Pan's Labyrinth (2006)

"And it is said that 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." - Pan

The power of the innocent is celebrated in this 2006 Spanish film, written and directed by Guillermo del Toro. The story begins with a narration of the Underworld’s lost princess who dared to venture the human world and died fulfilling her desire. Soon afterwards, it introduces the character of Ofelia, an innocent fairy tale-loving child who was to live with her sadist army general stepfather because it was the only way her mother knew how to keep her and her unborn brother safe at the time. In a single night, Ofelia’s new yet miserable life is about to change as she is led to a faun who claims her to be the lost princess. The story definitely does not end there as she is yet to accomplish three tasks to prove that she is worthy to return to her kingdom.

Pan’s Labyrinth is truly a captivating film that is not your typical children’s fantasy stories. The historical reference certainly heightened the plot but it was still able to work well with the fantasy aspect of the film – it was a fantasy film that had just the right amount of “enchanting” going on to make the story “magical”.