JOE'S SUMUP: gruesome, powerful, majestic
"Pan's Labyrinth" (originally "El Laberinto Del Fauno") is not the greatest movie ever made. It is also not a movie I would recommend to general audiences. It is simply no less than a masterpiece, of visual artistry and storytelling, a 20th-century fable mimicking Greek tragedy, written only for those who can stomach unmitigated tribulation coupled with wearied victory.
The film is set in an army camp in Franqist-repressed, civil war-ravaged Spain in 1944. A young girl named Ofelia travels with her mother to live with her sadistic stepfather, Captain Vidal, an officer in Franco's army. Her mother, in her third trimester, is deeply ill, while the tyrannical stepfather has two interest: quelling a local rebellion of guerillas, and keeping his wife's unborn son for himself. Ofelia's interests meanwhile are in fantastical legends, which she pours over in her books. Little does she know that she is the star player in one.
Yet another original story is written for the screen, wherein we are shown the merit in paths bearing no logic, yet that somehow make more and more sense as we start walking them. Ofelia follows a
sprite down such a path one night, into an ancient labyrinth found behind the chateau. Deep in the ground, she finds mythical creatures waiting for her. The greatest is the faun, a messenger of sorts. He informs her that she is no mere human, but the ancient princess of an ancient king, and that she may return to her kingdom if she will perform three difficult tasks of virtue. She is immediately mesmerized by this true existence of magic. Complications soon arise, due to her mother's health and her stepfather's brutality in running his household, wherein rebel spies pose as servants, preparing
for a final confrontation.
From the moment the film started, my respect inched up for its maker. Created by Guillermo del Toro, a Mexico-born Hollywood writer/director, this is the kind of film which, if made at the end of his career, could be called his magnum opus. He once left years of notes and sketches in the back of a taxi cab.
Shattered, he believed he would shut down the project. But the cab driver found them so moving that he searched del Toro out and delivered the notes back to him. The director, convinced this was a blessing, found new determination to achieve the picture. He was later offered double the budget for his film from his producers, if he would make it in English. Then, he stuck it right to them, stating that he "didn't want any compromise in the story, just to suit the market's needs." A true artist and idealist---my respect went up a few notches more. It went on to receive a 22-minute standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival. And Roger Ebert called it the #1 best film of 2006.
This is a fairy tale of sorts for adults. I was gripped with its weird yet believable creatures, its fantastical backdrops, and a mythical heart-wrenching story. If I've made you curious, know that it is still as far from a feelgood as any movie I've seen. That I did not expect. I could scarcely recommend it with its violence and intensity. Del Toro is likewise known for his fascination with the grotesque, and this film does not stop short---enough so that in Mexico, theaters had to put up warnings to parents not to bring their children to see it. Some might then wonder why I wanted to see "Pan's Labyrinth". My chief reason was to size up del Toro, as
he is soon to direct both of the Peter Jackson-produced Hobbit films. Then, the more I watched, the more my reason changed. I became mesmerized by the film's spirit. It is the reasons why it is not a feelgood that I ended up appreciating it so. Its tragic tones, a haunting unforgettable score, a very daring plot, stark performances---these all combined to express what the film was actually about. "Pan's Labyrinth" is a parable written with the purpose of depicting unwavering virtue, and its quiet potential in every person---then understood all the clearer when dichotomized with unharnessed vice. It is about the pursuit of liberty from oppression. A film could hardly portray eternal vigilance better.
I'm with Richard Roeper on this one. I don't know that I could see it again because it is so very weird and so memorable. But my thumb is up. Running time: 119
POST-SCRIPT: Prognosis for "The Hobbit" films: Anyone worried because Jackson is not directing, be at peace. We'll get our money's worth in 2012.
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