Pan’s Labyrinth: A Perfect Production
“Hello, I am Princess Moanna, and I am not afraid of you.”
Released: 2006
Director: Guillermo del Toro
Cast: Ivana Baquero (Ofelia), Maribel Verdú (Mercedes), Sergi López (Capitán Vidal)
Pan’s Labyrinth has won a total of 107 awards!
Pan’s Labyrinth is a technically perfect movie. From the acting to the score there is really nothing to criticize. There are two aspects of the movie that are particularly stunning: the set design and the cinematography.
Pan’s Labyrinth is the story of a young girl, Ofelia living in Spain post-Franco’s victory. The movie starts as Ofelia and her mother, Carmen, move in with Capitán Vidal, a general in Franco’s army, and Carmen’s new husband. Ofelia struggles to conform with her new life and finds herself escaping into a fantasy world, where she is the long lost princess. I won’t give away too much, but the blurring between the fantasy world and the real world is what makes this movie so interesting.
Often set design isn’t talked about in movie reviews, but it should be because it holds such a large importance to the story. As I mentioned before, a large aspect of the movie is about the blurring between the fantasy world and the real world. Thus, the set design is made to distinguish between the two. Since the movie is based in the aftermath of the war the real world is obviously very grim and very real. Every Spaniard had to deal with Franco’s rule, and the movie really expresses the horrible reality of the situation through the dark and hostile atmosphere of Vidal’s house. Surprisingly, the fantasy world is not that much different. Ofelia is faced with many challenges that question her morality and force her into uncomfortable positions. The sets of the fantasy world, while not realistic, still reflect the dark reality of Ofelia’s life. My favorite set of the entire film is The Pale Man’s room. The small details such as the pile of shoes and foreboding fire perfectly express the danger Ofelia faces in every moment.
Along with the set design, the cinematography shines. Guillermo Navarro, the cinematographer, places a huge focus on showing the harrowing world of Franco’s Spain. He does this by making the spaces feel cramped and always using cool, dark lighting. Except in a few cases such as during Vidal’s feast. While the average person struggles those in power get to continue a life of luxury and therefore are the only people who have access to warm light. To appreciate the cinematography you really just have to watch it for yourself; there is no way for me to give it justice through my words. (Note: After writing this I looked up the awards won by Pan’s Labyrinth, and Navarro actually won an Academy Award for his work! It is well-deserved.)
I realize I spent this whole review raving about the movie, but if I am being totally honest I did not love it. I liked it, but I just didn’t love it. Again, it is a technically perfect movie, I am just simply not the hugest fan. I don’t have an exact reason for this, but if I were to narrow it down I guess I would say that I felt that the story was a bit predictable. I never felt surprised and because of this, the movie got boring at some points.
Rating: 3.5/5
I know I mostly talked about the good, but at the end of the day just because it is technically good doesn’t mean I like it.
September 12, 2020