Fascist ideals are in place after winning
the Civil War, meaning many people
hadto devote themselves to supporting
fascism and general Franco.
In the film there are women and children beingf
treated as second-class, for example, how Ofelia's
mother, Carmen, is opressed by her husband, and
how Mercedes is never suspected of helping the
rebels as she is not deemed capable of doing so
Politically
The Fascist regime had just won
the civil war, although pockets of
left-wing rebels has survived
General Franco had begun to lead a military style
dictatatorship, and opponents to the regime were
at risk of persecution from the new government
Ideologically
The nature of Franco's dictatorship
made it dangerous to have ideas that
contradicted fascist ideals
For example, devotion to a strong leader, emphasises the military, so this
ideology was dominant
Del Toro's influences
His influences aren't so much associated
with society and history, but mythology,
fairytales, and specifically, his film 'El
Espinaz del Diablo'
The story of the film itself is in the style of a fairy-tale, containing typical aspects. There is also a fairy-tale told within the
film, and Ofelia is constantly reading such stories The opening of the film, and Ofelia is constantly reading such stories.
For example, the number three as Ofelia is given three tasks