EL LABERINTO DEL FAUNO
directed by Guillermo Del Toro; (2006)
Reviewed by
Film Rating:
I'm not the sort of movie-goer who seeks films made outside the Hollywood establishment simply for the sake of it.
Good word-of-mouth (and a good film trailer) lured me into seeing this one. Pan's Labyrinth--literally
The Labyrinth of the Fawn, as it should be translated, because the film never mentions Pan--wasn't the
trippy fantasy quest I'd expected. It's as much horrifying reality as fantasy, as much a tragedy as a quest.
It held me enthralled for its two hours running time.
This is a spoiler-free review, so I won't give you a synopsis. Suffice it to say that the film has a strong plot and
everything else you could want in a first-rate, memorable movie. I felt grounded in the harsh, isolated atmosphere of a
mountain fortress in 1944 Spain. I sympathized with the girl protagonist, and grew to respect her. The villain
was an impressive, truly hateful character. The film leaves you thinking about it when it's over. It weaves a
line between reality and fantasy without blurring it, and brings up the challenge that fairy-tales are needed
in real life. It leaves you, the audience, wanting to believe.
If screenwriter/director Guillermo Del Toro can come close
to equaling his work here, I look forward to seeing more from him.
I'll remember El Laberinto del Fauno as the highest quality film I've seen in two years.
