Review of Pan's Labyrinth (2006) by Patricia W — 19 Nov 2017

Pan's Labyrinth is a Guillermo del toro film that takes place in 1944, after the Spanish Civil War, as a young girl, Ofelia, and her mother arrive at the post of her new husband who is trying to quell the guerrilla uprising. Ofelia is approached by a faun, who tells her that she is a lost princess and that she must complete 3 dangerous tasks in order to gain immortality in this wonderful tale of dark fantasy and drama.

The acting in this film is excellent across the board. Ivana Baquero is very good as Ofelia, carrying most of the fantasy elements herself and conveying a lot of the wonder and horror that helps sell those scenes. Sergi Lopez is excellent, convincingly portraying Vidal's cruel and sadistic nature and Maribel Verdu gives a strong and emotional performance as Mercedes, the house keeper and rebel informer.

The plot is extremely absorbing and you will find yourself getting very invested in the characters who are very well fleshed out and developed throughout the story. The action and violence in the film are also extremely brutal and bloody, relying on practical effects that accentuate the horror and peril that the protagonists are in.

The fantastical elements and dramatic scenes mix incredibly well in this film and the beautiful musical score really heightens the dark and often sad tone of the story. This film is beautifully shot, the cinematography and lighting is also excellent but the most visually impressive thing are perhaps the creatures. With a mixture of makeup, prosthetics and CGI, the creatures are brought to life in a haunting and almost frightening way, two of which are well performed by Doug Jones.

I adore this film. I could watch it again and again and thoroughly enjoy it for all it's dark, disturbing and fantastical wonder.