Pan’s Labyrinth (2006) April 27, 2007
Posted by gproject in : Recently Viewed , trackbackDirected by: Guillermo del Toro
Hailed as a masterpiece by many, this adult fairytale from fantasy director Guillermo del Toro (Blade II, Hellboy) was a huge hit on its release last year. After premiering at Cannes in May, the film pulled a Midas on its subsequent tour around various film festivals, receiving golden reviews wherever it went. That’s more expectation than you would expect for a Spanish-language fantasy movie – can it really transcend the hype?
The story takes place in 1944 fascist Spain, as Ofelia and her pregnant mother are sent to live in a rural Northern area alongside the Spanish army. Ofelia, a lover of fairy tales, hates her new stepfather; a brutal army captain, but finds sanctuary from a mysterious fawn who lives in the woods. He tells Ofelia she is actually an important princess, but in order to prove her rightful place she must complete three tasks. Failure means she can never return to the kingdom, so Ofelia sets out to do the Fawn’s bidding.
Del Toro wanted to break up his Hollywood work by producing a movie in his native Mexico – this film has fallen between Hellboy and the currently in-production Hellboy 2: The Golden Army – but it is interesting that Pan’s Labyrinth has received more recognition and praise than any of his earlier work, Hollywood or otherwise. It is definitely an ‘adult’ fairytale, with a strong emphasis on adult. There are some moments of quite brutal violence which certainly aren’t intended for children.
The film features fantastic performances from the central cast, especially Ivana Baquero playing the central character of Ofelia. She was apparently chosen from over 1000 young girls who auditioned, the age of the character rising from 9 to 11 in order to accommodate her. Needless to say, it was worthwhile. Guillermo del Toro directs the picture with vision and flair - he is clearly passionate about his work, especially fantasy pictures such as this one. His script too is excellent, never dragging its feet over the hour and fifty minute running time. I actually barely felt the time pass.
If there’s one observation I noted, it’s that going in I expected more fantasy, and less of the Spanish civil war segments. As it turns out, this film is way too grounded than to let its magical elements run away with the story. For the most part, we are in the harsh, cold conditions of the war, with only small scenes dedicated to the mysterious world that Ofelia finds herself discovering.
I thought that it was a very ‘real’ fantasy drama, if I can use that oxymoron, and this is what held my attention so well for the duration of the movie. Its overt use of violence and horror elements brought about a genuine air of intrigue that is so often lost in regular children’s fantasies. It didn’t completely blow me away like it has so many others, but given my usual disposition for fantasy fare, not hating it is a major result. I can certainly recommend this film to anyone, even if you’re on the fence about fantasy flicks, because there’s genuine heart in this one.
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