MovieChat Forums > El laberinto del fauno (2007) Discussion > Question about the mother

Question about the mother

posted 11 years ago by OGPhanatic
4 replies | jump to latest

(Spoilers)

Just saw the movie and loved it, but I have a question. At the end of the movie, the queen turns out to be Ofelia's mother from the "real" world. I'm confused about this. It makes sense if you believe it was all imaginary and this was heaven or something, but if you believe that everything was real (which I do), then how do you explain the mother being the queen? Like, was the queen in the real world with her daughter the whole time? Why/how? Thanks!

[–] Reechandi 11 years ago

I think you kind of answered your question. Everything was created by Ofelia as a means of escaping her horrible reality. Her mother being the queen furthers that notion. Ofelia loved her mother and it would make sense she would consider her a queen. Also, everything follows the "rule of three" which is very common in fairy tales.

[–] biboiblaise 10 years ago

Well, she was the queen of the underworld, the realm of the dead. And Carmen was dead in the "real" world just as Ofelia was.

[–] raf-33 9 years ago

The underworld is only the realm of dead in Greek mythology, but funnily enough that's where Pan comes from, so it's difficult to not make that connection.

I didn't see their Underworld as the realm of dead, but more like the hidden world where the Elves live in Hellboy II, out of sight and out of mind.

But again the Greek connection is still there.

Ya Kirk-loving Spocksucker!

[–] AccidntlTourist 7 years ago

... was the queen in the real world with her daughter the whole time?

Great question.

I've read at least a couple posts that said that the director meant this not to be an imaginary world of escape, but a real underground kingdom.

So, maybe it is up to us to offer explanations / theories as to why mother is the same in both places.

Maybe - given magical powers - the queen mother felt it was inconceivable that any mortal spirit could take her place as mother (even if it meant she - the queen would not remember who she was in the above ground world - just like her daughter).

The queen became the vessel for the rebirth of her daughter.

Also, she would not want her child to suffer the loss of a human mother; this pain would have been nearly unbearable and confusing. Given such powers - why put the princess thru such pain.

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