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PRODUCER: |
Guillermo del Toro (Hell Boy, The Devil’s Backbone), Álvaro Augustín (first major movie credit), Alfonso Cuarón (Chronicles), Bertha Navarro (Chronicles), Frida Torresblanco (Duck Season) |
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Pan's Labyrinth . . . if the only Pan you know is Peter, this one may not be quite what you expect!
Advertised to be an adult fairytale, it definitely is for adults only, but the fairytale part is a bit of a stretch since fairytales are supposed to have happy endings and there is nothing happy about this movie. Set in Spain in World War two, a young girl’s mother has just married a ruthless Spanish General and they are all right in the middle of the brutal fighting. In the midst of all of this, magical creatures visit the girl and tell her she is heir to the throne of a magic kingdom. All she has to do to take the throne is prove who she is by completing three secret tasks. Constantly surrounded by despair and tragedy, she does the tasks which ultimately lead her to her fate…which is not what you expect it will be.
Pan's Labyrinth is, through authentic settings and a well-crafted story, an intriguing and compelling film. The movie is a remarkable fusion of reality and fantasy, where the tragedy and ugliness of one world is masterfully offset by the hope and beauty of the other. So, despite dark themes and disturbing imagery, the movie offers - for some, anyway - a satisfying experience overall. Still, for others there's definitely enough of the bad stuff to make it too upsetting to be enjoyed. The bottom line is your ability to suspend disbelief - the movie's beauty is very much in the eye of the beholder. If you can believe, it's a beautiful tale of hope and triumph . . . and if you cannot, it's a remarkable depiction of sheer terror. |
