Pan's Labyrinth (2006)
“But captain, to obey - just like that - for obedience's sake... without questioning... That's something only people like you do.” - Doctor
Guillermo del Toro’s American films never seem to work for me. I always get the feeling that he’s just making them to finance his next Spanish masterpiece. Chronos (1993) showed promise of what would come, and The Devil’s Backbone (2001) nearly beat Pan’s Labyrinth for the last title on my list. But Pan’s Labyrinth gets the spot, because this film is the culmination of all of del Toro’s favourite themes and styles, and he presents them here with the resolute mastery of a filmmaker who understands how to seamlessly translate his dreams into film.
The term magical realism is often used to describe Pan’s Labyrinth, and I suppose that works, as the film effortlessly blends fantastical elements with the stark horror that is fascism. It’s an awkward mix on paper. Del Toro would be hard-pressed to find a more serious topic to juxtapose against his dream-world. It works though, because del Toro uses the fantasy to criticize the real, and vice-versa. The fantasy is used sparingly, told only through the eyes of Ofelia: the most innocent and pure of young girls. The strength of del Toro’s criticism is heightened by pitting the absolute pure against the absolute evil.
There is very little I can say about this film that hasn’t already been said. Every element of this film equals the next for its high margin of quality. Thematically, Pan’s Labyrinth is a powerhouse. But the movie also comes with the personal stamp of a dreamer who, after years of sketching fauns and demons in his notebook, has finally seen his uncompromising vision come to life.
Guillermo del Toro’s American films never seem to work for me. I always get the feeling that he’s just making them to finance his next Spanish masterpiece. Chronos (1993) showed promise of what would come, and The Devil’s Backbone (2001) nearly beat Pan’s Labyrinth for the last title on my list. But Pan’s Labyrinth gets the spot, because this film is the culmination of all of del Toro’s favourite themes and styles, and he presents them here with the resolute mastery of a filmmaker who understands how to seamlessly translate his dreams into film.
The term magical realism is often used to describe Pan’s Labyrinth, and I suppose that works, as the film effortlessly blends fantastical elements with the stark horror that is fascism. It’s an awkward mix on paper. Del Toro would be hard-pressed to find a more serious topic to juxtapose against his dream-world. It works though, because del Toro uses the fantasy to criticize the real, and vice-versa. The fantasy is used sparingly, told only through the eyes of Ofelia: the most innocent and pure of young girls. The strength of del Toro’s criticism is heightened by pitting the absolute pure against the absolute evil.
There is very little I can say about this film that hasn’t already been said. Every element of this film equals the next for its high margin of quality. Thematically, Pan’s Labyrinth is a powerhouse. But the movie also comes with the personal stamp of a dreamer who, after years of sketching fauns and demons in his notebook, has finally seen his uncompromising vision come to life.
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