PAN'S LABYRINTH
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| Innocence has a power evil cannot imagine. |
Genre: Drama, Fantasy, War
Duration: 118 minutes
Plot: in the falangist Spain of 1944, the bookish young stepdaughter of a sadistic army officer escapes into an eerie but captivating fantasy world (written by Shanon Patrick Sullivan).
Analysis: not many things to say about Pan's Labyrinth, Guillermo del Toro's best picture and one of the greatest films in the history of spanish cinema. After having seen the movie at least five times there is not a single think i could describe as mediocre. Direction is simply magnificent, the script marvellous and solid, the perfomances extremely persuasive and the scenery something more than magestive.
But what really stands out from this excellent movie is the messages del Toro wants to pass to his audience. The comparison of a pieceful and beautiful world in the fantasy of a little girl with Spain's darkest period in its recent history: the 35 years' dictatorship of Franco. A period scarred by freedom's and democracy's absence. Del Toro manages to describe the horror of that time by transforming it into the monsters of his fantastic world, thus gifting us with a true masterpiece.
Things to notice:
Oscar awards (2007):
But what really stands out from this excellent movie is the messages del Toro wants to pass to his audience. The comparison of a pieceful and beautiful world in the fantasy of a little girl with Spain's darkest period in its recent history: the 35 years' dictatorship of Franco. A period scarred by freedom's and democracy's absence. Del Toro manages to describe the horror of that time by transforming it into the monsters of his fantastic world, thus gifting us with a true masterpiece.
Things to notice:
- del Toro's brilliant direction (by far the best of his entire career)
- the unimaginable creatures that come to life thanks to the del Toro's unique and unparalleled fantasy and
- the smart comparison between the beauty of the fantasy kingdom and the ugliness of the embattled reality.
Oscar awards (2007):
- three (3) oscar wins for:
b) Best Achievement in Art Direction and
c) Best Achievement in Makeup.
- three (3) oscar nominations for:
a) Best Writing, Original Screenplay,
b) Best Original Score and
c) Best Foreign Language Film of the Year.
Personal Evaluation: 9.1/10
Personal Evaluation: 9.1/10
Should be watched tonight if: you are curious to discover what kind of bitter truths can a fairy-tale reveal.
Trailer
