Pan's Labyrinth

Pan’s Labyrinth was the first movie I saw this year. It wasn’t what I expected really. Given the recent cavalcade of fairy tales and fantasies being turned into movies, I expected more of the same, and from the looks of the preview, I had the general feeling of a Narnia flick, rather than what I got. I should start off by saying that contrary to what you might think, this is NOT a children’s film. It was dark, violent, graphic, and characters cursed quite often. There was far less labyrinth and far more brutally repressive Spanish civil war than I was expecting, but it was still a fantastic film.

The film centers around a little girl, Ofelia, whose mother has married a Spanish Captain serving Generalissimo Franco’s military junta in the 1940’s. Ofelia doesn’t like her life there, but soon she starts getting visits from fairies, and finds her way into the labyrinth, to discover the woods around her, and indeed her own life, are not what they seemed. But the film doesn’t focus on her actions involving the labyrinth, in fact, they are more of a subplot until the very end. Much of the film involves her mother, who is having a troubled pregnancy, her interactions with her stepfather, the grumpy Captain, and another subplot between Mercedes, the fort’s cook, and some rebels they are fighting who live in the mountains. But these are important interactions, as they help to create a counterpoint, and a reason for the fantasy world Ofelia escapes to. Reality is a dark, scary, and wholly undesirable place to be for her, and the idea of being the princess of some far off underworld kingdom is enticing to say the least.

It’s a complex, emotional plot, and you aren’t really sure what is going on, even at the very end of the movie, but it’s hard not to be drawn in by the fantastic and frightening world that Ofelia discovers, and by the vicious brutality of her father. Between the stunning images, the excellent acting, and a soundtrack that couldn’t be described without using the words ‘mystical’ and ‘enchanting,’ this film is a must see for the serious moviegoer, or anyone who wants to see quality cinematic art. I’ll be rooting for this movie for Best Foreign Film at the Oscars. The film is at its core a juxtaposition of fantasy and reality, and who wins in the end isn’t clear. Suffice to say who wins is whoever you want to win, as many of the truths in this film are in the eye of the beholder.