Before his 2017 film, The Shape Of Water became a critically acclaimed success and took home the Academy Award for Best Picture, esteemed writer/director Guillermo Del Toro's first feature film, Cronos (which he wrote and directed) was released in 1993. Del Toro would go on to write and direct films such as Mimic (1997), The Devil's Backbone (2001), and Hellboy (2004).
However, Del Toro didn't truly begin to garner the appreciation he deserved until around the time his 2007 fantasy film, Pan's Labyrinth was released. The latter movie really put Del Toro's name on the map, and brought on significant critical acclaim, for good reason. Before The Shape Of Water was even thought of, Pan's Labyrinth was Guillermo Del Toro's modern-day masterpiece. The film was powerful, compelling, and unforgettable. Here are some of the most memorable and captivating quotes from the dark fantasy film.
"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..."
Pan's Labyrinth's opening lines are some of the most memorable of any film. The story begins as told by Pan, the titular faun who serves as Ofelia's guide and "most humble servant" throughout the film. The start of Pan's Labyrinth details Ofelia's previous life as a Princess in an underground world.
During Pan's voiceover, the film reveals how Princess Moanna's death was brought on by her dream of seeing the human world, and how she was later reborn as a human named Ofelia.
"You Won't Be The First Pig I've Gutted!"
Pan's Labyrinth's main antagonist was not some mystical forest creature, as one might expect from a fantasy film, but rather, it was a narcissistic human called Captain Vidal. Pan's Labyrinth took place in Spain, 1944, in an unnamed rural setting presumably located somewhere outside Madrid.
The film is set at the beginning of the Francoist period, and the Falangist Vidal's main past time is torturing various captives and servants. In an unforgettable scene, Mercedes - one of the film's most endearing characters - called out Captain Vidal, telling him, "don't you dare touch the girl (Ofelia)".
"The World Is A Cruel Place. And You'll Learn That, Even If It Hurts."
A memorable aspect of the film happens when Ofelia's mother - who was pregnant with the Captain's baby - began to fall ill. The Captain was only interested in the well-being of his unborn child, and thus, it was up to Ofelia to help her mother.
Pan ends up giving Ofelia a Mandrake Root, which she places in a bowl of milk under her mother's bed, feeding it drops of blood. However, the power of the Mandrake Root doesn't get the chance to work; Carmen throws it in the fire, frustrated with Ofelia's affinity for fairy tales.
"It Is In Pain That We Find The Meaning Of Life."
Ofelia's relationship with her mother, Carmen, is a major focal point in the film. Their bond is shown to be a strong one in the beginning, especially since Ofelia's father's death. It is ultimately Carmen who put her daughter in danger by marrying the captain.
This also ultimately results in tragedy for Carmen, who dies in childbirth. At her funeral, a memorable eulogy was given and included one of the most famous lines in the film: "it is in pain that we find the meaning of life".
"I Am Princess Moanna, And I Am Not Afraid Of You."
When Ofelia has the revelation that she is the reincarnation of Princess Moanna, she begins to refer to herself by her original name, and then the adventures begin. The creatures in Pan's Labyrinth were unique and often terrifying; the Pale Man is one of the most notable movie monsters of all time.
However, the mythical beings in this film weren't all terrifying; several of the creatures were beautiful and mysterious, such as the fairies Ofelia encounters. One of the most memorable beasts in the film, however, was a giant toad that occupied an old tree and ate roaches.
"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."
The faun named Pan appeared several times throughout the films, and his motives sometimes appeared to be unclear. Ofelia learns some harsh lessons at the hands of the faun, and mystery surrounds the creature for the entirety of Pan's Labyrinth.
When Ofelia asks the Faun his name, he responds in an ambiguous monologue before telling her that his name is Pan and that he is her most humble servant.
"Arise, My Daughter. Come. You Have Spilled Your Own Blood Rather Than The Blood Of An Innocent."
Princess Moanna's death devastated her father, who waited for her return for centuries in their underground kingdom.
After Ofelia sacrifices herself for the sake of her newborn half-brother, she is shot by Captain Vidal, and her blood opens the portal to the underworld. It is then that Ofelia reincarnates to her true form as Princess Moanna and is welcomed into her Kingdom by her father.
"Good - One More And You're Free."
Captain Vidal is easily one of Del Toro's most brutal and terrifying antagonists. His reign is felt throughout the entirety of Pan's Labyrinth, and he is shown to have killed countless innocent people. His workers lived in fear of him, as did the entire village.
In a memorable, shocking scene, Vidal tells one of his captives, El Tarta, that if he can count to three without stuttering, he will be released. El Tarta begins to count but stutters the word "three", which prompts Vidal to viciously kill him.
"He Won't Even Know Your Name."
At the end of the film, Captain Vidal fatally shoots Ofelia, and by the time Mercedes and her brother, Pedro, discover her body, it's far too late. Heartbroken, Mercedes held the dying child and hummed her lullaby - which became a very well-known aspect of Pan's Labyrinth.
Mercedes and Pedro do manage to avenge Ofelia's death though; Pedro ultimately shoots and kills the Captain, immediately after Mercedes tells the Captain that his son will not even know his name.
"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."
The ending of Pan's Labyrinth managed to be simultaneously heartbreaking and uplifting. Following the death of Ofelia and the Captain and the victory of the resistance, the film concludes to a voiceover by Pan, which details the life of Princess Moanna after she was reincarnated.
The final scene shows Ofelia return as Princess Moanna, where she meets her father and mother in the underground realm. The last shot of the film is of a flower blooming as a stick insect lands next to it, while Pan's voiceover states that the princess left behind traces of her life on earth.