Directed by:
Guillermo del ToroScreenplay:
Guillermo del ToroCinematography:
Guillermo NavarroComposer:
Javier NavarreteCast:
Ivana Baquero, Doug Jones, Sergi López, Ariadna Gil, Maribel Verdú, Álex Angulo, Federico Luppi, Roger Casamajor, Ivan Massagué, Manolo Solo, Fernando Tielve (more)VOD (4)
Plots(1)
Following a bloody civil war, young Ofelia enters a world of unimaginable cruelty when she moves in with her new stepfather, a tyrannical military officer. Armed with only her imagination, Ofelia discovers a mysterious labyrinth and meets a faun who sets her on a path to saving herself and her ailing mother. But soon, the lines between fantasy and reality begin to blur, and before Ofelia can turn back, she finds herself at the center of a ferocious battle between good and evil. (Criterion)
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Reviews (13)
The most balanced and the best del Toro movie I’ve seen. And it has the same theme music as in Circus Humberto. A chamber price about war with a big pinch of gloomy, fairytale fantasy. The problem is the length, because especially in the first hour the pace is far too relaxed. On the other hand, it is hard to fault the second half; everything is flawless. It’s a sort of successful concoction containing The Devil’s Backbone and the unmistakable storytelling poetry of Neil Gaiman.
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A truly naturalistic drama from the twilight of the Spanish Civil War, which, through its groundwork of the neighboring worlds of reality and fantasy (surreal), recalls the director's film called Devil. Thanks to the difference between the two worlds, Pan's Labyrinth splits into two different levels – the level of bestial drama and the level of a Goya picturesque fairy-tale horror about the world behind the mirror. What I really miss in this film is the coherence and integrity of both fictional spaces. With the exception of the conclusion, from their union, I had the impression of a kind of discord, uselessness, and that it was forced. Maybe I'm too used to Burton's optics, in which everything has its order. Guillermo Del Toro has order mainly in the visual and technical concept, which is excellent and makes Pan's Labyrinth into a high-quality spectacle in terms of atmosphere, masks, set design and, last but not least, acting. In the end, the culmination of the film brought a clear moment of motivation to the whole scheme and dulled slightly my awkward impression of Del Toro's script. If this special genre mix doesn't appear in Czech movie theatres, the distributors should put their heads in the sand. Despite having a few criticisms, it's a hugely attractive experience and arguably the best endeavor of the Mexican's career... I place it in the poetic neighborhood of Tim Burton and partly Terry Gilliam.
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During this film, I felt as if Guillermo del Toro had put me on a merry-go-round. At times I found myself in the middle of a military camp suppressing a handful of rebels, and then suddenly witnessing a fairy tale fantasy full of weird creatures. It's certainly an entertaining, exciting and at times thrilling ride, but the effect visibly falters over time and there are some rusty spots, whether it's the incomprehensible brutality that must have shocked the excited younger audience a great deal, or the slight neglect and relegation of Pan and his tasks at the expense of the war, and they grow in number and my impressions were rather mixed when it was over. In any case, just for the premise and the director’s courage, I round up to ****.
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Once upon a time... This unusual fairytale from Guillermo del Toro gave me much more than I expected. Pan’s Labyrinth is full of enthusiasm and love for fantasy, imagination and fairytales. The mysterious “faun-like" atmosphere alternates nicely with real life from the end of the Second World War, without taking away anything from one or the other. The acting performances are excellent and the little Ivan Baquero has my respect. She played difficult scenes amazingly and truly convincingly. The superb makeup shared hugely in conjuring up the almost horror feeling to the movie (especially the um... Pale Man was a work of genius) and I also liked the music which set a great atmosphere for the story.
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Earthly life is sad and violent, while the world of supernatural beings is magical and pleasant. In this film, however, things are definitely not like that. Yet in the supernatural world, you can at least eventually find justice. In the earthly world, no. Or yes? Just as Ophelia cannot reconcile herself with the (albeit inconspicuous) injustice done to an innocent creature and, as a result, becomes an innocent victim herself, Spain was forced to become a victim of Franco's fascism for four decades. Ophelia is rewarded for it in the fairy tale world. Spain, in the real world, may not seem like it at first glance, but there is still a chance - if the Spaniards were not willing to sacrifice the innocent for their own happiness, the new generation, even if it emerges from the horror of the previous generation, can experience more just and free times.
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Gallery (68)
Photo © Warner Bros.
![Pan's Labyrinth - Photos](http://image.pmgstatic.com/cache/resized/w663/files/images/film/photos/000/133/133170_760a54.jpg)
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