Pan's Labyrinth (El Laberinto del Fauno)

Imagine what the cute, cheesy but endearing movie The Labyrinth would have been like if it'd been written by horror-fantasy novelist Clive Barker? Then take that image and transplant it to Spain in 1945 amid a dying civil war, add a dash of The Diaries of Anne Frank, and you'll have some idea of what it's like to watch Pan's Labyrinth.


Today I saw a matinee, and it is the hands-down the best fantasy film since The Lord of the Rings. In the specific genre of "fantasy-horror" it is flat-out the best I've seen. PL is frightening, dark, beautiful, and haunting. I recommend it, but if you go you better leave the kiddies at home.

Story: This is an alegory of the finest form. It is a fantasy and a war movie told in tandem, wrapped up and tied with leaves and dew drops. The basic fairy tale has similarities to a wide range of previous stories or fiction works: the Greek myth of Hades & Persephone, Alice In Wonderland, The Wizard of Oz, Rumplestiltskin, and even the cheesy 80s movie The Labyrinth. The giant faun Pan even vaguely resembles the Minotaur that guarded the labyrinth of Crete. Alice In Wonderland and Hades & Persephone are probably the most easily visible homages, but in totality this film is not like any of those. It borrows a symbol here, a thematic element there, and it runs like crazy into the night. It resembles the oldest fairy tales as they should be: tales of cruelty and valor, where everything beautiful has teeth, and only the courageous can earn their right not just to survive, but to transcend.

Plot: Well-written, exciting, tightly directed. I was never bored. It is very dark, very heavy for a fairy tale. This is not the Shire-- this is what the Shire would look like if Mordor had overrun the lands and Lord Sauron was now Sam Gamgee's step father.

Rating: Don't kid yourself by the pretty movie poster-- this movie deserves an R rating. There were at least four times that I flinched at the cruelty of what we see happening in front of us, and most of those times had to do with war violence. But at the same time, I would almost like to take kids to see it, particularly young girls. Because the film is just that good; it has important lessons, and it has an amazing set of protagonists in Ophelia and Mercedes. Now mind you I wouldn't-- because it really is too gorey for kids-- but I'd probably bring young teenagers because this film is too rewarding to miss. It will impress you and linger in your thoughts.

Characters: Exceedingly well-acted, from the young heroine to the villainous military Captain to the tenacious housekeeper. Each of the characters is given lush development, though I would have liked to have known a bit more about the origins of the labyrinth itself, and the faun Pan. While everything you need to know to enjoy the story is explained, the fantasy fan in me wants even more of this strange world. But onto the characters... Ofelia is wonderful. She's exactly the kind of film role model I think young girls should have. She's brave, smart, resourceful, and ultimately a master of her own fate. She's a hero, but she's also heartbreakingly human, and young. I loved her character.

The film is also good to the other major female characters. Ofelia's mother is sickly but strong of heart and in Ofelia's actions we can see what a positive, strong person she was as a mother. Mercedes, the housekeeper, is in many ways the adult foil to Ofelia. She is also navigating a world of traps and tunnels, where any misstep could be death and failure is equally devastating. She's strong an brave and I felt for her journey as much as for Ofelia's. I don't often discuss feminist issues when reviewing films because I'm so used to stereotypes and disappointment. But this is a film that gets an A+ for its portrayal of female characters. And although most of the violence in the film is done by male characters (to other men and to women)-- they are not all bad; there are a few minor male characters as well that represent the hope and decency and honor that are so contested over in this film.

Music: Subtle but powerful, especially the lullaby leitmotif for Ofelia and the Labyrinth. I already want the soundtrack. It lingers, with haunting slow notes, eerie vocals, deep horns, and soft piano.

What I liked: the toad and the key
What made my skin crawl: the tree insects, the bottle-smash
What scared me: the lair of the Pale Man


Critic Reviews:
Salon.com: http://www.salon.com/ent/movies/review/2006/10/13/pans_labyrinth/index_np.html
Chicago-Sun Times: http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061228/REVIEWS/61228001/1023
The Rolling Stone: http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/movie/10345062/review/12987263/pans_labyrinth_el_laberinto_del_fauno


And if all that doesn't convince you to go out and see this film, let me tell you this much: I bet Neil Gaiman would love this movie. He totally would, and I know many of you are fans of his books.
Edit: Yep, I was right: totally loved it.

EDIT: HEAVY SPOILERS IN COMMENTS! BIG SPOILERS! DO NOT READ COMMENTS!