[caption id=”attachment_359” align=”alignnone” width=”220”]Pan's_Labyrinth.jpg 擷取自:https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/67/Pan%27s_Labyrinth.jpg[/caption]

電影背景:此電影為雙線結構,冰冷現實和夢幻的兩重世界所交織的故事。第一線是暴力血腥又無情的真實世界,西班牙內戰剛結束不久,零星的反法西斯游擊隊仍在活動抵抗佛朗哥將軍主導的法西斯政權。第二線是夢幻和逃避的想像世界,小女孩Ofelia跟著嫁給殘暴上尉的母親來到鄉下據點,Ofelia在森林裡發現了一座古老的迷宮,迷宮裡的羊男告訴她,其實她的真實身分是地下世界的公主,為了恢復公主的身分,她必須完成三項困難的任務。電影背後有著奇幻故事和現實間的對映關係,虛與實對映的故事蘊藏現實與真理。

短評:本片影評皆在解釋故事的雙重性,如強調電影的成人童話特質、琢磨於電影的真實虛假及導演想要藉由這種二元的抉擇與辯證傳達什麼意義,我想單純從電影的對白中表達我的看法。

電影的第一幕也是故事的最後一幕,是Ofelia死亡的結束(對她而言可能是種解脫)。故事從呼Pan給予Ofelia的承諾開始:

Pan: A long time ago, in the underground realm, where there are no lies or pain, there lived a Princess who dreamed of the human world. She dreamed of blue skies, soft breeze, and sunshine. One day, eluding her keepers, the Princess escaped. Once outside, the brightness blinded her and erased every trace of the past from her memory. She forgot who she was and where she came from. Her body suffered cold, sickness, and pain. 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. And he would wait for her, until he drew his last breath, until the world stopped turning…

這裡揭示了一個弔詭的現象,人們嚮往的世界並不一定美好,可能有痛苦、老死,但是Pan堅持給Ofelia一個烏托邦式的國度,期望她盲從的完成任務,才可以回到真正的家;然而,如果童話世界也不能挑戰威權,只能服從命令,那這樣的世界與殘忍隊長Vidal有什麼分別?

Capitán Vidal: You could have obeyed me! Doctor: But Captain, to obey - just like that - for obedience’s sake… without questioning… That’s something only people like you do.

隊長的威權不容質疑,假使不服從,即便是救人性命的醫生,也只有喪命一途;真實人間如此殘酷,但夢幻世界亦然,豈不諷刺?

這句話也貫穿了整個故事,Ofelia不聽從Pan的話,不為了進入理想的世界當公主而犧牲自己的弟弟;醫生不再盲目服從隊長而是選擇了醫生的職業道德,他們依然在選擇中遵從自己的心意。然而,只有Capitán Vidal留著戰死父親的懷表,遵從父親的遺志並想把遺志傳給兒子,對比出不同角色對待『盲目的服從』此一態度的行動。

片中Capitán Vidal的殘忍是有目共睹的,可以不分青紅皂白的致人於死,他以自負、驕傲的態度帶領著團隊,以權威統治著據點,拼命想要完成國家交付的任務;面對家庭,他也扮演著傳統父親的角色:

Capitán Vidal: I choose to be here because I want my son to be born in a new, clean Spain.

這也是那個時代所推崇的男人表率,當個為國奉獻的軍人,打擊反抗者。

關於Ofelia的媽媽Carmen這個角色,影評中鮮少被討論,然而,我認為她很貼近現代家庭的某種層面;她是一個務實的生活者,清楚的知道自己的命運與任務,但這也代表那個時代女性的悲哀,目的只為生子並維持家庭的和平:

Carmen: The captain has been so good to us… Please, Ofelia, call him father. It’s just a word, Ofelia, just a word.

Carmen: Come here with me, and sit by your father’s side.

其實,仔細想想,這跟現代家庭有那麼一分相似,許多家庭不也是靠著孩子來聯繫?夫妻間沒有什麼交談、對話,形同陌路、同床異夢,只是為了表面上美滿的家庭。而她也是戳破Ofelia幻想、看透現實的人:

Carmen: You’re getting older, and 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.

[throws the mandrake onto the fire]

Ofelia: No! No!

Carmen: Ofelia! Magic does not exist. Not for you, me or anyone else.

Carmen接受命運的安排,即使知道Capitán Vidal的惡行,但她選擇不反抗(也無力反抗)Vidal,做出一個風險最小、保護孩子的決定;相較之下,另一位劇中重要的女性-管家兼內間Mercedes-選擇抵抗Vidal,不管是在小孩抑或是政治立場上她都表現堅強的反抗意識:

Mercedes: [to Vidal] I’m not some old man! Or a wounded prisoner! Motherfucker… Don’t you dare touch the girl. You won’t be the first pig I’ve gutted!

Capitán Vidal: Tell my son the time that his father died. Tell him… Mercedes: No. He won’t even know your name.

但是,她內心是掙扎的:

Mercedes: I’m a coward. Pedro: You’re not a coward. Mercedes: Yes, I am. A coward - for living next to that son of a bitch, doing his laundry, making his bed, feeding him… What if the doctor’s right and we can’t win? Pedro: At least we’ll make things harder for that bastard.

在面對Ofelia的故事,她也是戳破Ofelia幻想的另一人:

Ofelia: Mercedes, do you believe in fairies?

Mercedes: No. But when I was a little girl, I did. I believed in a lot of things I don’t believe anymore.

Ofelia: Last night a fairy visited me.

這也看出Mercedes想告訴Ofelia:面對現實環境、拋開妄想是成長必經的過程。雖然最後游擊隊取得了小勝利,但以宏觀的角度來說,這些行動最終只是徒勞的。這使我思考一個問題:我們該如何看待犧牲和選擇?這些失敗的抗爭只是徒勞嗎?

其實,整部電影皆圍繞在『選擇』這一議題上,Mercedes要選擇隱忍還是持續反抗?Doctor選擇救孕婦還是孩子?Ofelia選擇犧牲自己還是弟弟?不同的抉擇將會導致截然不同的結果,無論好壞,重要的是面對自己所選的道路。我覺得整部電影的意涵為:如果以結果論,我們將會忽略許多過程中曾經存在的美好;對理想事物的堅持,即使失敗,依然有深遠的意義,只要領會其中的意義。

REFERENCE:

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0457430/quotes