Pan’s Labyrinth (2006) is a fantasy film by esteemed director and writer Guillermo del Toro. The film has won numerous awards for its dark portrayal of a childlike fairytale. Jojo Rabbit (2019) on the other hand, is a dramedy by critically acclaimed filmmaker Taika Waititi.
Both the films focus on protagonists, Ofelia and Jojo who are both children living through politically disturbing times. If you have not watched either film, I suggest you do so. This comparison is going to be full of spoilers!
Ofelia is the stepdaughter of a Francoist captain, years after the Spanish civil war. Her stepfather is responsible for crushing the pockets of opposition to Franco’s dictatorship in 1944. During this period of bleakness and fascism, Ofelia finds solace in the labyrinth she stumbles upon. In the labyrinth, she meets otherworldly creatures that take her on fantastical adventures. One day in the labyrinth she meets a faun that provides her with tasks, and the main task she has to undertake is to explore the underworld her father lives in. Ofelia’s biological father is considered a king in the underworld and the film documents her trying to find him. Ofelia’s survival in this cruel, fascist regime and oppressive household is dependent on her dreams.
Ofelia uses her imagination to escape from her harsh reality and embarks on a journey to this fantastical world her father exists in as often as she can. It is only when Ofelia dreams or goes to the labyrinth that she is truly free.
Not too far away from Francoist Spain, Johannes “Jojo” Betzler is a Hitler Youth who strives to be the perfect aryan boy. He attends Hitler Youth camp where he is truly introduced to the cruelty of nazism, as he is taunted by the other youths for not being ruthless and brutal enough. The Hitler Youth camp is where he earns the title “Jojo Rabbit” after he is unable to kill a rabbit at the request of older children. Throughout the film, Jojo is accompanied by an imaginary friend, a cartoonish version of Hitler (played by Waititi), who highlights the absurdity of Jojo’s indoctrination. A crucial turning point in the film is Jojo finding out his mother has been hiding a young Jewish girl in his home. And instead of handing her in to the Gestapo, we see a young boy fighting to protect her. Jojo is forced to confront nazism for what it is, a barbaric ideology and unlearn everything he has known his whole life. Devastatingly, later in the film Jojo finds his mother hanged in the town square for distributing anti-nazism information. Towards the end of the film, Jojo Rabbit developed into the antithesis of what he knew and fought against fascism through different acts of bravery.
Ultimately, both Ofelia and Jojo use their imaginations to escape their difficult realities and unlearn everything they have been exposed to. Both films are set during the same period which is important because during a time of rife fascism, it would be hard to see a light at the end of the tunnel. But, Ofelia and Jojo, two incredibly young protagonists use resilience and courage to fight against oppression.
