Zachary FenellPan's Labyrinth
January 28th 2009 18:28
Pan's Labyrinth, 2006
In keeping with the spirit of "Gut-Punch Wednesday", here's a film that only gets two reactions: adoration or revulsion. There really is no in-between. It is an emotionally charged movie with emotionally charged results, and it is virtually impossible to be ambivalent about it, even if you don't understand it.
First, a spoiler: If you have any problem with violence around or involving children, DO NOT watch this movie. Seriously. Just not good.
That having been said, Pan's Labyrinth is stunning. Visually, it's one of the most fascinating things I've ever seen, especially when you consider the time and setting. It's right up there with MirrorMask in terms of imagery, and that is high praise indeed.
Set in Spain in 1944 (that's a fascist period, and still heavily laden with war, in case you didn't know), Ofelia and her pregnant mother go to stay with Captain Vidal, a sadistic jerk who has married Ofelia's mother following her father's death. The dark world of Faeries finds her (or does she find them?), and she relies on their assistance to save the lives of both her mother and her newborn baby brother.
It's graphic, bloody, and violent (did I mention that?), but it was also visceral, moving, and riveting. The question of whether Ofelia is truly a member of this Faery court or if it's purely her imagination is answered only by the viewer, but the rest of it - the conflict between the opposing sides in this twisted war in the real world - illustrates a side of European history that not many Americans get to see. The treatment of it was a microcosmic view into a land that we don't often learn about, and I was inspired to learn more... but only after I stopped shaking.
This is not film to watch when you're feeling emotionally vulnerable unless you're a masochist that likes to pour salt into open wounds. It is, however, a film to watch with a wooby and a box of tissues, not for heart-strings sadness but for real emotional experience. It is not accessible to everyone, and even the people who would normally be interested can be put off quickly. Stick with it, invest in it, and you'll get a very unique view from it.
3.5 Stars
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Comment by Drunk Rant
Drunk rant... cuz i had em....grr