Pan's Labyrinth
3.5/4
Starring: Ivana Baquero, Sergei Lopez, Maribel Verdu, Doug Jones, Ariadna Gil
Rated R for Graphic Violence and Some Language
To me, Guillermo del Toro is more noteworthy for his vivid imagination and spectacularly inventive creature design. You don't see creatures as bizarre or beautiful as you do in a movie by the Mexican director. The creaky, shuttering movements, the wildly imaginative creatures...both are hallmarks of del Toro. As a storyteller, however, he's lacking. "Cronos," the film that brought him to the attention of Hollywood, was grossly overrated (not even worth seeing, in my opinion), and the Hellboy movies are cool, but superficial. I wasn't the world's biggest fan of "Pan's Labyrinth" the first time I saw it, or the second. I thought it was good, but not great. But after the third time watching it, I realize now how truly special it is. Third time's the charm?
The film starts at the end of the Spanish Civil War. Francisco Franco has already won power in Spain, and a psychopathic captain named Vidal (Lopez) is trying to flush out a group of rebels in the middle of the woods. He has brought his new wife, Carmen (Gil), who is at the end of a very difficult pregnancy, and her daughter Ofelia (Baquero) to stay with him. Ofelia, as it turns out, is a lover of fairy tales, much to the disdain of her mother and especially Vidal. Needless to say, Ofelia is not a happy little girl. One night, she is visited by a fairy, who takes her into the center of a labyrinth. There, she meets the Faun (Jones), a creature who tells her that she is in fact a princess of the Underworld. In order to go back, she must complete three tasks. Meanwhile, Vidal is rooting out the resistance by any means possible. And it's bad news if Ofelia gets in his way.
There are really two main plotlines: Ofelia's quest and Vidal's war with the resistance. They compliment each other nicely, although the relationship between them is a little tenuous. No matter. "Pan's Labyrinth" is especially unique because del Toro gives them both their due. Often times when there are two storylines running together, particularly in the fantasy genre, one (usually the fantasy one) is more interesting than the other, normal one (Tarsem's "The Fall" falls into this category). That doesn't happen here. Vidal's storyline is just as compelling as Ofelia's.
The acting is consistently high caliber. It's a daunting task to put the weight of a film on the shoulders of a young actor or actress. But young Ivana Baquero is perfectly suited for the role. She's young and naiive, but she cares deeply for her mother and it's impossible not to sympathize with her. Baquero has a wonderfully expressive face, which del Toro takes full advantage of. As the evil Vidal, Sergei Lopez radiates evil. He'll torture and kill anyone without batting an eye. But he does care about his unborn son (for selfish reasons), and that makes him a more rounded villain. Maribel Verdu, the Spanish actress who attracted the world's attention in the arthouse smash "Y tu Mama Tambien," is very good as Mercedes, the housekeeper who forms a motherly bond with Ofelia. She's a member of the resistance, and that puts her in some unenviable situations.
Roger Ebert famously called this film a "fairy tale for grown-ups." He was right on the money. "Pan's Labyrinth" is a fairy tale, and like all fairy tales before they were diluted by time and Disney to appeal to children, it is very dark and very violent. The R rating is richly deserved. There are scenes where even the most hardened viewer like myself will wince. But del Toro doesn't overplay his hand. He isn't trying to shock the viewer, merely get them involved in the story.
"Pan's Labyrith" is a one of a kind movie. It mixes a number of different elements from things such as traditional fairytales, "Alice in Wonderland," and the Holy Bible. Like all great directors, del Toro doesn't steal themes and ideas from other sources, he uses them as building blocks to create his own unique story that stands on its own. It's not flawless (there's a plothole in the third act that's kind of obvious) and it's not as intoxicating as one might hope, but it is a truly special motion picture.
Starring: Ivana Baquero, Sergei Lopez, Maribel Verdu, Doug Jones, Ariadna Gil
Rated R for Graphic Violence and Some Language
To me, Guillermo del Toro is more noteworthy for his vivid imagination and spectacularly inventive creature design. You don't see creatures as bizarre or beautiful as you do in a movie by the Mexican director. The creaky, shuttering movements, the wildly imaginative creatures...both are hallmarks of del Toro. As a storyteller, however, he's lacking. "Cronos," the film that brought him to the attention of Hollywood, was grossly overrated (not even worth seeing, in my opinion), and the Hellboy movies are cool, but superficial. I wasn't the world's biggest fan of "Pan's Labyrinth" the first time I saw it, or the second. I thought it was good, but not great. But after the third time watching it, I realize now how truly special it is. Third time's the charm?
The film starts at the end of the Spanish Civil War. Francisco Franco has already won power in Spain, and a psychopathic captain named Vidal (Lopez) is trying to flush out a group of rebels in the middle of the woods. He has brought his new wife, Carmen (Gil), who is at the end of a very difficult pregnancy, and her daughter Ofelia (Baquero) to stay with him. Ofelia, as it turns out, is a lover of fairy tales, much to the disdain of her mother and especially Vidal. Needless to say, Ofelia is not a happy little girl. One night, she is visited by a fairy, who takes her into the center of a labyrinth. There, she meets the Faun (Jones), a creature who tells her that she is in fact a princess of the Underworld. In order to go back, she must complete three tasks. Meanwhile, Vidal is rooting out the resistance by any means possible. And it's bad news if Ofelia gets in his way.
There are really two main plotlines: Ofelia's quest and Vidal's war with the resistance. They compliment each other nicely, although the relationship between them is a little tenuous. No matter. "Pan's Labyrinth" is especially unique because del Toro gives them both their due. Often times when there are two storylines running together, particularly in the fantasy genre, one (usually the fantasy one) is more interesting than the other, normal one (Tarsem's "The Fall" falls into this category). That doesn't happen here. Vidal's storyline is just as compelling as Ofelia's.
The acting is consistently high caliber. It's a daunting task to put the weight of a film on the shoulders of a young actor or actress. But young Ivana Baquero is perfectly suited for the role. She's young and naiive, but she cares deeply for her mother and it's impossible not to sympathize with her. Baquero has a wonderfully expressive face, which del Toro takes full advantage of. As the evil Vidal, Sergei Lopez radiates evil. He'll torture and kill anyone without batting an eye. But he does care about his unborn son (for selfish reasons), and that makes him a more rounded villain. Maribel Verdu, the Spanish actress who attracted the world's attention in the arthouse smash "Y tu Mama Tambien," is very good as Mercedes, the housekeeper who forms a motherly bond with Ofelia. She's a member of the resistance, and that puts her in some unenviable situations.
Roger Ebert famously called this film a "fairy tale for grown-ups." He was right on the money. "Pan's Labyrinth" is a fairy tale, and like all fairy tales before they were diluted by time and Disney to appeal to children, it is very dark and very violent. The R rating is richly deserved. There are scenes where even the most hardened viewer like myself will wince. But del Toro doesn't overplay his hand. He isn't trying to shock the viewer, merely get them involved in the story.
"Pan's Labyrith" is a one of a kind movie. It mixes a number of different elements from things such as traditional fairytales, "Alice in Wonderland," and the Holy Bible. Like all great directors, del Toro doesn't steal themes and ideas from other sources, he uses them as building blocks to create his own unique story that stands on its own. It's not flawless (there's a plothole in the third act that's kind of obvious) and it's not as intoxicating as one might hope, but it is a truly special motion picture.
(spoilers warning for this comment)
ReplyDeleteTo what plothole in the third act are you referring to? Ofelia escaping the room with no real explenation? I thought that was deliberately set up to suggest that the fantasy sequence was actually real, rather than a figament of Ofelia's imagination while still allowing for the story to be interpreted as Ofelia being actually delusional (maybe she did escape through some mundane fashion, like going out the window). Or is there a plot hole that I missed?
-Jeremy
Spoiler:
ReplyDeleteThe fact that Vidal is seemingly uninsured a few minutes after being stabbed multiple times by Mercedes.