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It seems appropriate, on the day that Oscar nominations were announced, that I review a film that, for the next few months, will garner attention for its omissions from the “Best Picture” category. Sure, Dreamgirls is getting a good deal of outcry for its absence from the list, and Little Miss Sunshine‘s recognition is delightful, but one cannot see Pan’s Labyrinth and not leave the theatre ready to argue its place on the list. Guillermo del Toro‘s dark, affecting film about escapism from war is beautifully acted, stunningly shot, and wildly original. More to the point, it’s among the most entertaining, engaging films of the past year.
The film focuses on Ofelia (Ivana Baquero), a young girl ushered against her will to the foothills of Spain with her pregnant mother (Ariadna Gil), whose second husband, Captain Vidal (Sergi López), is working to quell a rebellious uprising against Francisco Franco’s victory in the Spanish Civil War. Unhappy with her place in the country and disapproving of her stepfather, Ofelia relies on fantasy stories to escape. She finds an ancient labyrinth adjacent to the property, where she meets a faun (Doug Jones) who convinces her that she’s the reincarnated spirit of a princess and sets her on three tasks to regain entry to her land.
From there, the film splits into two realms: the fantasy and the real world, where Captain Vidal is torturing rebels and ignoring his sick wife, insistent that the baby should live at any cost, so long as he has an heir. The war drama and the fantasy seem to be in conflict with each other, especially since the fantasy is Ofelia’s escape from the real, but del Toro combines them so well that they nearly melt into one another. Each occurrence in the real world has bearings on the labyrinth story, and everything that Ofelia chooses to do in her fantasy affects the real world. And no matter how terrifying the world of the labyrinth can be, it is nothing for Ofelia (or the viewer) in comparison to the horror of the real. The interweaving of the stories is a fantastic example of del Toro’s craft.
Baquero is a delight to watch as Ofelia, playing the part with a natural wonderment and poise. She is our Alice in this wonderland. Lopez is a fantastic villain, oozing a murderous, chauvinist, pragmatic personality. Maribel Verdú and Ãlex Angulo add weight to the story in the real world as a servant and doctor who work for Captain Vidal but hold a secret allegiance to the rebels.
Pan’s Labyrinth is one of those rare movies that can take you to a completely different place but still show you something about the real world that you’ve never known. Del Toro has created a film that can nod to some of the genre’s classics but still be a completely original fantasy. Years down the road, we may forget who won “Best Picture” at the Oscars, but we’ll continue to remember that this was one of the year’s very best.
Rating: * * * * 1/2 of 5
In case my review wasn’t agreement enough:
Amen.