This movie is probably not what you are expecting it to be. It certainly wasn't what I was expecting it to be. This, however, wasn't a bad thing. The trailer's led me to believe that I was in for a uplifting, if not a bit twisted fantasy film. When we got to the theatre, I was a little surprised that it was rated 14A as I had assumed it would be geared towards a younger audience. Regardless, I bought my ticket and took my seat.

Pan's Labyrinth is not a film for children. It probably isn't even a film for the less-than-sturdy adult. It begins at the end, and although this is a technique I normally find a bit cliched, Guillermo del Toro manages to use it in a way that doesn't make it entirely obvious what is going on, and that lends to the originality of the film to follow. We are introduced to Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) and her mother Carmen (Ariadna Gil) who are heading to the countryside to live with Captain Vidal (Sergi Lopez) as Carmen is carrying his child. When the arrive, Ofelia discovers a strange collection of stones, which the Captain's housekeeper, Mercedes (Maribel Verdu) informs her is an ancient Labyrinth which has been there long before even the mill in which the Captain lives. Due to Ofelia's already overactive imagination, this opens up a world of possibilites for her. What follows is a rather gutwrenching tale of a young girl who enters into a fantasy world to escape the horrific reality she is quickly realising.

The primary storyline is not the fantasy world that Ofelia partakes of, but rather, the civil war in Spain at the time of the rise of Franco. The Captain is deeply involved in the fascist regime and assumes any man who crosses his path is against him. Lopez plays his villian with such contempt that you believe he truly despises everyone in the movie apart from his infant son. Driven by the sick desire to do his dead father proud and ensure that his son follows in his footsteps, Vidal runs his household with the iron fist of fear, and Lopez manages to create possibly the single most terrifying villian known to the big screen after Amon Goeth in "Schindler's List".

Ofelia is a typical youngster. She enjoys her fairytales and constantly has an air of silent curiosity about her. Baquero will no doubt get a much larger list of films to her credit following this masterpiece. Her portrayal of Ofelia was heartbreaking. She manages to convince the audience that this is a child who has lost everything, and still feels as though there is some way she herself can fix it. Her relationship with her mother is sweet, and every time Vidal looks at her sideways, you want to give her a hug.

The supporting cast is just as superb. Gil plays a woman desperate to save her family from poverty, so much so, that she would marry a man whom she knows has no feelings towards her. She is a very tragic figure, and becomes a martyr in her own right. Doug Jones, the only American in the cast, plays the fantastical characters well, even though he never speaks a line of dialogue himself. The Faun and the "Pale Man" are as terrifying as they are magnificent and they are pulled off with as much childlike wonder as they are with every grown up's fear. Alex Angulo, who plays Dr. Ferreiro, gets to deliver one of the most poignent lines of the script and with it, sums up the emotion and message the film is driving.

However, if I had to choose one actor who stands out above the rest, it would be Maribel Verdu with her delivery of Mercedes. Mercedes probably goes through the most development through the film. Her turn from loyal servant to violent rebel is so well delivered, that she manages to be the stand out hero of the piece.

The film is subtitled. For those of you who don't speak fluent Spanish, some reading will be required. I think this lends to it's overall beauty however, and never once did it bother me or did I miss even one facial contortion from the brilliant cast. I highly recommend this film to both fantasy lovers and those who enjoy a good historical fiction. Even if you don't fit into either of those catagories, this film is still incredibly affective, and it's dark metaphorical look at Spain during the civil war is very clever indeed. If you can't sit through several wicked torture scenes however, you may want to go with someone who has seen the film already so they can tell you when to close your eyes. I've never been squeamish. I sat through all three "Saw" films without blinking, but something about the way the violence in this one was delivered made even me turn away a few times.

The bottom line is, no film this year will stay with me quite like this one has. Just let me warn those of you who tend to shed a tear or two during the credits of some films, you may want to bring a box of tissues, as it's likely to get you started at the half-way point. From it's dark, yet hopeful beginning to it's stunningly tragic end, Pan's Labyrinth is worth the price of five admissions just to catch it on the big screen, so do yourself a favour, go and get the full experience, because you will regret it if you wait for the DVD. This is one to see as it was meant to be seen: larger than life.


Recommended:
Yes

Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older