Legendary film reviewer Roger Ebert passed away on Apr. 4, 2013
Roger Ebert’s top film of 2006 was the Spanish motion picture Pan’s Labyrinth, which he considered to be one of the greatest fantasy movies of all-time. A fairy tale meant for adults, the storyline follows a young girl, Ofelia (Ivana Baquero), as she moves to a secluded old mill with her mother Carmen (Ariadna Gil) and new stepfather, Captain Vidal (Sergi Lopez).
Set in fascist Spain in 1944, Vidal has been sent to this locale to quell a rebellious group of men fighting against the government. To call Vidal a cruel man would be an understatement, as time and time again he proves himself to be a sadistic and vile human being. Lopez brings this role to life with great realism, and in my opinion this is one of the great villainous portraits in film history.
The harsh realities of life affect Ofelia (including her mother’s problematic pregnancy) and one night she is brought by a fairy to a labyrinth near the mill. In it, she meets an ominous-looking faun (Doug Jones) who tells her that she is the long-lost princess of a hidden kingdom, but to prove herself and return to the king she must complete three tasks.
Guillermo del Toro, the horror aficionado and writer/director of this film, brings to us a vivid and frightening world that is not for the faint of heart. He melds the two storylines together flawlessly, mixing the vicious world of Captain Vidal with the nightmarish fantasy world that Ofelia must live through as she completes the three tasks. The creature that she must evade in the second task, a pale emaciated figure with flaps of loosely hanging flesh and eyes in its hands, is especially terrifying. The make-up and costume design, along with the setting, help to evoke feelings of dread in both the protagonist and the audience. It is a visual masterpiece!
Violence also plays a prominent part in this film. There are several scenes that are quite gruesome and del Toro does not shy away from the brutality, but through it, he is able to capture the appalling reality of life and the unique personas of his characters. There is a scene where Vidal questions two men with rifles who say they are hunting rabbits. He brutally murders them only to discover they were telling the truth. Grisly depictions such as this help to showcase the tarnished soul of this villain.
It is in this dangerous setting that certain characters sneak around to help the rebels, displaying their bravery and heroism in the face of such a barbarous dictator, a perfect example of the difficult decisions that must be made when facing this kind of oppression.
Finally, there has been much discussion as to whether Ofelia’s perceptions are merely a way for her to escape from the painful world around her or if these fantasy elements actually occurred. There are arguments both ways and in the end each viewer will make up his or her own mind on the subject, but much like Roger Ebert, I believe that the fantastic elements are real and did occur. This finale leads to many thought-provoking questions.
In the end, Pan’s Labyrinth is about choices. Each character, good or bad, makes decisions that will affect them and those around them. We are meant to observe the protagonist Ofelia struggle as she is put in the middle of near impossible decisions in both worlds and has nothing to guide her but her conscience. At the heart of almost every creative fairy tale lies a story of good and evil, and one can see why Roger Ebert was drawn to a film with such powerful themes.
English subtitles
A disturbing but ‘enjoyable’ movie. Creepy, haunting, but very captivating.
Very dark and haunting. Evokes emotions as you watch it, cannot pull away from it.
That is a very accurate appraisal. It sticks with you long after the final credits have ended.