Pan's Labyrinth (A- or 3.5/4 stars)
Darkness lies in 'Pan's Labyrinth', a foreign Fantasy film superbly written & directed by Guillermo Del Toro. This film tells the story of a young girl named Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) who arrives at a villa with her pregnant mother (Ariadna Gil) to live with new stepdad, Captain Vidal (Sergi Lopez). It is 1944 in rural, fascist Spain. Ofelia's real father is dead; she's not fond of her murderous stepfather; so she lives in an imaginary world where a faun (Doug Jones) explains to her that she must complete three tasks to take the rightful throne as princess in a fabled kingdom. There are almost no weaknesses in this movie. Literally, it's hard to find one. Amid the repression & death that Captain Vidal creates, the ambiguous authenticity of Ofelia's 'world' proves for a depressing, yet immensely thoughtful film.
Ofelia is a lonely, sullen bookworm. She escapes the harsh realities of life by reading her fairy tale books. Her stepfather is ridding the area of 'rebels' using brutal methods (whether they're guilty or not); she's in a miserable war zone. And it doesn't help that her mom is rather sick from the pregnancy. Whether it's fantasy or reality, Ofelia follows a fairy to a nearby labyrinth where she descends underground and encounters the aforementioned faun. He is tall, menacing, but oddly affectionate. Her first task involves casting some stones in the mouth of a giant frog to receive a key. The second daunting task involves stealing & escaping from a baby-eating monster whose eyes reside in his hands. And the final task really decides her fate as either human, or princess of the underworld.
Her tasks are hard to complete because her ailing mom, ominous stepfather, & caring housekeeper, Mercedes (Maribel Verdu), are in constant need of her; everything's in disarray. Though her fantasy world is full of wonderful creatures & gorgeous places, the imminent, urgent dangers of her reality are over-powering. The resistance fighters in the hills are trying to take-down Capt. Vidal and end the bloody Civil War. But Vidal is ruthless; stopping at nothing to get what he desires. Example: his new wife is ill with child, and he exclaims that if it's necessary, save the baby boy, let the mother die. Will innocence or evil prevail? Can Ofelia differentiate what's real & what isn't? Since the film is a fairy tale of sorts, is her fantasy ... a reality? What's to come of the rebels, Ofelia's mom, Vidal's plans? And what role will the loving, yet mysterious housekeeper play in all of this? Most of the answers are chilling, traumatic, often blunt, but ultimately inspiring.
I don't know where Del Toro found Ivana Baquero, but she carries this weighty film on her shoulders amazingly well; she's an impressive foreign newcomer. Sergi Lopez is disgustingly loathsome as Vidal; job well done. And Maribel Verdu, as Mercedes, is extremely good as a warm presence in an extremely harrowing film. The musical score: haunting. The cinematography: rich & beautiful. The production design: uniquely macabre. The sound design: crisp & unsettling. But the scary creatures that are featured in superb costumes & otherworldly make-up pretty much steal the show. The scene when Ofelia has to escape from the baby-eating monster is terrifying because of his looks alone. Everything in this movie is mesmerizing to behold.
'Pan's Labyrinth' is also genius in its ambiguity. Maybe Ofelia's 'world' IS grounded in reality. There are many scenes which can be interpreted as either 'fantastic' or real. If you take this tale at face value, it's one of the most depressing movies you'll ever see. But if you see it through Ofelia's eyes (and follow some clues), then the opening scene to the closing credits is, in & of itself, a rich and apparent fairy tale; changing the entire complexion of what you've seen for 110 minutes. The violent nature of the story will not appeal to all audiences. And if you have to grimace & shield your eyes more than 3 times, than it can take away from your overall experience. But darkness and ambiguity aside, it's an original film that deserves many accolades.
Ofelia is a lonely, sullen bookworm. She escapes the harsh realities of life by reading her fairy tale books. Her stepfather is ridding the area of 'rebels' using brutal methods (whether they're guilty or not); she's in a miserable war zone. And it doesn't help that her mom is rather sick from the pregnancy. Whether it's fantasy or reality, Ofelia follows a fairy to a nearby labyrinth where she descends underground and encounters the aforementioned faun. He is tall, menacing, but oddly affectionate. Her first task involves casting some stones in the mouth of a giant frog to receive a key. The second daunting task involves stealing & escaping from a baby-eating monster whose eyes reside in his hands. And the final task really decides her fate as either human, or princess of the underworld.
Her tasks are hard to complete because her ailing mom, ominous stepfather, & caring housekeeper, Mercedes (Maribel Verdu), are in constant need of her; everything's in disarray. Though her fantasy world is full of wonderful creatures & gorgeous places, the imminent, urgent dangers of her reality are over-powering. The resistance fighters in the hills are trying to take-down Capt. Vidal and end the bloody Civil War. But Vidal is ruthless; stopping at nothing to get what he desires. Example: his new wife is ill with child, and he exclaims that if it's necessary, save the baby boy, let the mother die. Will innocence or evil prevail? Can Ofelia differentiate what's real & what isn't? Since the film is a fairy tale of sorts, is her fantasy ... a reality? What's to come of the rebels, Ofelia's mom, Vidal's plans? And what role will the loving, yet mysterious housekeeper play in all of this? Most of the answers are chilling, traumatic, often blunt, but ultimately inspiring.
I don't know where Del Toro found Ivana Baquero, but she carries this weighty film on her shoulders amazingly well; she's an impressive foreign newcomer. Sergi Lopez is disgustingly loathsome as Vidal; job well done. And Maribel Verdu, as Mercedes, is extremely good as a warm presence in an extremely harrowing film. The musical score: haunting. The cinematography: rich & beautiful. The production design: uniquely macabre. The sound design: crisp & unsettling. But the scary creatures that are featured in superb costumes & otherworldly make-up pretty much steal the show. The scene when Ofelia has to escape from the baby-eating monster is terrifying because of his looks alone. Everything in this movie is mesmerizing to behold.
'Pan's Labyrinth' is also genius in its ambiguity. Maybe Ofelia's 'world' IS grounded in reality. There are many scenes which can be interpreted as either 'fantastic' or real. If you take this tale at face value, it's one of the most depressing movies you'll ever see. But if you see it through Ofelia's eyes (and follow some clues), then the opening scene to the closing credits is, in & of itself, a rich and apparent fairy tale; changing the entire complexion of what you've seen for 110 minutes. The violent nature of the story will not appeal to all audiences. And if you have to grimace & shield your eyes more than 3 times, than it can take away from your overall experience. But darkness and ambiguity aside, it's an original film that deserves many accolades.