Ruminations, Musings and Other Stuff…

Movie Review: Pan’s Labyrinth

Written and Directed by: Guillermo del Toro
US Release: 2006
Rated R. (definitely keep the kiddies at home)

I’ve sort of kept the Movie Reviews section barren, writing reviews of movies that I’m only smitten with; negatively or positively. Time’s been too precious lately to do it any other way. So, I apologize if you’ve been expecting more, but this how this section of the site going to roll, so get used to it.

On to the review!

Melinda and I had been psyched and eagerly awaiting the release of “Pan’s Labyrinth” for months now and when we saw it was getting released at Galaxy Cinema, we smelled a date night brewing! So we went there this last Friday to catch it on opening night. Our precious little indie theater was buzzing with like minded fans and the curious, so I grabbed a beer and a hot chai from the lobby for Mel, and we settled in as the lights went low.

What came after was, to me anyways, a revival of what made film so enchanting when I was younger. So much film today is vacuous, and devoid of any substance. People pay their eight bucks and just sit down and tune out. It’s been this way for years now. Though this year and last year have tried turn it all around, bringing some engaging cinema that really commanded your attention, and in the end, gained your respect. This was especially true in the independent and foreign film arena! “Pan’s” being a Spanish import to the states kicks this year off perfectly.

The movie itself, has been dubbed “a fairy tale for adults” and while the description is apt, it not exactly fair. I’d call it a period piece really. At its core it’s a movie about two small factions battling it out to the bitter end at what is now the end of the Spanish Civil war. Post-war Fascist repression is at its height, and when our main character, a young girl named Ofelia (played by Ivana Baquero, who’s performance is, in a word, perfect), is introduced, she is in a car with her pregnant mother heading out into the woods to one of the last outposts in Northern Spain to reluctantly live with her new step-dad (played by Sergi López with cold, calculated psychosis. He had my blood run cold several times). A ruthless man who has dedicated his life to the eradication of the guerrilla resistance that has embedded itself out in the surrounding wilderness. He’s that captain of this outpost and his character is easily the scariest part of this movie.

This last stand, between these two groups is the real crux of the film and as I said before, there is more of this story told in the movie, than any of the fantasy elements. Though the two are woven together seamlessly.

You see, Ofelia has immersed herself in a fantasy world that she walks in, in tandem, to the “real” world. She escapes the horrors that surround her in this war torn land that she inhabits and finds whimsy in the everyday. Fairies fly, secret kingdoms have yet to be found, and friends are incredible creatures that fill her mind, and the screen, for her and us to stare at in awe.

It’s so endearing to see really, and it hit home for me specifically because during the toughest times in my life as a child, while not remotely comparable to Ofelia’s, I too often sought solace in my imagination; creating lands, characters, and stories to wrap them all up in. People would often walk in on me talking to GI Joe figures or nothing at all, wondering what was going on in my head. So I got an immense amount of pleasure watching Ofelia’s adventures erupt on the screen with such ferocity and authenticity.

There are some incredible scenes in this and I won’t give anything away, but suffice it to say, the fantasy parts in this film are ground breaking in the use of practical effects, using very little computer generated effects at all. It gives the creatures such an authentic feel, not to mention the bizarre creativity that went into their designs. It often resembled a nightmarish fever dream at times and for a film to do that, at any time, is pure gold for the viewer. So I can see why the marketing is so geared towards portraying this film as a fantasy epic. It’s what works best in the film and it’s easily the most impressive aspect of it.

That said, you definitely get the feeling while watching the film, that it was obvious that Guillermo del Toro still feel’s and adores that inner child and the inherent magic that surrounded all of us when we are young. His movies show that he just doesn’t want to let that go. But he’s also a grown man, that has seen the real world and all it’s scars, and it’s here that he elevates his film to “classic status” in my book. I’ve always maintained that any horror or fantasy can be easily trumped by the atrocity that humans can commit against their fellow human beings. del Toro acknowledges this theme whole heartedly in his films, and when he isn’t making balls to the wall adrenaline fueled cinema (Blade 2, Hellboy), he’s making poignant fantasy laced period pieces (Devil’s Backbone and the movie I’m reviewing now).

He knows that often the real monsters have always been his fellow man. That we all have the capacity to be ten times more terrifying and brutal than any monster waiting for us under the bed. He’s about the only director I’ve seen that transfers this theme up on to the big screen with such beauty and ease (though I’m sure it’s not that easy, not easy at all). He’s going to be treasure for film lovers down the road. Mark my words. He already is for this one, and Pan’s Labyrinth solidified that status even more.

It’s certainly del Toro’s most ambitious and genuine films to date. The music, the visuals, the writing, the acting, the way it was shot, the creatures, everything is just top notch! So if you are looking for an engaging foreign film (subtitled) to sit in the dark with for over two hours, I can’t recommend “Pan’s Labyrinth” enough.

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