Pan's Labyrinth Review

The movie I chose to watch is called Pan's Labyrinth directed by Guillermo del Toro. This is his 6th movie, and considered to be one of his most successful. The movie is set during 1944 post civil war Spain, in a countryside fort. It’s based on a 12-year old girl, Ofelia (played by Ivana Baquero), who is taken by her mother to her new stepfather's property. The young girl has a fascination with fairytales and refuses to let go of them even after her mother’s request. The movie focuses on Ofelia's constant struggle to deal with the reality of not conforming to her sadistic stepfather, and a fantasy world where she is trying to complete three risky tasks to be able to go back to being princess of the underworld. This obsession and insight into the fabled world is what makes not only Ofelia, but the viewer too, battle between seeing the movie as reality or fantasy. The overall tone of the movie is very dark and ominous, as you can see from the picture. Toro purposely never uses bright colors and all the lighting is very dark, creating a really sinister mood. The soundtrack, all made by Javier Navarrete, is also very gloomy and I don’t remember one upbeat tune.

Going into this movie, I thought it would be more like fantasy and Harry Potter-like, carrying out beautiful mythical creatures. I was sorely mistaken. Though mythical creatures are included, it is very dark and there is a lot of violence, which I felt was really unnecessary. There were a few scenes that left me closing my eyes, cringing at even the audio. This is not a movie I would ever recommend to children. Though it may appear children friendly, it is strictly meant for older teenagers and or adult minds.

Besides the violence, I thought Toro did a really nice job with creating a really solid cast. The acting was always so real, which you’d obviously expect, but each character really made sure that the sinister tone stayed in place. I thought Ofelia was by far the most outstanding considering she her age. The step father, Vidal (played by Sergi Lopez), was also a huge part of making the film so cruel-intentioned, but this was a good thing because it always kept the viewer’s awareness at a high level.

Overall, even though I had expected something much different, I really did enjoy this movie. I’ve never seen anything like it, and I truly would consider it to be one-of-a-kind. I thought it was thought-provoking and Toro really knew how to play with the viewer’s mind, constantly switching between fantasy and reality. Though not for the squeamish audience, it really captures and keeps the viewer’s attention through the full two hours. I’d definitely recommend it to anyone who is open to seeing something new and different.