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In 1944, Spain is in the throes of a civil war. Young Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) and her pregnant mother (Ariadna Gil) travel to the hills where her step-father (Sergi Lopez), a cruel and dispassionate captain in the fascist military, is seeking to suppress a band of peasant guerrillas. On the way, Ofelia “sees” a fairy in the form of a large and unusual stick insect. Before long she is led into a labyrinth, where a mysterious Pan-like creature tells her a remarkable secret, and demands that she undertake three tasks.
Review:
El Laberinto del Fauno is without a doubt one of modern cinema’s most captivating and beautifully shot films, doubly so if viewed in its original Spanish. Among many noteworthy traits, there is an awe-inspiring sense of craft about it; notions of both wonder and darkness that are equally deep and extreme, though not in the places you’d expect.
The English title, Pan’s Labyrinth, is by the director’s own admission an unfortunate anomaly of translation. In Western mythology, Pan has associations with religion; but the character referred to in this story is a faun, a mythical creature partially resembling a goat, sure, but in no other way associated with The Pan.
But that doesn’t make the characterization less vivid. Doug Jones’ Faun is strangely beautiful yet scary. And in truth, that explanation goes a long way to describing the film as a whole.
In director Guillermo del Toro’s vision, real darkness resides in the real world, and despite initial appearances, the faun’s magical realm may be dangerous, but is not nearly as horrific. Indeed, in del Toro’s film, the real monsters are real people in the real world, while the creatures that appear to, speak to, and ultimately lead Ofelia to her destiny are not so clear-cut.
It’s difficult to elaborate on characters in a story concept drawn from archetypes (as most fairy-tales are), but knowing nods are apparent to many classical structures - Alice in Wonderland is one obvious example.
Be warned: part fairy tale this story might be, but there are scenes of shocking on-screen and suggested violence – most of which is not fantasy violence. At one point a hapless peasant is pistol-whipped in graphic detail, while in another scene a meticulous torture method is explained by way of instruments to the point of toe-curling revulsion. It is not a film for children by any stretch of the imagination.
Kudos to a cast of genuinely affecting actors, who offer warm, authentic characters. The film’s design is outstanding – look out for The Pale Man (don’t eat anything!) - and the beautiful, quiet soundtrack, punctuated by occasional bangs and explosions whenever the insurgents are encountered, make for a beautiful symphony of sound. Try to see it in a cinema with a proper sound system.
Yet what truly elevates El Laberinto is its seamless integration of parallel storylines. Carmen’s troublesome pregnancy, the fascist/guerrilla conflict and Ofelia’s adventures in the labyrinth are ingeniously paced and overlapped. This makes for a film that can be sold as mostly fantasy, but is firmly rooted in human drama and political intrigue. In short: a masterpiece.
- Anton Marshall
