Pan's Labyrinth

Pan’s Labyrinth

Mexican filmmaker Guillermo del Torro pulls out all the stops in this allegorical tale of good versus evil.  Enlisting the aid of Doug Jones, Sergi Lopez, Ivana Baquero, and Maribel Verdu; Del Torro breathes life into this captivating and inspiring foreign fairytale.  In doing so, he creates a film that can only be described as Alice in Wonderland meets Valkyrie.

The film begins in earnest as mother and daughter are in route to their new home.  Carmen (Ariadna Gil) tries to convince her headstrong daughter, Ofelia (Baquero), that the new man in their lives will keep them safe during this time of civil unrest.  She requests that Ofelia calls him father; however, Ofelia refuses to obey her mother’s petition.

They soon arrive and are greeted by Ofelia’s new stepfather, Captain Vidal (Lopez), and a host of his underlings.  As greetings are exchanged, Ofelia acknowledges the familiar stranger via his rank in the military and not as the head of her family.  Vidal recognizes the intentional distinction and becomes incensed by the little interloper, which undoubtedly will not secure her wellbeing during this time of war.

As the film progresses, Vidal attempts to rid the surrounding area of rebels that are proving to be more than just a little elusive.  In addition, his wife, Carmen, becomes extremely ill due to her pregnancy and must be placed on bed rest until she is ready to deliver the baby.  Ofelia is forced to stay away from her mother during this time, per the Captain’s orders.  So, she begins to explore her surroundings and discovers some new friends, both human and mythical.

Upon a cursory search of the grounds, Ofelia discovers an old maze, which is described as a labyrinth by her new best friend Mercedes (Verdu).  She watches over Ofelia, but can’t help feeling that the child is in danger as long as her mother remains with the evil Captain.  In the process of dealing with her grief over her mother and in opposition to Mercedes instructions, Ofelia ventures into the labyrinth and discovers an underground world, which is guarded by an ancient faun named Pan (Jones).

The faun describes in detail how Ofelia is the reincarnated princess of this underworld.  He indicates that she must complete three tasks in order to reunite with her true father and reclaim her royal status.  Ofelia begins her double life attempting to care for her ailing mother, while secretly trying to complete each task successfully.

Just as Ofelia believes her mother is going to recover, she goes into labor and delivers a healthy baby boy.  However, during child birth, Ofelia’s mother passes away leaving only Mercedes and the faun to turn to in her time of need.  After Mercedes failed attempt at escaping with the child, Ofelia turns to Pan for direction.  Does he guide her down the correct path?  Does she complete her tasks or will she forever be a slave to a tyrannical stepfather?  I won’t ruin the ending for you, but you will need to watch the movie to uncover the mystery.

Even though this film had subtitles, I still found myself drawn into the story.  The acting was on a different level, the cinematography was breathtaking, and the musical score only solidified the greatness of this film.  I was always waiting to see what happened next and was surprised several different times as Del Torro managed to place a labyrinth of twists and turns into this film, which will keep you guessing right up until the end.  I give Pan’s Labyrinth 4.5 stars.  If you are interested in watching a war time movie with a bit of a twist, I would highly recommend winding your way through this one.

That’s How Matt Sees It!