Pan's Labyrinth (Del Toro, 2006) - 8/10
Visually arresting and wonderfully acted, Pan's Labyrinth is an amazing little film. Be forewarned however, as the movie has been woefully mis-marketed. Do not expect a full blown fantasy adventure, with dashes of real-world drama. Expect quite the opposite, really. The labyrinth and its odd inhabitants appear for less than a third of the film. Fortunately, none of this really matters, as there is a lot of fantasy in the film's reality, and it succeeds in engaging on several levels. The beauty of the movie, and the passion that went into making it are quite visible, and this highly-acclaimed film is an evokative and enriching experience.
The basic plot involves Ofelia, a young girl whose mother is with child, moving to live with her new "father", a fascist military leader named Captain Vidal, in Spain near the end of World War II. Revolution is on the way, with rebels surrounding the homestead, and daily life is filled with acts of cruelty and brutality. The bleak reality surrounding her leads Ofelia to seek comfort in a fantasy world, which she discovers when she meets a strange faun one night in a labyrinth on Vidal's grounds. The faun tells her that she is really a princess of the underworld, and sets her off on several tasks to prove her worth.
Del Toro does a masterful job of blending the two narratives of the film (which are really two sides of the same coin), that of life in fascist Spain under a ruthless military leader, and the fantastical world of the faun's labyrinth. Certain events occurring in reality, usual led by the ruthless Captain Vidal, are mirrored by the quests young Ofelia must undertake (it is also interesting to note that Ofelia's success is often matched by complete failure by the adults). The movie deals with a variety of topics and themes, but in the end, it can most easily be read as a morality tale about obedience. More precisely, it is a film about disobedience, or at the very least, questioning the things one is told to do. Choices, and how it the ones we make define us, also is a large theme tackled in the movie.
Del Toro asks us to ponder which is the better path: obedience without question, even though the power we serve may be misguided (or even flat-out wrong), or justifiable disobedience? We see throughout the film that Vidal expects obedience without question, and when he doesn't get it, he lashes out with incredible rage and violence. Ofelia on the other hand personafies righteous disobedience. She refuses to do certain things she is told to do, based on moral conflicts. She ultimately refuses to sacrifice another life for the sake of her own, and in doing so, proves her worth, and passes the faun's final test. It is this lack of flexiblilty and humanity that eventually leads to Vidal's downfall, while Ofelia's strength sets her free. One gets the feeling that Vidal is somewhat of a tragic figure, who could have become a completely different man, had he questioned his actions and made certain choices along the way, much like the young Ofelia did.
The acting in the movie is phenomenal and is what really makes it work. The actors portraying Ofelia, Vidal, and Mercedes (a supporting character with an interesting story arc of her own) are all stand-outs. The entire visual package is inspired, from the Oscar-winning cinematography to the sets to the make-up. The score is excellent, if slightly repetitive and lacking in scope. Finally, Del Toro really comes into his own as a director on this film, and I really enjoyed a lot of the stylistic and editing choices he made on the movie (and the Pale Man sequence itself is worth the price of admission). Easily the most accomplished work of his young career.
