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It's Spain 1944. Young Ofelia is being brought by her pregnant
mother to where her new 'father' is stationed. The captain
turns out to be a cruel and sadistic man. The civil war is
over, and elsewhere in the world the Normandy landings are
taking place, but bands of rebels to Franco's dictatorship
are loose in the hills. Close to the camp Ofelia is visited
by a fairy who leads her to an ancient labyrinth. A faun tells
her she is the lost daughter of the king of the Underworld,
and that she must complete three tasks to prove she has not
become too mortal. But the only ally she has is suffering
dangerous problems of her own...
I've seen some surreal films in my time, but this pretty much
beats them all. Director Guillermo Del Toro has an impressive
track record already, with Cronos, The Devil's Backbone
and Hellboy to his name. This time he's excelled himself
big-time.
Pan's
Labyrinth is plainly a parable for many things, but mainly
the coming of age. There are loose connections to Little
Red Riding Hood, The Wizard of Oz, any number of
Grimm's Tales, and even his own The Devil's Backbone.
But this is not one for the little kiddy-winks. It's brutally
and graphically violent, and eerie, as well as emotional and
fantastical.
This
is the most weird clash of genres I've ever come across, but
the fact that they don't really fit together makes the concept
all the more significant. This film spans the gamut of emotions,
and is fantasy based in a harsh reality. Only when you reach
the end do you begin to change your view of what has just
taken place. Ambiguity in an ending is nearly always a good
thing. It leaves you thinking. It leaves you thinking you
have witnessed something rather special.
Extras on this excellent 2-disc set include a commentary by
Director Guillermo Del Toro; a National Film Theatre Interview
with Del Toro (hosted by Mark Kermode, in my opinion the best
film critic around); a prologue by the director; The Power
of Myth short, DVD Comic Sketches: The Pale, The Fairies,
The Giant Toad and Pan; El Fauno Y Las Hadas; The
Colour and the Shape; Storyboard/Thumbnail Comparisons;
VFX Plate Compare: Guillermo Del Toro and the Green Fairy;
Director's Notebook; The Melody Echoes the Fairy
Tale; Mercedes' Lullaby; Poster Gallery
& Trailer, and much more.
Phew!
If you've always shied away from subtitled films before, remove
those blinkers, open those eyes, and use this as your starting
point. You won't be sorry.
Ty
Power
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