Skip to main content

Top 10 List (All-Time Faves): 3. Pan's Labyrinth (2006)

 3. Pan's Labyrinth (2006)

Guillermo Del Toro is easily one of my all-time favourite directors and so it was very easy to be happy for him when he won both Best Director and Best Picture for The Shape of Water at last year's Oscars. However, these awards, in my opinion, are classic examples of the Academy's 'make-up' win. Yes, Shape of Water was a nice film to look at, a bit nostalgic to Hollywood and cinema, etc., but, it is definitely not Del Toro's best film. That accolade must go to Pan's Labyrinth.


In classic Del Toro fashion, Pan's Labyrinth is a dark, fantastical story. It stands out among his filmography in that it equally is also quite grounded; it is a historical piece set in 1944 Spain shortly after the country's tumultuous civil war. The film follows a young girl who's mother is the (somewhat-imprisoned) wife of a violent military captain who takes his forces, along with the girl, Ofelia, and her pregnant mother, to a large house out in the wilderness in order to find and destroy the rebel forces hiding there. While living in the forest, Ofelia is drawn to the titular labyrinth where she meets a creature who tells her that she is a lost princess and must complete three tasks in order to return to her kingdom.

The film wondrously jumps between these two worlds of Ofelia's - the 'real-life' oppressive world of the Captain's that she is confined within and the fantastical world that she slowly is introduced to. It is the juxtaposition between these worlds that is fascinating to behold. Though the fantasy world is clearly one that Ofelia uses to escape from her oppressive life to (like all good fantasy worlds), she, and the audience, quickly learn that the fantasy world may just be as dark and dangerous as the real one.

More than almost anything else, Del Toro is known for the gothic-fantasy style he creates in many of his films, and even more so, the incredible creatures he uses to fill those worlds with. Pan's Labyrinth is absolutely no exception to that rule. The Fawn (top photo) and The Pale Man (bottom photo), both marvelously played by Doug Jones, are two of Del Toro's greatest and most terrifying creations and ones that, once seen, cannot easily be forgotten.


Pan's Labyrinth is a film that draws you deep into its world and quickly absorbs you. In all accounts, it is a very dark film where a young girl tries to survive from the malevolent encounters she has with malevolent beings. And yet, it is a film that is easy to love. With Pan's Labyrinth, Del Toro has created a true adult fairy tale brimming with breath-taking atmosphere and creativity making it one film that every cinema lover should bear witness to.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Review: Palm Springs (2020)

Palm Springs (2020) TLDR: An entertaining story of a man and woman stuck in a same-day loop, an entertaining story of a man and woman stuck in a same-day loop, an entertaining sto -- While not the first and definitely not the last take on the 'time loop' story, Palm Springs succeeds as a contemporary rom-com due to the strength of the two leads, the film's consistent laughs and shocks, and an underlying and compelling depth at the heart of the story.  Palm Springs is yet another highly-recommended indie film that gives new life into a well worn genre and premise. The time loop setup has been attached to pretty much every type of story at this point from action to horror, drama to rom-com. Of course, one of the originals, Groundhog Day, may be the most similar to Palm Springs in its somewhat kitschy romantic comedy. However, Palm Springs has contemporary stylings in its honest and flawed characters, its edge and bouts of crudeness/violence, and its tendency to ve...
Post a Comment
Read more

Review: How to With John Wilson (Season 1)

How to With John Wilson (Season 1) TLDR: It's hard to describe exactly what How To is or why exactly it works, but there's a certain point in every episode when the comedy begins to click and then the human element - the surprising poignancy and the everyman/woman relatability - comes out in spades. This documentary series is unlike anything else out there and absolutely worth your time. Who exactly is John Wilson? That's the first question that comes to mind when HBO's new documentary series is recommended to a new viewer. The name is in the show's title, and yet John Wilson is rather a nobody in the grand scheme of things as well as in the entertainment industry (at least he was prior to the becoming a bonafide hit). However, not long ago, contemporary comedy icon Nathan Fielder discovered Wilson and, after seeing his work and style, decided to jump on board as a producer for a new series made by Wilson.  So, again, what exactly is this show? Well, each episode of...
Post a Comment
Read more

Review: The Old Guard (2020)

The Old Guard (2020) TLDR: Immortal and yet still unable to elevate this one past your standard run-of-the-mill action flick. Netflix's newest romp-and-stomp, The Old Guard, based on the comic series by Greg Rucka and Leandro Fernandez, may give you that temporary adrenaline fix you crave but, ultimately, it is fairly standard fare that will likely come and go like so much other contemporary content. The Old Guard is about a small group of immortals who, throughout history, have acted as a for-hire squad. The team is led by Andy (Charlize Theron), the oldest (and most badass) of the four. The film centres around a plot by a business man (Chiwetel Ejiofor) who seeks to expose the group's incredible power so that another more-cruelly minded business man may distill and capitalize the group's immortality. At the same time, the group becomes aware of a brand new immortal (Kiki Layne) whom they attempt to integrate into their way of life. The concept - while not en...
Post a Comment
Read more