The Devil's Backbone
3/4
Starring: Fernando Tielve, Inigo Garces, Eduardo Noriega, Federico Luppi, Marisa Paredes, Irene Visedo
Rated R for Violence, Language and Some Sexuality
The film takes place during the Spanish Civil War. Carlos (Tielve) is dropped off by his "tutor" at an isolated orphanage and left in the care of Carmen (Paredes), the brittle headmistress, and the kindly Dr. Casares (Luppi). Carlos also meets the school bully, Jaime (Garces) and the ghost that lurks about the basement, named Santi (Junio Valverde). Also there is Jacinto (Noriega), a former student whose interests are less about the pupils and more about the gold that Carmen and Dr. Casares are hiding.
del Toro described "The Devil's Backbone" as the "brother" film to its "sister," "Pan's Labyrinth." The similarities are impossible to ignore. They both take place in the same time period, have young protagonists who use the supernatural to escape a violent situation, and they are both quite violent. But it's the mood and the "feel" of the films that are so similar. Having seen one, it's impossible not to think of the other. Of the two, "Pan's Labyrinth" is the better film; the story is more compelling, the themes are better communicated and del Toro's directing is more confident and polished. But his third full-length film has its own pleasures.
The performances are uniformly strong. It's easy to get on Carlos's side from the get-go. He's kind (even to those who treat him poorly), he's smart, and he's not so cute that you want to strangle him. It's a natural and effective performance. Inigo Garces is also quite good as a bully who finds out that the new kid is more than just prey for his mean pranks. Marisa Paredes and Federico Luppi (looking very similar to Christopher Lee) are in fine form as the caretakers of the children who have secrets of their own. And no one wears a constant sneer quite like Eduardo Noriega. Jacinto isn't as vicious Vidal, but he could be his son.
Guillermo del Toro will do anything to bring his vision to the screen his way regardless of how much sense it makes or the size of the potential audience, and that's something I admire about him. After suffering from constant interference by the Weinsteins while making "Mimic" (an experience that was so bad he declared that it was worse than when his father was kidnapped for seventy-two days), he went back to Mexico to make this film (which was a labor of love that was based on his own memories and spent sixteen years in development), he fought for seven years to cast Ron Perlman in "Hellboy" and went back to Mexico to make "Pan's Labyrinth" for less money because he didn't want to make any creative compromises. While one could argue that this reeks of stubbornness, hubris, and ego, the results speak for themselves. del Toro is a gifted filmmaker whose work is never uninteresting even at its most flawed.
There's no denying that "The Devil's Backbone" is ambitious. It covers a lot of ground from war, coming-of-age, and the supernatural. It's just that a lot of del Toro's themes and ideas aren't clearly communicated. He's obviously trying to say something about life and emotion, but I never fully grasped what that was. So as interesting as this film is, it's also at times frustrating.
Like "Pan's Labyrinth" which also had a young protagonist and special effects and fairy tale influences yet was very violent, "The Devil's Backbone" is not for children. While not as gruesome as the most notorious scenes in the latter film (who can forget the amputation, or the torture scene, or the Pale Man?), there's some rough stuff that children shouldn't see. And besides, this movie isn't made for them in mind. This is a thoughtful movie about growing up and coming to terms with the past and present. On that level, I recommend the film.
Starring: Fernando Tielve, Inigo Garces, Eduardo Noriega, Federico Luppi, Marisa Paredes, Irene Visedo
Rated R for Violence, Language and Some Sexuality
What is a ghost? A tragedy condemned to repeat itself time and again? An instant of pain, perhaps. Something dead which still seems to be alive. An emotion suspended in time. Like a blurred photograph. Like an insect trapped in amber."The Devil's Backbone" is a ghost story, but it's an atypical one. Rather than scares, special effects and cheap shocks, director Guillermo del Toro concentrates on mood and story. There are some creepy scenes to be found here, but the ghost is more complicated than your average specter. This isn't a horror movie. Rather, it can best be described as visual poetry.
The film takes place during the Spanish Civil War. Carlos (Tielve) is dropped off by his "tutor" at an isolated orphanage and left in the care of Carmen (Paredes), the brittle headmistress, and the kindly Dr. Casares (Luppi). Carlos also meets the school bully, Jaime (Garces) and the ghost that lurks about the basement, named Santi (Junio Valverde). Also there is Jacinto (Noriega), a former student whose interests are less about the pupils and more about the gold that Carmen and Dr. Casares are hiding.
del Toro described "The Devil's Backbone" as the "brother" film to its "sister," "Pan's Labyrinth." The similarities are impossible to ignore. They both take place in the same time period, have young protagonists who use the supernatural to escape a violent situation, and they are both quite violent. But it's the mood and the "feel" of the films that are so similar. Having seen one, it's impossible not to think of the other. Of the two, "Pan's Labyrinth" is the better film; the story is more compelling, the themes are better communicated and del Toro's directing is more confident and polished. But his third full-length film has its own pleasures.
The performances are uniformly strong. It's easy to get on Carlos's side from the get-go. He's kind (even to those who treat him poorly), he's smart, and he's not so cute that you want to strangle him. It's a natural and effective performance. Inigo Garces is also quite good as a bully who finds out that the new kid is more than just prey for his mean pranks. Marisa Paredes and Federico Luppi (looking very similar to Christopher Lee) are in fine form as the caretakers of the children who have secrets of their own. And no one wears a constant sneer quite like Eduardo Noriega. Jacinto isn't as vicious Vidal, but he could be his son.
Guillermo del Toro will do anything to bring his vision to the screen his way regardless of how much sense it makes or the size of the potential audience, and that's something I admire about him. After suffering from constant interference by the Weinsteins while making "Mimic" (an experience that was so bad he declared that it was worse than when his father was kidnapped for seventy-two days), he went back to Mexico to make this film (which was a labor of love that was based on his own memories and spent sixteen years in development), he fought for seven years to cast Ron Perlman in "Hellboy" and went back to Mexico to make "Pan's Labyrinth" for less money because he didn't want to make any creative compromises. While one could argue that this reeks of stubbornness, hubris, and ego, the results speak for themselves. del Toro is a gifted filmmaker whose work is never uninteresting even at its most flawed.
There's no denying that "The Devil's Backbone" is ambitious. It covers a lot of ground from war, coming-of-age, and the supernatural. It's just that a lot of del Toro's themes and ideas aren't clearly communicated. He's obviously trying to say something about life and emotion, but I never fully grasped what that was. So as interesting as this film is, it's also at times frustrating.
Like "Pan's Labyrinth" which also had a young protagonist and special effects and fairy tale influences yet was very violent, "The Devil's Backbone" is not for children. While not as gruesome as the most notorious scenes in the latter film (who can forget the amputation, or the torture scene, or the Pale Man?), there's some rough stuff that children shouldn't see. And besides, this movie isn't made for them in mind. This is a thoughtful movie about growing up and coming to terms with the past and present. On that level, I recommend the film.
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