It is dark, but also not...
After a terrible, terrible week at work, I decided that I needed to just sit back and relax last night instead of wasting my night away glued to the computer. So I say back, flipped the air conditioning on, and watched Pan's Labyrinth.
Highly recommended.
Now, if you are even halfway interested in this movie, there are a few things you should know when going into it.
1) It is entirely in Spanish with English subtitles. This wasn't a huge problem for me, as I have a working understanding of Spanish, so I was able to pick up words and phrases without even needing to read the subs all the time. I can't speak the language at all, but my brain seems to remember most of my Spanish classes in high school and I didn't miss a piece of the story. The subtitles are also very large, easy to read, and after the first minute or two, you become completely used to reading them quickly. It becomes incredibly natural. In fact, it was the easiest time I've ever had watching a subtitled film. The subs are also written by the director, Guillermo Del Toro, himself so you're getting the most accurate translation of the story.
2) The trailers are misleading. I knew this going in, after reading many reviews of the film. The trailers make it look like it's a dark fantasy movie. It is, for about 15 minutes of the 1 hour and 52 minute running time. The rest of the movie takes place in Spain during the Spanish Civil War.
3) The movie is very gruesome. I don't know who these idiots are, but there were actually warnings on the movie posters in a lot of countries urging parents not to bring their children. This is not Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter. Unless you want your child to watch a man's face get caved in with the butt-end of a liquor bottle, or watch a man stitch up his own face after a knife rips through the side of his cheek, don't let your children watch this movie.
Now then, it really is a remarkable movie. It's really a powerful story about holding onto hope at the darkest of times, and the evil that men can reap. The story is really the backbone of the movie and it's incredibly engrossing. I was never bored during the film, regardless of whether it was taking place in the real world or the fantasy world. It must also be said that Sergi Lopez plays one of the most evil characters I've ever seen in a film in Capitan Vidal. He's so absolutely horrible and reprehensible that you actually fear him more than any of the strange creatures in the film.
Speaking of which, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the fantastic makeup on Doug Jones to transform him into the film's two most amazing creatures: the Faun and the Pale Man. Despite what IMDB's cast details will tell you, the Faun is NOT Pan. According to Guillermo Del Toro, the name is merely a poor translation, as the original Spanish name is El Laberinto del Fauno (literally: The Labyrinth of the Faun). What's really amazing about the Faun is Doug Jones's portrayal. First, Jones didn't speak a word of Spanish. At the insistence of Del Toro, he agreed to be in the film and he trained hard to learn the language. You'd never know it listening to him speak, because he delivers his lines with such grace and clarity. In fact, it's one of the benefits of the film being subtitled, as dubs tend to lack the emotion found in the original language (watch any dubbed Japanese anime and compare it to the original language version and you'll hear the difference). Visually, the Faun is both horrifying and captivating. You don't trust him and you want to recoil in horror, yet you can't take your eyes off it. His horns, his eyes, and the voice, which is punctuated by animalistic growls and snarls, all create a sense of fear and wonder.
Even more grotesque, however, is the Pale Man. Below what you can see in the picture, its flesh hangs loosely off its bones, and according to the murals on the walls where it resides, it eats babies. Unlike the Faun, it does not speak. It only mindlessly eats whatever living creatures it can get its hands on.
Ultimately though, as fascinating and as amazing as the creatures are, it's the fact that the scenes in the real world are so interesting that makes the film work. You aren't just waiting to see what happens in the fantasy world next and I tended to be far more horrified by the atrocities committed by Vidal than any of the grotesques in the film (which is kind of the point, I think).
By the time the film reaches its climax, you know what's going to happen, but that doesn't dampen the impact. I was absolutely stunned and touched by the ending and I can now understand why this film received a whopping 22 minutes of applause at the Cannes Film Festival. Thankfully, this movie will also be released on HD-DVD later this year (it's currently available on Standard Def DVD and Blu-Ray), and it will be the first ever THX-certified HD-DVD. I will definitely be picking this one up. It's rare that a movie has such a deep affect on me. I've seen plenty of great movies, but rarely do they get across such a terrific messsage because most filmmakers are either afraid or incapable of dealing with such topics. Pan's Labyrinth is simply a masterpiece.
Highly recommended.
Now, if you are even halfway interested in this movie, there are a few things you should know when going into it.
1) It is entirely in Spanish with English subtitles. This wasn't a huge problem for me, as I have a working understanding of Spanish, so I was able to pick up words and phrases without even needing to read the subs all the time. I can't speak the language at all, but my brain seems to remember most of my Spanish classes in high school and I didn't miss a piece of the story. The subtitles are also very large, easy to read, and after the first minute or two, you become completely used to reading them quickly. It becomes incredibly natural. In fact, it was the easiest time I've ever had watching a subtitled film. The subs are also written by the director, Guillermo Del Toro, himself so you're getting the most accurate translation of the story.
2) The trailers are misleading. I knew this going in, after reading many reviews of the film. The trailers make it look like it's a dark fantasy movie. It is, for about 15 minutes of the 1 hour and 52 minute running time. The rest of the movie takes place in Spain during the Spanish Civil War.
3) The movie is very gruesome. I don't know who these idiots are, but there were actually warnings on the movie posters in a lot of countries urging parents not to bring their children. This is not Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter. Unless you want your child to watch a man's face get caved in with the butt-end of a liquor bottle, or watch a man stitch up his own face after a knife rips through the side of his cheek, don't let your children watch this movie.
Now then, it really is a remarkable movie. It's really a powerful story about holding onto hope at the darkest of times, and the evil that men can reap. The story is really the backbone of the movie and it's incredibly engrossing. I was never bored during the film, regardless of whether it was taking place in the real world or the fantasy world. It must also be said that Sergi Lopez plays one of the most evil characters I've ever seen in a film in Capitan Vidal. He's so absolutely horrible and reprehensible that you actually fear him more than any of the strange creatures in the film.
Speaking of which, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the fantastic makeup on Doug Jones to transform him into the film's two most amazing creatures: the Faun and the Pale Man. Despite what IMDB's cast details will tell you, the Faun is NOT Pan. According to Guillermo Del Toro, the name is merely a poor translation, as the original Spanish name is El Laberinto del Fauno (literally: The Labyrinth of the Faun). What's really amazing about the Faun is Doug Jones's portrayal. First, Jones didn't speak a word of Spanish. At the insistence of Del Toro, he agreed to be in the film and he trained hard to learn the language. You'd never know it listening to him speak, because he delivers his lines with such grace and clarity. In fact, it's one of the benefits of the film being subtitled, as dubs tend to lack the emotion found in the original language (watch any dubbed Japanese anime and compare it to the original language version and you'll hear the difference). Visually, the Faun is both horrifying and captivating. You don't trust him and you want to recoil in horror, yet you can't take your eyes off it. His horns, his eyes, and the voice, which is punctuated by animalistic growls and snarls, all create a sense of fear and wonder.
Even more grotesque, however, is the Pale Man. Below what you can see in the picture, its flesh hangs loosely off its bones, and according to the murals on the walls where it resides, it eats babies. Unlike the Faun, it does not speak. It only mindlessly eats whatever living creatures it can get its hands on.
Ultimately though, as fascinating and as amazing as the creatures are, it's the fact that the scenes in the real world are so interesting that makes the film work. You aren't just waiting to see what happens in the fantasy world next and I tended to be far more horrified by the atrocities committed by Vidal than any of the grotesques in the film (which is kind of the point, I think).
By the time the film reaches its climax, you know what's going to happen, but that doesn't dampen the impact. I was absolutely stunned and touched by the ending and I can now understand why this film received a whopping 22 minutes of applause at the Cannes Film Festival. Thankfully, this movie will also be released on HD-DVD later this year (it's currently available on Standard Def DVD and Blu-Ray), and it will be the first ever THX-certified HD-DVD. I will definitely be picking this one up. It's rare that a movie has such a deep affect on me. I've seen plenty of great movies, but rarely do they get across such a terrific messsage because most filmmakers are either afraid or incapable of dealing with such topics. Pan's Labyrinth is simply a masterpiece.