Pages

Monday, June 10, 2013

PAN'S LABYRINTH [2006]

In Darkness, There Can Be Light
In Misery, There Can Be Beauty
In Death, There Can Be Life


 A long time ago, in the Underground Realm, where there are no lies or pain,

there lived a princess who dreamt of the human world.
She dreamt of blue skies, soft breeze and sunshine.
One day, eluding her keepers, the princess escaped.
Once outside, the bright sun blinded her and erased her memory.
She forgot who she was and where she came from.
Her body suffered cold, sickness and pain.
And eventually she died.
However, her father, the king, always knew that the princess' soul would return,
perhaps in another body, in another place, at another time.
He would wait for her, until he drew his last breath,
until the world stopped turning.

 Many, many years ago, in a sad, faraway land,

there was an enormous mountain made of rough, black stone.
 At sunset, on top of that mountain,
a magic rose blossomed every night that made whoever plucked it immortal.
 But no one dared go near it because its thorns were full of poison.
Men talked amongst themselves about their fear of death and pain,
but never about the promise of eternal life.
And every day, the rose wilted unable to bequeath its gift to anyone,
 forgotten and lost at the top of that cold, dark mountain,
forever alone, until the end of time.

 Ofelia: My name is Ofelia.

Who are you?
Fauno: Me?
I've had so many names.
Old names that only the wind and the trees can pronounce.
 I am the mountain, the forest and the earth.
I am a faun. 


You're Princess Moanna, daughter of the king of the underworld.
You are not born of man.
 It was the moon that bore you.
Look on your left shoulder and you will find a mark that proves it.
Your real father had us open portals all over the world to allow you to return.
 This is the last of them.
But we have to make sure that your essence is intact,
that you have not become a mortal.
~Fauno

 Mayor: Have I told you that I was acquainted with your father, Captain?

 Captain Vidal: No. I had no idea.
 Mayor: In Morocco.
I knew him only briefly, but he left a great impression.
 Captain Vidal: An excellent soldier.
Mayor: Then men in his battalion said that when General Vidal died on the battlefield,
  he smashed his watch on a rock so that his son would know the exact hour and minute of his death.
 So he would know how a brave man dies.
 Captain Vidal: Nonsense.
He didn't own a watch.

 Faun: She's so glad you succeeded.
Keep the key. You'll be needing it very soon.
 And this too, a piece of chalk.
Two tasks remain and the moon is almost full.
 Be patient.
We'll soon stroll through the 7 circular gardens of your palace.
 Ofelia: How do I know that what you say is true?
Faun: Why would a poor little faun like me lie to you? 

 Mercedes: What if the doctor's right and we can't win?
 Pedro: At least we'll make things harder for that bastard.

 Brother, little brother... if you can hear me, things out here aren't too good.
 But soon you'll have to come out.
You've made Mama very sick.
I want to ask you one favor for when you come out, just one; don't hurt her.
 You'll meet her, she's very pretty,
even though sometimes she's sad for days at a time. 
You'll see, when she smiles, you'll love her.
If you do what I say, I'll make you a promise.
I'll take you to my kingdom, and I'll make you a prince. 
I promise you, a prince. 

 Faun: You broke the rules!
Ofelia: It was only 2 grapes. 
I thought no one would notice. 
Faun: We've made a mistake!
Ofelia: A mistake?
Faun: You failed! You can never return! 
Ofelia: It was an accident!
Faun: You cannot return!
The moon will be full in 3 days.
Your spirit shall forever remain among the humans. 
You shall age like them, you shall die like them,
and all memory of you shall fade in time. 
And we'll vanish along with it. 
You will never see us again. 

 Things are not that simple.
You're getting older, soon you'll see that life isn't like your fairy tales.
The world is a cruel place. 
And you'll learn that, even if it hurts.
Magic does not exist.
Not for you, me or anyone else. 
~Carmen


 Captain Vidal: Why did you do it?
Doctor Ferreiro: It was the only thing I could do.
Captain Vidal: No, you could have obeyed me.
 Doctor Ferreiro: I could have, but I didn't.
Captain Vidal: It would have been better for you, you know it.
  I don't understand, why didn't you obey me?
 To obey-just like that-for the sake of obeying without questioning,
that's something only people like you can do, Captain. 

 Captain Vidal: You can go, Garces.
 Garces: You're sure, Captain?
 Captain Vidal: For God's sake, she's just a woman.
 Mercedes: That's what you've always thought.
 That's why I was able to get away with it.
 I was invisible to you.
Captain Vidal: Damn, you've found my weakness; Pride.

 Faun: The full moon is high in the sky, we can open the portal.
 Ofelia, about the dagger: Why is that in your hand?
 Faun: The portal will only open if we offer the blood of an innocent.
 Just a drop of blood. A pinprick, that's all.
 It's the final task.
Hurry!
[Ofelia shakes her head]
You promised to obey me! 
Give me the boy!
Ofelia: No!
 My brother stays with me.
Faun: You would give up your sacred rights for this brat you barely know?
  Ofelia: Yes, I would.
Faun: You would give up your throne for him? 
He who has caused you such misery, such humiliation?
 Ofelia: Yes, I would.
Faun: As you wish, Your Highness.

Captain Vidal: Tell my son, tell him what time his father died.
Tell him that I...
Mercedes: No.
  He won't even know your name.
[Pedro shoot him]

 The King: You have spilled your own blood rather than that of an innocent.
 That was the final task, and the most important.
Faun: And you chose well, Your Highness. 

 And it is said the princess returned to her father's kingdom.
That she reigned there with justice and a kind heart for many centuries. 
That she was loved by her people. 
And that she left behind small traces of her time on earth,
 visible only to those who know where to look.



***** 

No comments:

Post a Comment