Rating:
Media: Photos and Wallpapers
Official Site: www.panslabyrinth.com

Pan’s Labyrinth (”El Laberinto del Fauno”) is a captivating dark fantasy written and directed by Guillermo del Toro. Released at the end of 2006, it is one of the best movies of the year and definitely the best fantasy movie of the year. The story, visuals, and music will grab you from start to finish, and the images will linger in your mind long after it is over. This film is not for kids; the “dark” part of the film includes quite a few horrifying images.

Although it was not a happy movie by far, I enjoyed it quite a bit. The visuals and music were amazing, but it was most of all the story that pulled me in. The movie actually had less fantasy in it than I expected from the trailer. I knew it was a “dark fantasy” going in, but it was darker than I had imagined. Guillermo del Toro paints quite a horrifying picture, using attrocities like death and dismemberment to punctuate it. Even many of the fantasy elements in the film are terrifying. The story, combined with the beautifully dark visuals and music, earn this movie five stars.

Story

Filmed in Spanish (with subtitles), Pan’s Labyrinth takes place in Spain in 1944 during World War II. Ofelia, played by Ivana Baquero, is a young girl growing up in a country at war. She has a new stepfather, the cruel Captain Vidal, played by Sergi López, who she and her mother must obey to survive. Faced with a brutal reality, she retreats to her books and fantasies to find happiness.

Many fantasy movies have characters who want to escape from their lives, but in most they are simply trying to escape everyday events or growing pains that we all experience. Ofelia, however, must live through much more than growing pains during a time when desperation leads to fighting and death. Her fantasy world is not the respite that you might expect; it is also filled with perils and trials. It represents her hope that she can become a princess and live in a happier world. She becomes quite a sympathetic character, and I found myself hoping that she would find happiness by the end.

Visuals

The visuals are also quite dark to compliment the story. I don’t recall seeing much sunshine during the film, and even the labyrinth where Ofelia tries to find her retreat is dark and grey. There are a few fantasy creatures who appear, ranging from small and helpful to grotesque and horrifying. The makeup and special effects for the creatures are very well done. Many of the special effects in the regular world are also quite striking. You know that certain scenes are not actually happening to the actors, but it looks so real that it is easy to forget they are only effects.

Music

The major melodic theme in Pan’s Labyrinth is a haunting lulluby, which is hummed in the trailer, at the start of the movie, and in the middle. The score, composed by Javier Navarrete, builds on this theme and uses it throughout the film. I find myself still humming the melody 24 hours after seeing the film, and I intend to purchase the soundtrack.

Cast

Sergi López - Vidal
Maribel Verdú - Mercedes
Ivana Baquero - Ofelia
Doug Jones - Faun/Pale Man
Ariadna Gil - Carmen

Filmmakers

Guillermo del Toro - Writer/Director/Producer
Bertha Navarro - Producer
Alfonso Cuarón - Producer
Frida Torresblanco - Producer
Álvaro Augustín - Producer
Guillermo Navarro - Director of Photography

Eugenio Caballero - Production Designer
David Martí - Special Effects Supervisor