Review of The Devil's Backbone (2001) by Thequietgamer — 22 May 2018

A tale of greed, war, and tragedy all set against the backdrop of a ghost story. Guillermo del Toro's gothic drama is set in an orphanage during the Spanish Civil War. Dark secrets are hidden inside it's walls, and not just the kind related to the restless spirit that wanders the halls. Those who watch over the children harbor lust, regret, and anger in their hearts. The lingering dead actually play second fiddle to the living. The real stars of the show are the kids. This is very much a story about the innocence of youth and why adults should take care not to spoil it.

Believable interactions and well-written, multilayered characters ensure that the narrative never gets stale. Much like the director's later work "Crimson Peak" (which I now believe is a spiritual successor to this film), the supernatural horror elements aren't so much used to frighten, but instead to imbue the story with a somewhat mythical quality. A tone of magic punctuates every event. So unfortunately the movie is not scary. Just occasionally eerie. A disappointment, but at least del Toro's knack for sometimes stomach-churning gore is still present.

War leads to many horrors. Sometimes those who never step on the battlefield end up just as wounded as those who did. This is especially true for the children that are left behind when their parents take up the fight. The Devil's Backbone is a dark, beautiful wartime parable made up of ghosts, violence, and enchantment. Qualities that more than help it make up for a lot of that missing terror.

8.