Last night I watched Guillermo Del Toro's Pan's Labyrinth on DVD. Having seen the reviews this was a film I had been waiting for with a great deal of anticipation. It was much darker than I had expected, particularly the scenes set in the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War (surely no coincidence that this was the same time as the D-Day landings in France). There is no attempt to disguise the realities of war. Choices are hard and can have consequences.
The 'other world' also has its dark side but there is also the potential for transformation, but only after a series of tests have been successfully completed. In some ways this is a 'Narnia' for adults. Both films features themes of 'disobedience and choice'. There are fauns and mythical creatures, a sacrifice that gives life and hope. The symbolism of the labyrinth and doorways into another, more magical (but still dangerous) world places the film firmly in the tradition of fantasy literature for the 'childlike' of heart so reminiscent of MacDonald himself.
The ending is all the more effective for being enigmatic. We are left asking key questions of faith which I won't spell out for risk of spoiling the surprise for you. I shall want to watch it again, preferably with the directors commentary. There are many layers at work here and it does not disappoint.
6 comments:
Thanks for the recommendation, Mike. I had never heard of this film and went to Amazon.com to read more about it. There are 99 reviews on the Amazon USA site! I just read the first five which were all very positive. I'll just paste this small comment about the "extra" parts available on the two-disk DVD in case others decide to buy or rent the DVD - seems like it's good to look for the verison with extra features . . .
QUOTE: "Despite not usually liking fantasy, I watched this on a recommendation. Previous reviewers have already provided more than sufficient analysis and I agree with most of the praise given. I would like to point out, though, that the DVD is worth buying for the extras alone. Guillermo del Toro is an engaging character and his interview, background knowledge, beliefs and film making techniques made a second viewing of the film even more enjoyable."
Bob
Are there any Swedish readers and fans of George Macdonald visiting this site? Please mail me at demodog@hotmail.com
Är det någpra svenskar som gillar MacDonald och besöker denna siten ibland? Maila mig på demodog@hotmail.com
Are there any plans to continue this site?
I discovered it at the time of your last post but there has been nothing since.
I do look forward to reading more.
Yes, it's very much live - but I am dependent on being made aware any MacDonald related events or news :-), it has been quiet recently. During the Autumn (Fall!) I also intend to freshen up the web site www.george-macdonald.com, so watch this space!
thanks so much for the recommendation. It is sometimes hard to find good films with messages that are worth the time. Once and a while, a good film will appear but it seems to always have a scene or two of pre-marital relations so prevalent in society today.
"Pan's Labyrinth" is a dark and enigmatic film very much in the mold of true fable and fairy tale -- true in the sense of not being "softened" for the weak of heart. This film is as filled with gore and violence as anything the Brothers Grimm used for their sources, but most of the blood flows in the hearts and veins of the protagonist and those who aid her.
This is not presented as a Christian tale, nor is it specifically antichristian. While we see good rewarded and evil punished, we also see that both reward and punishment may take place outside the confines of this world, and that great suffering may come to the innocent. We also see the nearness of a supernatural "otherworld" which may be visible only to those who (for good or bad) are brought to believe in it.
Unlike "Narnia" or LOTR, though, there is little in this film which would recall or prefigure Christ or the theme of redemption; while it would be possible to drape the film with Christian concepts, it would be as silly and transparent as an effort to clothe the gods of Egypt or Greece in Apostolic robes, doing justice neither to the pagan mythos nor to the Christian reality.
Bearing in mind, though, that both GM and CSL made frequent use of the creatures and themes of mythology, these certainly ought not to drive us away from this film; rather, the film should be judged on its own merits which, both cinematically and dramatically, are significant.
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