i first read about 'pan's labyrinth' on rotten tomatoes, and it's high score peaked my interest. couple that with my sometimes love of foreign films, particularly those in spanish, italian, or french, and when it was released i was highly anticipatory.
after a few setbacks, i.e. lack of time, and lack of interest from other friends, i finally went to see the movie yesterday.
what i knew about it walking into a theater was that it was in spanish, with english subtitles. everything else i knew came from the fandango synopsis: In 1944 Spain, young Ofelia and her ailing mother arrive at the post of her mother's new husband, a sadistic army officer who is trying to quell a guerrilla uprising. While exploring an ancient maze, Ofelia encounters the faun Pan, who tells her that she is a legendary lost princess and must complete three dangerous tasks in order to claim immortality.
perhaps it was jim henson's movie, released in 1986, starring jennifer connelly and david bowie that spawned my initial affinity with labyrinths. and since the tender age of 10, i have maintained a mild fascination with these mythical mazes. in fact, when my grandmother built a labyrinth on her property in new york, i was extremely excited. until i realized that is, that it was a meditation labyrinth, with no walls, and no hoggle. (if you don't remember hoggle, you haven't seen the movie recently enough.)
i didn't quite know what to expect when i arrived at the theater. i had heard that the movie was dark, and i suppose it is a fair descriptor--one that does not quite do it justice however. the movie, as stephanie put it, is both disturbing and beautiful.
the antagonist, as noted in the synopsis, is a sadistic army general, and it is through him that most disturbing scenes are manifested. his love of cruelty and pain juxtaposed with his otherwise mild demeanor are often difficult to watch. he delights in torture and senseless killing, and i found myself on several occasions doing something i rarely do--shutting my eyes.
but as disturbing as those moments were, it was a joy to watch 12 year old ivana baquero bring 'ofelia' to life. she perfectly captured the terror of her new living environment and step father, as well as the wonder at having stumbled upon a magical creature, pan, or el fauno, and learning of her alternative destiny.
the cinematography is stunning, and the story-telling superb. i particularly appreciated the subtleties. i loved that a word or a gesture carried so much meaning, as i find that all too often in american cinema, there is very little not spelled out for us. i suspect that it is a result of our inability or disinterest in thinking for ourselves.
i also found it interesting that another common american practice was turned on it's head. typically, we find that the evil doers are ugly or overly creepy looking, and the protagonist is always attractive and uncreepy. not so in this case. in fact, the 'bad guy' was quite handsome, while the 'good guy', the faun, was pretty scary looking and completely lacking in personality. it was a powerful reminder that appearances can be deceiving.
additional, and far more eloquent, reviews can be found here, and here.
a movie critique is obvously subjective, but all told, i would give it 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it highly.
after a few setbacks, i.e. lack of time, and lack of interest from other friends, i finally went to see the movie yesterday.
what i knew about it walking into a theater was that it was in spanish, with english subtitles. everything else i knew came from the fandango synopsis: In 1944 Spain, young Ofelia and her ailing mother arrive at the post of her mother's new husband, a sadistic army officer who is trying to quell a guerrilla uprising. While exploring an ancient maze, Ofelia encounters the faun Pan, who tells her that she is a legendary lost princess and must complete three dangerous tasks in order to claim immortality.
perhaps it was jim henson's movie, released in 1986, starring jennifer connelly and david bowie that spawned my initial affinity with labyrinths. and since the tender age of 10, i have maintained a mild fascination with these mythical mazes. in fact, when my grandmother built a labyrinth on her property in new york, i was extremely excited. until i realized that is, that it was a meditation labyrinth, with no walls, and no hoggle. (if you don't remember hoggle, you haven't seen the movie recently enough.)
i didn't quite know what to expect when i arrived at the theater. i had heard that the movie was dark, and i suppose it is a fair descriptor--one that does not quite do it justice however. the movie, as stephanie put it, is both disturbing and beautiful.
the antagonist, as noted in the synopsis, is a sadistic army general, and it is through him that most disturbing scenes are manifested. his love of cruelty and pain juxtaposed with his otherwise mild demeanor are often difficult to watch. he delights in torture and senseless killing, and i found myself on several occasions doing something i rarely do--shutting my eyes.
but as disturbing as those moments were, it was a joy to watch 12 year old ivana baquero bring 'ofelia' to life. she perfectly captured the terror of her new living environment and step father, as well as the wonder at having stumbled upon a magical creature, pan, or el fauno, and learning of her alternative destiny.
the cinematography is stunning, and the story-telling superb. i particularly appreciated the subtleties. i loved that a word or a gesture carried so much meaning, as i find that all too often in american cinema, there is very little not spelled out for us. i suspect that it is a result of our inability or disinterest in thinking for ourselves.
i also found it interesting that another common american practice was turned on it's head. typically, we find that the evil doers are ugly or overly creepy looking, and the protagonist is always attractive and uncreepy. not so in this case. in fact, the 'bad guy' was quite handsome, while the 'good guy', the faun, was pretty scary looking and completely lacking in personality. it was a powerful reminder that appearances can be deceiving.
additional, and far more eloquent, reviews can be found here, and here.
a movie critique is obvously subjective, but all told, i would give it 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it highly.
