Pan's Labyrinth

Despite being a huge film lover, I have to admit it has only been in the past couple of years that I have gained an interest in foreign films, be they Japanese, French or in the case of the current crop of directors to reach the international stage, Mexican. Along with Alfonso Cuaron who release his stunning Children of Men earlier this year, and who produced this film, Guillermo del Toro represents this group, he has had some mainstream success before with Blade 2 and Hellboy, both films I enjoyed but didn’t love, but who really comes into his own as both writer and director with Pan’s Labyrinth. A dark fairytale unlike anything you have ever seen Pan’s Labyrinth masterfully mixes gritty realism with gothic fantasy to unusual and haunting effect. Going into the film I was unsure of what to expect but was anticipating a much larger fantasy element. As it is the film is just as, if not more, concerned with the human element of the story, leaving the fantasy to one side for much of the running time. The film is set in Spain in the year 1944 and concerns itself with Ofelia, a little girl who has come wither her pregnant mother to stay with her stepfather at a military outpost where the Spanish army hunts down the remaining rebels who have hidden inside the mountain. It is within this cruel and dark environment, her stepfather is a brutal and viscous character and her mother is sick, that Ofelia discovers a mysterious labyrinth hidden in the grounds of the base. Soon afterwards Ofelia is approached by a creature she calls a fairy who leads her to the Faun Pan who informs her she is, in fact, the missing princess of the underworld and that return to her true family she must complete three tasks. What del Toro, very cleverly, does in the story is never explicitly condemn, nor confirm the existence of this other world to anyone but Ofelia. In this way the film can be interpreted many ways and it helps it blend in to the harsh and violent war story that is going on in the background. One thing to get straight is that this is a fairytale in the traditional sense. It is dark and disturbing and del Toro fills the film with realistic violence and enough stomach churning moments and flourishes to really make you fear for these characters. People die in the film and good may not always win. This adds a fantastic layer of tension and danger to the proceedings as we feel for Ofelia and the situation she is put it. The special effects are wonderful, kept to the background for the most part they serve the story perfectly and the fantastical creatures and scenarios del Toro thinks up are masterfully executed. One character in particular, the thin man is amazingly creepy and unlike anything you would have seen before and it is this juxtaposition with the serious drama that makes the film so unique and captivating. While the film is dark, it also has moments of light and a really beautiful score than sticks with you long after the end credits. I would recommend this film to those seeking an alternative and daring film that is challenging to watch but rewarding. The film isn’t perfect, personally I would have liked more of the fantasy element explained and focused on, but this is a fantastic film on all levels and fully establishes del Toro as one of the most exciting and visually creative directors working today. Dark, brutal and imaginative this is Del Toro's finest film so far and a wonderful modern fairytale masterfully contrasting the harshness of war with the wonder and imagination of childhood.