Pan's Labyrinth (El Laberinto del Fauno) [2006]

Directed by the maverick New Age Mexican director Guillermo Del Toro, Pan’s Labyrinth is a surreal, sweeping, visually stunning and emotionally enthralling pseudo-fantasy fable set in the backdrop of the turbulent post-civil war Spain. The theme propounded by his previous film The Devil’s Backbone, viz. the juxtaposition of the real world horrors vis-à-vis the fantasy world ones, attained mind-numbing and spectacular proportions in Pan’s Labyrinth. The tale of a young innocent girl Ofelia, who is given three dangerous tasks by a mythical faun Pan to prove that she is indeed a princess of the magical world, is told alongside the violent and profoundly distressing war between Franco’s brutal army and the guerrilla rebels. The movie is as arresting for its astonishing cinematography and the director’s incredible eye for the detail, as it is heart-rending for its delicate poetry and lyricism that manages to affect the viewer’s sense of being. Though universally praised on its release, its graphic violence and disturbing plot developments have ensured that it is not for the squeamish. Stirring score, outstanding special effects, and stellar performance by the cast including the young protagonist, have made this refreshingly unique and absolutely brilliant movie one for the ages.





Director: Guillermo Del Toro
Genre: Drama/Fantasy Fable/War Drama/Epic/Avante-Garde
Language: Spanish
Country: Mexico