Pan's Labyrinth Review

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 Douglas Smith Biz of Film 002

10.20.20

 

Guillermo De Toro’s 2006 fantasy film Pan’s Labyrinth amazes with its practical spectacle, brutal violence, and impressive historical reconstruction. The set and costume design, cgi, and acting all contribute to a fascinatingly unique work that takes place in a relatively obscure area of history. For these reasons, the film accomplishes a momentary reinvigoration and reworking of the fairytale genre.                                                                                                                             Set in 1940’s fascist Spain, the story follows the young girl Ophelia who tries to reckon with her surprisingly cruel stepfather and sick pregnant mother while inexplicably seeing and communicating with magical beings from a mythical underworld. Tied in to the plot are tales of one of the housekeepers and her brother, a rebel fighter in the hills near the villa, as well as the character of a sympathetic doctor and various reluctant and regretful Spanish officers. The brutality of the Captain in the film in particular is at times so alarming as to bring the viewer straight back to a horrific time in history without any sugar coating. This serves to reinforce the overall concept of the film, which along with some of the magical aspects creates an unforgettable tone that frightens, fascinates, and shocks.                                                               The costume and set design of the film impresses at an early stage, as Ophelia meets one of the large stick insects and discovers the old ruins near the villa. The intricately carved stones resemble something Celtic yet also strangely unknown. Later on we are introduced to the characters of the Faun and Child eater whose costumes interest a great deal with their practical effects and image. At the time this film was made I reckon that many other directors might have chosen to use CGI for these characters but the decision not to is especially pleasing and effective, and serves just as much to cement the overall spectacle and impression of the film upon the audience. After all, practical effects seem to age a whole lot better than their computer-generated counter parts. The acting within the film certainly carries it along, as it is within performances such as that of Maribel Verdú as Mecedes that the grief of the historical period is fully realized and rightly portrayed. In addition fantastic performances by Sergi López as the brutal captain who defines the cruelty of fascism and Ivana Baquero who captures the spirit of an adventurous youth tie all of the elements of the film together.                                                                                            Overall, I feel Pan’s Labyrinth is a memorable film for its portrayal of an obscure time in history as well as the subverting of the fairytale genre and a subsequent unique stylization. I think that if it were not for unique films like this general audiences might feel that they had not been offered as much in the ways of diversified plots that reach over the usual expectations for “money maker” fantasies. Not only are we pleasantly given a rare Spanish drama with this film, but also an entirely fresh creation out of both history and fantasy.

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