Throughout the film, the theme of obedience and disobedience is explored. Obedience to commands without thinking of morals is linked to fascism and Vidal. Disobeying is praised, Ofelia succeeds in her tasks because she disobeys, she picks a different lock (the left lock which is linked to left wing) and doesn’t follow the fauns commands to harm her brother, she follows her correct morals and doesn’t spill the blood of an innocent (“You promised to obey me! Give me the boy!”). The doctor, explicitly says that obeying without thinking is something that Vidal would do, and frowns upon him for. The doctor disobeys Vidal and kills the rebel to prevent him from anymore suffering, causing his own death (“But Captain, to obey – just like that – for obedience’s sake… without questioning… That’s something only people like you do.”).

Key Quotes

• “You promised to obey me! Give me the boy!”
• “But Captain, to obey – just like that – for obedience’s sake… without questioning… That’s something only people like you do.”

Obeying commands could also link to the repeated link to words and how much they actually mean. Throughout the film ,words (and therefore commands) are portrayed as unimportant. When Ofelia doesn’t want to call Vidal her father, she is told that it is just a word. Suggesting that there is no meaning behind it, it’s a hollow word. Plus, when Ofelia is asked to give up the baby by the faun, she initially shakes her head instead of saying no, suggesting that actions can speak louder than words. Also, the lullaby is wordless. It’s even explicitly said so, as Mercedes says the lullaby she knows she cannot remember the words of. But the lullaby is significant and is a motif throughout the film, suggesting that words aren’t as important as they seem, and therefore another reason why listening to commands shouldn’t come before morals. It could also suggest genuine emotion and empathy, that Mercedes genuinely cares for Ofelia, because she isn’t speaking hollow words  but is instead showing how she cares (actions speak louder than words) that is also played during her death, emphasising the emotion behind the wordless song, unlike the commands of Vidal that he both gives and would receive.