The Mystifying Pan's Labyrinth

When my friend first told me about Pan’s Labyrinth I thought it was going to be a crappy fairytale. Needless to say, I was wrong. Guillermo Del Toro directed the movie. He is also the director of the Hellboy series. The intricate storyline and petrifying creatures of Pan’s Labyrinth’s world give this film an edge over any other fairytale.
Pan’s Labyrinth follows the life of Ofelia (Ivana Banquero) and her mother Carmen (Ariadna Gil) after the Spanish civil war. Carmen is pregnant, and is going to see Captain Vidal (Sergi Lopez I Ayats) in the deep forests of Spain. Vidal is an officer in the Spanish army and the father of Carmen’s baby. Vidal’s job is to hunt down the rebels that are in the mountains. He uses brutal tactics, such as crushing the cranial contents of an innocent rabbit hunter’s son. A faun reveals itself to Ofelia and tells her that she is the long lost princess of the underworld. She must go through three tasks to prove that she is no mere mortal before she may return to her throne. The tasks are both terrifying and dangerous. The camp they are stationed in has some supporters of the rebels. One of which is Mercedes (Maribel Verdu). She secretly is brings the rebels food, mail, and other necessities without Captain Vidal knowing. The doctor of the camp (Alex Angulo) also helps the rebels with injuries and later puts down a tortured rebel. The tasks Ofelia is given come into conflict with the real world.
The casting of Pan’s Labyrinth was excellently done. My personal favorite choice was Sergi Lopez I Ayats, playing the role of Captain Vidal. Even though he looks like a normal man he is absolutely brutal. His dialogue expresses his disapproval of the actions people take. He makes a fuss over things as little as burnt coffee. Ivana Banquero (Ofelia) pulled off Ofelia’s role well. There wasn’t anything amazing about her performance, but there was not anything bad about it either. Maribel Verdu did an excellent job portraying Mercedes. Mercedes is completely believable throughout the entire movie. She is my second favorite actor in the movie for pulling off her dificult role so well. Doug Jones played the Faun in the movie. He also played a terrifying creature whose eyes are located in its hands. The faun looked evil but friendly at the same time. He has a large pair of horns, designs on his forehead, and magical light blue eyes. He has the ability to appear and vanish whenever he wishes, which proves to be an important aspect of the character. I loved the creatures in the movie because they were completely different than anything else I have seen. They were things you would only see in nightmares or fairytales.
The scenery in Pan’s Labyrinth was beautiful. I do not think it could have been shot in a better place. The old house they were stationed at had a very old look to it. The forest looked pure, natural, and untouched by mankind. The labyrinth had a very large maze surrounding it, and a spiral staircase leading down an ancient statue. At some points in the movie certain colors seem to stand out more than others. The redness of the blood is one of the big ones, and the gold shine of royalty. A catchy seven note tune is constantly being hummed or played in the background. It gives the movie an eerie and mystifying tone. The special effects were also something to marvel at. Fairies and other creatures like the frog have a unique look to them.
Pan’s Labyrinth surpassed my expectations, and actually has become one of my favorite movies. I believe any teenager or adult can enjoy this movie, even if you aren’t one for fantasy. The movie shows how harsh the world can be, but also how there is a brighter side to it.