As a longtime fan of fantasy and dark-themed
cinema, I knew Pan's Labyrinth would be right up
my alley. I had no idea how powerful and exquisitely crafted
it would be, though. As high as my expectations were, I was
absolutely astounded and moved to tears by this movie.
Pan's Labyrinth tells a 20th century
fairy tale of a young girl who escapes the horrors of war
by entering a fantasy world that offers her eternal salvation.
When Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) is moved by her pregnant mother
(Ariadna Gil) to a remote military outpost where her cruel
stepfather, Capitán Vidal (Sergi López) rules,
she also discovers that she is a fairy princess. At the center
of a ruined labyrinth behind the mill, Ofelia discovers a
a faun (Doug Jones) who guards the portal to her lost kingdom.
Aided by fairies, Ofelia must pass the tests to return to
the underworld, as well as overcome the dangers of the Spanish
Civil War.
The film is more magical than any movie I have
seen in years, bringing to mind the classic fantasy world
of Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland. At the same
time, it exists equally in reality, and both realms are just
as captivating and emotional as the other. When they intersect
at the conclusion of the movie, it's a violent clash of emotions
that will certainly leave every viewer reaching for a tissue.
Director and screenwriter del Toro has outdone
himself here, building upon his successes in The Devil's
Backbone and making one all but forget his outlandish
failures. He includes some of his trademark elements, such
as clockworks (Cronos, Hellboy) and insects
(Mimic, Cronos) but does so in a way that
feels so organic that one wouldn't guess he has some artistic
fascination with both.
His first-rate direction is augmented by the gorgeous cinematography
by longtime collaborator Guillermo Navarro, movingly haunting
score by Javier Navarrete, as well as makeup and art direction
(all of whom received Academy Awards for their efforts, save
Navarrete who received a nomination but did not win). The
visual and aural world one experiences watching this film
is truly a mystical experience most often created only in
our imaginations. The fanciful elements and horror scenes
of the movie are some of the most effective I can think of
in similar films. They are just creepy and suspenseful enough
to be captivating, but cross the line in to cliché
or laughable territory. Combine these with the graphically
disturbing realism of the violent conflict between the guerillas
and soldiers of Franco's Spain, and you have the makings of
an extremely powerful moviegoing experience.
What makes this film a true masterpiece is
its ability to incorporate so many versatile elements together
so seamlessly, and then perfectly crescendo into one of
the most powerful climaxes ever. As often as I see the same
movie multiple times, rarely do I get the urge to rewatch
something immediately. Pan's Labyrinth is one of
the few films that has me waiting eagerly to see it again.
I've still got a few more movies from 2006 to watch before
I make my final call, but this is easily among the best,
and might be my favorite film of the year.
