Guillermo del Toro's new film Pan's Labyrinth weaves together fantasy, fairy tale, brutal violence, and political intrigue. Part of the action involves the Spanish Civil War. It's 1944 and a cruel fascist military leader working for Franco is fighting leftist guerillas in the Spanish forest. The young step-daughter of the facist may or may not be an immortal princess and she is presented with a series of fantastic challenges that test her mettle--challenges involving a dyspeptic giant frog and a blind monster who, if the paintings on his wall are accurate, has a history of disposing of children who invade his lair. Twelve-year-old Ivana Baquero plays the young princess as a curious, good-hearted, and bookish-but-brave believer in fantasy.
Pan's Labyrinth in many ways hops from genre to genre. At times a sadistic horror film, as Capitan Vidal uses any means available to find the traitors in his house. At times a comic book come to life, complete with bizarre creatures and villains and of course the heroine Ofelia. What an original vision.
2 comments:
Viva el Guillermo! I saw Pan's Labyrinth tonight and thoroughly enjoyed it. Maribel Verdu's character was also very excellent. The historical-mythic arc took the film out of pure fantasy and deftly placed it in the realm of the believable.
I hope that you have also been able to catch Children of Men.
Not yet. Hopefully this week, although I also want to check out "Notes on a Scandal." A lot of good stuff out right now.
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