Pan's Labyrinth
Written and directed by Guillermo del Toro, Pan's Labyrinth is a magical story of innocence and imagination versus brutality and evil. Ofelia, a young bookworm with a spirited sense of adventure, moves to the foothills of the mountains where her step-father, a sadistic general, hunts down the remnants of a rebellion against Spain's fascist regime. While exploring the grounds of her step-father's house, Ofelia stumbles into a labyrinth where the mystical faun, Pan, lives. Pan proceeds to tell Ofelia that she is actually the Princess of the Underworld, and that if she completes the three tasks he assigns to her, Ofelia will be able to join her true father in the Underworld.
A self proclaimed fairy tale for adults, Pan's Labyrinth adopts a dark, more grown-up tone; managing to be both delicately beautiful and shockingly violent. The film itself draws you in quickly; identifying and sympathizing with Ofelia is all too easy. By the time she becomes a prisoner in her step-father's house, cut off from her fulfilling her quest, you desperately want her to succeed in her crusade so that she, the final epitome of innocence and creativity, may escape to safety. The visual effects in the film are stunning, the artistry of Pan and his world, breathtaking. Pan is both awe-inspiring and horrifying, the lumbering, jerking, man-animal hybrid, hypnotizing with his wide eyes and self-satisfying smirk.
Pan's Labryrinth is a vibrant, magical, melancholic adventure about a little girl's escape from the real world that was too cruel, too barbaric, to hold her captive. The film's bewitching themes, soul-stirring images, and indeed, Ofelia herself, will haunt you long after the credits roll.
Written by: Toni McIntyre
Reviewers Rating: 8.5
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Added: 15-Mar-2007
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