Pan’s Labyrinth
Friday, 01 Dec 2006 16:10
Few actors in Pan's Labyrinth will be familiar to the majority of moviegoers
Directed by Guillermo del Toro, out in cinemas now, starring Ivana Baquero, Sergi Lopez, Maribel Verdu, running time 119 minutes.
In a nutshell…
Shocking, moving, poignant, extraordinary, unforgettable
What's it all about?
Set in the aftermath of the Spanish civil war, Pan's Labyrinth tells the story of Ofelia, who is forced to go and live with the callous Captain Vidal, a ruthless enforcer in General Franco's fascist army. Her pregnant mother has taken the captain as a husband, in a rural area of Spain as he ruthlessly sets about eradicating rebel groups from the surrounding territory. Ofelia wanders around the grounds of her new home and into a maze, where she encounters a mysterious and sinister faun. The creature informs her that, to take her rightful place as princess of a magical world, which is hidden from the eyes of ordinary people, she must complete three tasks, which will bring her into conflict with terrifying beasts, test her courage and also examine the strength of her resolve in the face of temptation. While a short synopsis of the film may make it sound like little more than a whimsical fantasy, there are harrowing moments in Pan's Labyrinth which would test the sensibilities of the most hardened moviegoing adult. The film is clearly based on the fairytale model of storytelling and while it has a strong cast of courageous heroes, it also has its fair share of big bad wolves.
Who's in it?
Few actors who will be familiar to the majority of moviegoers, but the cast's anonymity in the eyes of mainstream cinema is in no way indicative of their ability, as all of the leading performances in this film are all excellent. Ofelia, the film's protagonist, is played captivatingly by Ivana Baquero, a talented young actress who surely has a bright future in Spanish-speaking cinema, as well as the ability to make the transition to the Anglophonic patch of the industry as foreign actors such as Gael Garcia Bernal and Audrey Tautou have done. Just as enthralling, though for dramatically different reasons, is Sergi Lopez as Ofelia's adopted father, the brutal Captain Vidal. Superb turns are also put in by Maribel Verdu as Mercedes, a duplicitous maid of the captain's, and Ariadna Gil as Ofelia's pregnant mother.
As an example…
Ofelia: My name is Ofelia. Who are you?
Pan: Me? I've had so many names... Old names that only the wind and the trees can pronounce. I am the mountain, the forest and the earth. I am... I am a faun. Your most humble servant, Your Highness.
Likelihood of a trip to the Oscars
A real possibility, as the sheer scale of the imaginative feat that director Guillermo del Toro has accomplished here is unlikely to go unrecognised. The Lord of the Rings films proved that movies borne of fantasy can hold their own against the gritty dramas and weighty biopics at awards ceremonies. If Pan's Labyrinth is overlooked for the major categories, it should be a real contender on the basis of its special effects and visual design.
What the others say
"Dark, twisted and beautiful" – Empire
"Less of a labyrinth than a forest path, one that takes you through wonderful scenery but doesn't lead anywhere" – The Independent
So is it any good?
Pan's Labyrinth combines a gripping yet terrifying wartime drama with a romantic but equally frightening fairytale to stunning effect. Del Toro bases his film on the classic dramatic template of the fairy story, with its unknowing heroine who must prove her worth and merciless villain who will stop at nothing to achieve his macabre goal. What makes the film so interesting, however, is the fact that its protagonist and antagonist effectively exit in two separate storylines. Ofelia and Captain Vidal are striving towards two different aims and struggling against separate adversaries, but still fighting against each other in an ideological battle between good and evil, freedom and oppression, autonomy and autocracy. This intriguing organisation of character and narrative is one of the many elements of Pan's Labyrinth which make it a compelling movie.
This film is an extraordinary imaginative act – a man with dripping skin whose eyes are in his hands and giant frogs, gorging themselves on the earth, are among the otherworldly inhabitants of Pan's Labyrinth. However, it is not simply the fact that such remarkable creations dwell within the film that make it such an impressive achievement. The extraordinary nature of Ofelia’s adventure is offset by the shocking realism with which Captain Vidal's pursuit of the resistance fighters, a disturbing side of the story which is as explicitly real as our heroine's tale is fantastic and bizarre, is portrayed. The placement of such seemingly disparate narratives alongside each other is testament to Del Toro's bravery and vision as a storyteller and the cohesive quality of the finished film evidence of his skill as a director.
Pan's Labyrinth is a unique cinematic achievement. Breathtaking in scope and ambition, surprising in its unflinching portrayal of oppression and violence, moving in its depiction of strength in the face of adversity and the power of dreams. For cynical movie buffs looking for something to challenge them, lovers of fairytales in search of escapist fantasy or thriller fans hungry for shocks and suspense, Pan's Labyrinth is simply not to be missed.
9/10
Ross Kane
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