Film: Pan's Labyrinth
Tagline
Innocence Has A Power Evil Cannot Imagine
Plot
Set in 1944, in fascist Spain, Pan’s Labyrinth is an engaging tale of one little girl’s imagination during a time of brutality. Ofelia’s mother has remarried to the captain of the Spanish army, a ruthless man who cares nothing for his family except for the infant son his wife carries. Upon arriving to the secluded home in the woods, Ofelia meets a fairy who leads her to the labyrinth. This is where the journey into her fantasy world begins as she finds out from a faun that she is the lost princess they’ve been seeking. Only after performing three tasks to prove herself can they return to her true home.
This is not a fairy tale with easy tasks. But Ofelia, with head high, takes of the tasks in order to get away from what is happening around her. The Spanish army is on the search for a small militia of men hiding out in the woods. The captain is a brutal and heartless man who will do anything to get what he wants, even torture innocent people. Under his very nose, people he thought were trusted are actually working against him. Good and evil battle it out through this film. The question to arise: Is the labyrinth real? Or is it a place a girl thought up in her head so that she could escape harsh reality?
Acting
Ah! Where to begin? The acting in this movie was indeed well done. The three main characters in this film that stood out the most to me were on top. Sergi Lopez plays the ruthless captain. When I say ruthless, I mean ruthless! The violence he portrayed made me wince now and again. I had nothing but a loathing for him and his actions towards others. Maribel Verdu is Mercedes, the captain’s head servant of the house who makes sure everything runs smoothly. But she is not all she seems, for she is brother to the leader of the small militia that plagues the captain. She does an outstanding job of portraying a woman who is brave enough to spy on the army in order to help her brother, even though if caught she would most certainly be tortured and killed. Verdu’s character also begins to form a bond with Ofelia, played by Ivana Baquero, as she sees the innocence this girl possesses and a vivid imagination. Baquero definitely surprised me with her character. As Ofelia she draws you in. You feel for this girl who is trapped in the middle of a battle both from her stepfather and from the world of the labyrinth.
Verdict: In all honesty I was expecting a bit more from this movie since it did win some awards. There was more about the war rather than about the actual labyrinth, which disappointed me. Despite that, I would recommend this film. It has a good story, wonderful soundtrack, and beautiful yet frightening art. Be warned, however. This is not a movie with a happy ending. And it’s definitely not a movie for kids. Also, it’s a film in Spanish so be prepared for subtitles.