(This movie is Rated R for graphic violence and some language)
As a child, everyone will have the belief on some mysterious power which saves them from the evil and keeps them safe. These powers maybe super heroes; god or a lively person whom they believe can do those. While it is merely forms an entertainment for some of the kids, it forms a protective shell from the tough environment, Ofelia is going through in the “Pan’s Labyrinth” directed by Guillermo Del Toro. The English title with Pan represents the Greek God Pan who is similar to the faun appearing in the movie.
Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) with her pregnant mother Carmen (Ariadna Gil) arrives in the spot of post civil war in Northern Spain set in 1944. They come to a mill wherein Olefia’s stepfather and father of the baby, Captain Vidal (Sergi Lopez) and his army are hunting down the anarchist militia. Ofelia who is fond of fairy tales is immediately taken by a small fairy to the Labyrinth beside the mill. From there on, Ofelia copes with her miserable life under the most ferocious and merciless Captain Vidal, at the same instance trying to complete the task assigned to her from the labyrinth world. Amongst these, the terrible and wicked Captain Vidal nails down the militia in the most atrocious way and the maid servant Mercedes (Maribel Verdu) along with the physician helping her brother in the militia are shown splendidly.
The movie is the perfect blend of fantasy, adventure, terror, love and art in a single frame. Ofelia initially getting the affection of her mother is deprived of it in latter stages. This makes her even more desperate and daring to complete tasks assigned to her from the faun of the Labyrinth. Ivana Baquero as the daring and a cute charming girl constantly fighting her way to achieve the destiny is an example of the how to handle a small girl in an unconventional story like this. The movie constantly changes itself into a fantasy and war film with amazing pace and clarity. At any point of time, the viewer does not question the existence of the fairy land but enjoy the moment in it. The members of the audience quite unbelievably become naïve as that of Ofelia to indulge them into exploring the unknowns to get in to the end. Making the viewers believe in the world beyond the existential place is where Guillermo Del Toro excels without any struggle.
When Ivana Baquero portraying the soft and innocent girl, Sergio Lopez is Captain Vidal is simply brilliant. The characterization of Captain Vidal is served in a neat plate after couple of sequences in the start. Brutalizing innocent lives is what Captain Vidal enjoys doing and Sergio Lopez gets under the skin of that character with amazing lucidity and coldness. Whenever the viewers see Captain Vidal in the screen, there is a constant urgency of fear in them on expecting the most cold and demoniac act by him. While feeding the fairytale, the movie shows the gruesome realism and bloody nature of the techniques applied by Captain Vidal. Maribel Verdu as the soft spoken maid and at the very next instance as the clever and dauntless furious woman gives a neat performance.
The other main characters in the movie are the special effects, make ups and artwork. Imagination hitting the arc of impossible reality is simply superb. The most brilliant and creative make up and artwork in recent days is presented in this film. Editing uses the continuous transformation in between different scenes in a new fashion. This style of editing engages the audience without any glitch in this film weaved with imagination at its pinnacle.
“Pan’s Labyrinth” exposes the fairy land inside the heart of the viewers. The summit of the movie is the ending which leaves the viewers open for interpretation is the cinematic imagination of the creator. The viewers can accept the existence of the fairy world what Ofelia believes in and digest a happy ending. Else, they can take the imagination of the fragile and beaten soul of Ofelia who has been pushed into the terror no child should go through, and appreciate her ultimate sacrifice to save her brother. Either way, the film is the master work of handling reality and imagination sharing the same screen.
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