Spanish Civil War 1936-1939

The Spanish Civil War took place from ______ to 1939.

The Republicans were loyal to the democratic and ______ Second Spanish Republic.

The Nationalists were led by General ______ Franco.

Captain Vidal is a symbol for ______ and military formality.

Vidal wants his son to be born into ______'s 'new Spain'.

Vidal controls those around him through means of ______ and violence rather than compassion.

The Pale Man is shown as a ______ ruler, an all-powerful entity ruling with fear and violence.

The Pale Man punishes any act of ______ or defiance.

Del Toro creates a link between The Pale Man & ______; uses a similar image for both as they are both sitting at the head of a grand and lavish table in scenes shown in quick succession.

Pan's Labyrinth is an allegorical commentary on the ______ Civil War.

Ofelia's brother is reminiscent of ______ Juan Carlos.

Del Toro's negative views on ______/Catholicism are evident through the way they are represented in the film.

The banquet scene represents Vidal and the ______ attending a meal, shown as uncaring authoritarian figures.

The rebels are represented fairly positively in the film, shown to be more ______ and compassionate than the fascists.

Spanish Civil War Context

Spain's civil war (1936-1939) was a battle between democracy (Republicans) and fascism (Nationalists)
Republicans, loyal to the democratic Second Spanish Republic, allied with Anarchists
Nationalists, led by General Francisco Franco, were largely aristocratic and conservative
Falangist refers to the Spanish Falange Movement

Pan's Labyrinth and Spanish Civil War Allegory

The film takes place in 1944, 5 years after Franco's regime began, and still shows resistance to fascism in Spain
Captain Vidal represents fascist ideals, using fear and violence to control others, mirroring Franco's regime
Vidal's character is a symbol of punctuality and military formality, wanting his son to be born into Franco's 'new Spain'
The film links fascist mythologies to the use of fantasy, presenting a mythology of heroism

Representation in Politics and Religion

Del Toro's negative views on fascism and Catholicism are evident in the film's representation
Vidal and the Priest are represented as uncaring authoritarians, embodying the middle class and ruling elite
The banquet scene negatively represents Catholicism, reflecting Del Toro's own negative feelings towards his Catholic upbringing
In contrast, rebels are represented positively, shown to be compassionate, comradely, and freedom-loving

Symbolism and Character Representation

Ofelia represents the Spanish nation, specifically the martyrs who fought and died for the Republican cause
Ofelia's brother is reminiscent of King Juan Carlos, who endured decades of Franco's regime before emerging as a democrat and savior of the nation
Vidal is allegorically equivalent to Franco, with both characters ruling with fear and violence
The Pale Man is a totalitarian ruler, mirroring Spain's brutal reality, and is linked to Vidal through similar imagery

Test your knowledge of the Spanish Civil War, a brutal conflict that lasted from 1936 to 1939, pitting the democratic Republicans against the fascist Nationalists.