In class we were tasked with breaking down points on a slideshow of a narrative analysis of Pan’s Labyrinth. In this we broke down character functions, conflicts, themes, and the structure and how analysing the narrative can help the audience understand and breakdown the film.

This helped understand the film by:

• Knowing the context behind the scenes (structure). This helps in that we understand where Pan’s is set and why it’s happening. The context the structure gives is crucial to how we understand the monsters in the story and how they relate to the real world in parallels.
• Understanding he characters key roles. Categorising the charterers as their character types helps to understand the film in more depth as we get to know their importance to the story.
• Getting to know the conflicts in the film broadens the audiences understanding. It makes the audience think about the film on a deeper level then at face value.
• The themes in a narrative analysis help the audience by showing clear, or not so clear, opposing sides to the story and provide clarity to what the story’s core morals are. In Pan’s this is the acts of defiance that Ofelia takes even when her opposite, Vidal, is trying to make her conform. She is also a symbol of the rebellion, likewise Vidal is also a symbol but for fascist Spain.
• When analysing a film, even on a small scale, it makes the film easier to comprehend and ‘get’ what’s going on. A narrative breakdown does this by making you think about the different elements of what makes up the narrative in a deeper way.