Quotes / Pan's Labyrinth

"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's 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..."

—The Faun, setting up the film's premise

"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, telling her unborn brother a story

Ofelia: My name is Ofelia. Who are you?
The Faun: 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... I am a faun. Your most humble servant, Your Highness.

Ofelia: [to the giant toad] Hello. I am Princess Moanna, and I am not afraid of you.

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: The 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.

"The moon will be full in three 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."

—The Faun, after Ofelia fails the second task

Captain Vidal: Why did you do it?
Dr. Ferreiro: It was the only thing I could do.
Captain Vidal: No. You could have obeyed me.
Dr. 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?
Dr. Ferreiro: To obey — just like that — for the sake of obeying, without questioning… that's something only people like you can do, Captain.

The 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]
The Faun: You promised to obey me! Give me the boy!
Ofelia: No! My brother stays with me.
The Faun: You would give up your sacred rights for this brat you barely know?!
Ofelia: Yes, I would.
The Faun: You would give up your throne for him?! He who has caused you such misery, such humiliation?!
Ofelia: Yes, I would.

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

"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 Faun, during the closing scenes

Mom: Have you seen the movie Pan's Labyrinth?
Me: Yes, why?
Mom: [Family Friend] wanted to know if it would be good to show her kids.
Me: Um, no, not at all.
Mom: Why not? It's kind of like Harry Potter, right?
Me: Well… it takes place in post-civil war times in Spain, shows a graphic partial miscarriage, contains a terrifying monster that bites off the heads of fairies, and a little girl gets shot and killed on camera.
Mom: ...
Me: Plus, it's entirely in Spanish.
Mom: ...Right, I'll tell her not to show it to them.

—Not Always Right

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