Pan's Labryinth

'Get Lost in the Labryinth'

One of the films recently gaining much acclaim and is now being included as a strong contender for best foreign film if nominated is Guillermo Del Toro's latest film, Pan's Labryinth. At one point, Del Toro described his film as a philosophical horror and at other times an adult fairy tale. Although the film does include fantastical elements, I think the film belongs more to the philosophical horror. This film is the second part of what will be Del Toro's Spanish Civil War trilogy and it takes place on a farm that has been turned into an outpost for the fascists in the Civil War. Since I have never seen the first film of the trilogy, The Devil's Backbone, I will not be able to speak on the thematic elements carried over nor be able to compare them. Instead, I will focus on trying to explain the magic of the film.

The main actors of the film are Ivana Baquero as Ofelia, Sergi Lopez as Captain Vidal, Maribel Verdu as Mercedes, and Doug Jones as the intimidating Pan. The only familiar actors from the cast seem to be Sergi Lopez and Doug Jones. I have seen Jones before in Del Toro's other well-known work, Hellboy, but I can't recall where I have seen Sergi Lopez before. With that said, these two men will turn your undies brown. Sergi Lopez plays the most crazed and conflicted leader short of the main character of Clockwork Orange. As for Doug Jones, well, he has proven once again that he has perfect acting chops to go head to head with Andy Serkis for best costumed actor. I'm also of the impression that he is ridiculously tall. No matter what, both of their characters seem very...sympathetic. Captain Vidal is a torturer and easy to hate, but his passion for his unborn son and for his wife are certainly commendable. His desire to die honorably and to have his legend spread is contemptuous at times and just pathetic at others. But they are never disappointing. In fact, none of the cast disappoints. The chemistry between Ivana Baquero and Maribel Verdu is palpable and the feeling of oppression and constantly being watched is nervewracking throughout mostly due to the actors. It's rare that a film comes when no character is a disappointment, automatically making this film a treasure.

As for direction, the film is about choice and might just be the best argument ever made for joining a psychiatric ward. Ivana has a choice to stay alive in the real world or to join the netherworld from which her essence came. Should she stay with her step-father and the constant danger of the war just to keep her brother and mother alive? Or should she forsake all she has known for a fantasy world? The contrast between the two dimensions is made evident by the amount of horror, magic, and sadness present in both worlds. In the end, the film is about making well informed moral choices and not following blindly as all of the captain's soldiers did when they let the captain brutally torture people. Shot on a budget around 5$ million, the film looks like it was made for 16$ million. The scenery is beautifully caught in various filters and brought to life. At night, the shadows touch every surface and add a bluish cold blue to the world. The pacing and storytelling are all top notch, although now I am curious about the other three key holes in the den of the Pale Man. All in all, for a low budget film, Del Toro proves why he is allowed to direct Hollywood features. Simply put, he is a man who understands characters, story, and the intertwining of all these with cinematography. The only part that revealed it's lack of budget are some of the special effects in the film.

Conclusion:
Del Toro's film is gorgeous, stirring, and brilliantly acted and made. It enslaves the audience to its hypnotic tale and does not disappoint. The only real questionable area is the violence and cruelty. Some of the violence is so abrupt and graphic that the film can be really hard to watch. I know that it is meant to emphasize the point of Ofelia choosing a side, but it can also make the audience decide to either leave early or be disgusted with the rest of the film. For a foreign film in Spanish, it is a shoe-in for an Oscar nomination, where hopefully it will be able to beat the next Letters From Iwo Jima (seriously, how the hell is that a foreign film?). But if you are faint of heart, stay away unless you decide for more adventurous fare.

4.7 out of 5

Wannabe