THERE ARE NO SECRETS ON THE BIRE.
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Part gothic fantasy, part political statement, Guillermo del Toro's masterwork is clearly a labor of love, marrying his interest in the Spanish Civil War with his fascination with fantasy and horror. Del Toro should be very proud of himself; instead of taking this film to a studio, which would have desensitized (and thus gutted) the film, he set out on his own, filming the movie in Spanish and shooting it out of America. The result is one of this year's must-see films.
Talk about style. Pan's Labyrinth sports an amazing overall design, from makeup to sets to lighting and camera work. The most remarkable accomplishment is Pan. The faun is simultaneously horrific and alluring; you want to scream and hide from it yet you can't look away. What really sells the character is the way it moves – its facial contortions and the expressive motion of Doug Jones from within the costume brings the character to life in a realistic way that no CG creation has been able to accomplish thus far.
The story is captivating throughout and del Toro's pacing – not to mention his wonderful scene transitions – elevates the film to a lyrical plateau of beauty and horror. This is not a film for the faint of heart. This comes from the director of Blade 2 and Hellboy, remember. There are multiple scenes of extreme and brutal violence, and there is no shortage of gore. In one scene, a character has his cheek slit open, conforming his visage into a vicious, snarling grin. He stitches the wound, patches it with a cotton bandage, and downs a shot of brandy ... only to have his newly applied bandage stained at first with alcohol, then with blood. The film is full of similarly grotesque moments and is by no means meant for younger audiences.
This is an amazing work of cinema by any estimation, and is by far one of the most original and memorable films in recent memory.
