Pan's Labyrinth Review

Number 133 on the top 1000 films of all time is Guillame del Toro's dark fantasy film: Pan's Labyrinth.

Set in the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War, Pan's Labyrinth follows two inter-twining narratives.  The first focusses on a little girl called Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) who discovers that she is actually Moanna, the princess of the underworld.  She meets a faun (Doug Jones) who gives her a series of tasks, so that she can gain immortality.

Ofelia's stepfather is the villainous Vidal, a Fascist Falange captain, in charge of the village Navarra.  However, there is civil unrest, as Vidal is in a guerilla war with the local resistance movement who are determined to overthrow him.

This is an intensely creative film.  Rooted heavily in Spanish folklore, as well as Del Toro's immense imagination, the visual effects were great.  They were a mixture of practical and special effects and the practical effects were just excellent.  Considering how complicated and fantastical some of the creatures are, you would expect them to be CGI, but actually it's a physical actor in a physical costume.  Ofelia's guide through the labyrinth is a faun who was played brilliantly by Doug Jones.  Within the labyrinth, Ofelia also meets the terrifying Pale Man - a child-eating monster, which was once again Doug Jones in a costume.  Pan's Labyrinth won the Oscar for best make-up, which is well-deserved.  The make-up, animatronics and costume design were simply superb.

Beyond the visual element, the world of Pan's Labyrinth was well-realised.  Although it steeped in Spanish mythology, I could definitely see Roman and Greek influences too.  Ofelia being pursued by the Pale Man through the labyrinth is definitely comparable to the Greek myth of the Minotaur and the Labyrinth.  Ofelia's different challenges could be compared to the trials of Sisyphus.

Complimenting Ofelia's story is the narrative concerning the despicable Captain Vidal.  From the off, it is obvious that Vidal is a cruel sadist and Sergio Lopez's portrayed the character well.  Vidal was an evil character, but still a watchable one.  There is one particular moment where Vidal torments a stuttering resistance fighter that if he can count to three without stuttering, he'll be set free.  This is where we see his sadism at its worst.  Considering the horrors of the fascist regime, it only makes sense that Ofelia will retreat into this fantasy world.

If I were to criticise something, I would say that maybe Vidal's narrative overshadowed Ofelia's one.  And I don't think this was right, as Ofelia's narrative was the primary one.  However, while, Ofelia's narrative was visually stunning, I didn't find it as compelling as Vidal's narrative.  I found Vidal's character to be far more interesting to watch and I think it's just because of how evil his character was.  And I also think that Del Toro focussed far more on the guerilla war between Vidal's forces and the resistance movement, than on Ofelia's challenges to become immortal.

Although this is a small criticism really.  The visual effects were marvellous and Sergio Lopez was terrifying as Vidal, but Ofelia's narrative was central above all.  Pan's Labyrinth has been likened to an adult-version of Alice in Wonderland, which I would agree with.  So, next time, you feel like escaping into a fantasy world, I'd recommend Pan's Labyrinth.  Just expect it to be a brutal and bloody ride.  This is a film, which engages with some adult themes.  This is definitely not a kid's film.