El Labertino del Fauno (Pan's Labyrinth) was out of this world, and yet, able to capture the reality of the world as it was - and as it still may be. Both visually breathtaking and horrifyingly violent, this film was creative, original, and thought-provoking. It tells the tale of Ofelia, a young girl forced to relocate to a military outpost - far from the excitement of the city - after her widowed mother's marriage to a cruel army captain.
Guillermo del Toro is a recognizable name to me, but not one that would drive me to the theater. From what I've read, and now what I've seen, I think that my views have changed. His story, sets, and direction make this an almost flawless film, worthy of much respect and discussion.
Set in 1944 at the end of the Spanish Civil War, Captain Vidal, Ofelia's new stepfather, is ruthlessly committed to destroying the remaining rebels who threaten the new fascist regime. His heartlessness is apparent early in the film with his treatment of two rural farmers and his obvious hatred of Ofelia. Carmen, pregnant with the Captain's child, is experiencing a difficult pregnancy, confining her to bed and stripping Ofelia of a friend and playmate.
Mercedes, the housekeeper, fills that void. Keeping a close watch on Ofelia, and keeping some secrets of her own, she is the only person Ofelia can trust. And once Carmen is kept heavily sedated, that fact becomes all the more important.
Another fantastic role (and performance) is that of the doctor. His final scenes are pivotal to the message del Toro is trying to send.
Ofelia retreats to a crumbling labyrinth behind the house and discovers creatures -- creatures like the ones in her books. Her imagination, still that of a child but bordering on adulthood, is one filled with fairy tales. And these are not the "Disneyfied" fairy tales that you might recall -- these are brutal fairy tales in the vein of The Brothers Grimm. (I remember reading the original story of Cinderella, and being scared out of my mind. Pan's Labyrinth goes several steps further.) In order to inherit her birthright, she is to complete three tasks; one disgusting, one terrifying, and one that I'd rather not mention.
I don't want to give away too much of the story, as it is so deeply creative, but its timeless tale of good versus evil is apparent from the beginning. With all of the horrifying creatures, fascism is viewed as the ultimate evil here, and the real monster is not one found in Ofelia's labyrinth. The fact that this evil, that these actions, most possibly happened is something that looms over the entire film. Because this real evil is so strong and ruthless, in the end, it is easier to believe that Ofelia's labyrinth world is the one that is fact and that her "real" life is fiction.
And why not? I believed it.
2 comments:
This movie looks so good! I was going to go see it last weekend, but it was deemed a no go by a friend for "unsettling violence." I saw Casino Royale instead. You wanna talk unsettling violence? If you've seen it you know what I mean. And if you haven't you're just left wondering.
Sure, there's violence - and a lot of it - but it's pretty easy to predict when it's coming, so you don't have to watch. It is integral to the plot, though, and as I just read in an interview with Guillermo del Toro, the violent scenes were based directly on oral accounts of the Spanish Civil War.
You should definitely see Pan's - it is a brilliant, amazing film.
And yeah, that chair scene in Casino Royale turned my stomach. Still don't know how necessary it was...
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