Guillermo del Toro – Director, Writer
Ivana Baquero, Doug Jones, Sergi López i Ayats, Maribel Verdú
To many a moviegoer, the word “subtitles” is synonymous with “dreadfully dull and boring”, conjuring images of historical snooze-fests one was forced to watch (and read!) in their school-going youth. For many, they really spoiled the joy of Friday Movie Day in class. This often understandable presumption likely turned many off to this gem of a film, though for those who dared to brave it (or didn’t know it was subtitled in the first place) there were yet more surprises in store.
When I first heard of Pan’s Labyrinth, I was all set for a fantasy tale of fairies, magical forest creatures, and monsters that lurk in the dark. What I was not all set for was a gory close-up look at Franco’s Spain in the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War and more cringe-worthy moments than you could shake a stick at. Not even close to anything resembling a children’s tale, our heroine, Ofelia (Baquero), takes us on a voyage trapped somewhere between what is reality and what is dream, with tragedy and horror abounding in both. We meet Ofelia and her pregnant mother journeying to live with her cruel new stepfather, the Capitan (López i Ayats), as he battles the last resisting rebels forces. In this harsh new life, her sole ally is a kind servant, Mercedes (Verdú), who becomes a type of mother figure. Mirroring reality, she likewise befriends a Faun (Jones) who offers an escape by engulfing Ofelia in a land of fantasy where she is a princess and must carry out a series of tasks in order to return to her kingdom.
In Ofelia and Mercedes, del Toro creates a parallel image of two people battling their demons. Whereas Ofelia, as the young, innocent child experiences the terror of her fantasy monsters and finds the bravery to try to save her mother and return to her kingdom, Mercedes knows all too well the true horrors that exist and risks her life to fight and undermine the sadistic Capitan. While the visuals are an obvious selling point – I mean who didn’t get a little seduced just watching the trailer - the soundtrack absolutely holds its own, setting a dreamlike, almost eerie atmosphere that contrasts beautifully with the film’s horrific imagery.
A nearly universal success, Pan’s Labyrinth is a study in perfection of what a great film (foreign or not) should be – entertaining, thought provoking, beautifully executed. Need I even mention that a 10 year old steals the show with acting that could put even the most seasoned veterans to shame? Between the stunning visuals and the perfectly seamless screenplay, if you haven’t already, this is definitely one worth checking out.
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