Pan's Labyrinth
2006
Directed by Guillermo del Toro
Before we begin, let's all agree that the creature pictured above is the freakiest thing to ever be shown on screen. Apparently it even had Stephen King squirming in his seat. Now that I have given you all nightmare fuel, I can move on to the rest of the film.
In Post Civil War Spain, eleven year old Ofelia travels to a village in Spain with her pregnant mother to meet her new stepfather, Captain Vidal. Vidal is a cruel man who is obsessed with hunting down rebels. A large insect/weird fairy thing leads Ofelia into an ancient labyrinth. There, she meets a faun who tells her that she must complete three tasks in order to acquire immortality.
This is one of the best and most creative fantasy films I have ever seen. Creatures in Hollywood fantasy movies all tend to look the same. You have the ogres, the dragons, the fairies, etc. However, the filmmakers here manage to create monsters that are entirely unique to this story: strange, yet whimsical; dark, yet intriguing.
I thought the fantasy and war genres were pretty incompatible (although I did end up enjoying Night of the Shooting Stars) but I thought the end result felt brilliantly cohesive. Another five star film. Don't worry, Borat is next so a rant is forthcoming.
RATING: *****
Interesting Facts:
Guillermo del Toro was offered twice the budget for the film if he made it in English. He declined, saying that he wouldn't compromise the story to suit market needs.
For the fairy eating scene, Doug Jones had to bite into condoms filled with blood.
I rate this the best film since the turn of the century. I stopped two random strangers outside the cinema as I walked out afterwards and told them that they had to see this.
ReplyDeleteDid they listen?
DeleteI couldn't say. They just smiled politely and walked inside.
ReplyDeleteI remember enjoying this film but I cannot remember details now. Oh well...I know I liked it.��
ReplyDeleteIt's a weird feeling watching this now when we are on the brink of a new war in my country. It's so f#$% up! We never learn!
ReplyDeleteI like the film a lot. As you say, Amanda, it's very imaginative and atmospheric. However, I can't shake off the feeling that the fantasy part of the story is just the way Olivia has to deal with all the crap happening around her.
Btw, I think the real part is a lot scarier than the fantastic one. After all, at the end of the day, it's more likely you find people like the Captain than a faun.
I love when fantasy works as allegory (Buffy, Buffy, Buffy). And agreed, I think the Captain is scarier than the faun. But not the weird hand thing.
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