden Apple, but these are not very strongly presented.
Bad idea: Consuming any food from the Pale Man's table would wake him up. This advice Ophelia ignores from both the faun and the helpful sprites accompanying her in her task.
Visually, “Pan’s Labyrinth” is rich, complex and groundbreaking. The faun himself is a visual spectacle – contrary to all popular perceptions of faun, this creature was almost fearsome to behold, with an earthy motif to his appearance. The film-makers challenge convention especially in the design of the Pale Man – a horrific creature with his eyes in the palm of his hands. Lighting is used extensively to highlight the mood of the scene – dull and bleak whenever Captain Vidal is present, lush rich tones of red, oranges and browns in the Underworld realm, and mysterious shadows and shades of blue during Ophelia’s nighttime scenes with the faun. The clockwork motif present in all of del Toro’s films is also present- indicating that behind the magic there lies something very ordinary indeed. 
Phantasmagoria: (top left) mysterious faun in his earthly motif, (top middle) the horrific Pale Man, (top right) bright outdoor lighting for when Ophelia discovers the labyrinth, (bottom left) dim, ominous lighting for the presence of the Captain, (bottom middle) brilliant golds and browns in the Underworld Realm, (bottom right) mysterious blues and greens when meeting the faun.
Two similarly-themed films, thus, differ greatly in their message and perception simply by presentation. While essentially telling the story through the eyes of children, we see how differently children from two cultures view the same world and cope with the same struggles.
