Spanish Language (English subtitles)
Guillermo del Torro’s latest venture is a dark fantasy set in Spain 1944. Ofelia is a young girl lost in her books of fairytales and happy endings. But the world she endures is bleak and reality is difficult to ignore.
Ofelia’s father was killed in the Spanish Civil War. She and her pregnant mother travel to meet the new man she is to call ‘father’. He is a cold and emotionally stunted captain in Franco’s army. He has assembled a force close to an enclave of rebels who refuse to surrender despite the official end of hostilities.
Against this backdrop, a lonely Ofelia wanders into an old labyrinth where she meets the ‘faun’ and his fairies. He tells her that she holds the soul of a lost princess of the Underground and, if she can complete the three tasks he sets for her, she can take her rightful place next to the throne of her real father – king of this underground realm.
Make no mistake, this is a brutal piece of cinema steeped in graphic violence and menacing characters. The sadistic nature of the cold hearted captain and his troops is often mirrored in the fantasy realm and Ofelia’s tasks. The slightly drab palette enhances the dark nature of this movie and blurs the edges between fantasy and reality. The acting is superb with many strong performances (particularly the actors/actresses playing Ofelia, the captain and Mercedes). Converse to what might be thought, this is not a depressing movie and has a thread of hope running all the way through from beginning to end.
An ambitious undertaking by mister del Torro and I suppose the big question is - did he pull it off? Absolutely. This is the finest movie I have seen for quite some time and has Best Foreign Film written all over it come Oscar time. I don’t think Guillermo del Torro has come up with a better film. In fact, I’d go further, this is a masterpiece. If it were a painting, it would be Van Gough’s Potato Eaters. The drab colours and harsh vision of reality cannot hide the fact that this is a work of art. For me, this is the type of movie that earn the Fantasy genre respect and shows just what can be achieved with the proper care and attention.
One slightly sad note, I could only find one cinema in Edinburgh showing this movie and scarcely a dozen people put bums on seats when I was there. This film deserves so much more. Don’t let the subtitling put you off, this movie is very much worth a viewing.
9 out of 10. Film of the year as far as I’m concerned and I can’t wait to get my grubby paws on a DVD when it’s released. This is a must-have and no mistake.
Guillermo del Torro’s latest venture is a dark fantasy set in Spain 1944. Ofelia is a young girl lost in her books of fairytales and happy endings. But the world she endures is bleak and reality is difficult to ignore.
Ofelia’s father was killed in the Spanish Civil War. She and her pregnant mother travel to meet the new man she is to call ‘father’. He is a cold and emotionally stunted captain in Franco’s army. He has assembled a force close to an enclave of rebels who refuse to surrender despite the official end of hostilities.
Against this backdrop, a lonely Ofelia wanders into an old labyrinth where she meets the ‘faun’ and his fairies. He tells her that she holds the soul of a lost princess of the Underground and, if she can complete the three tasks he sets for her, she can take her rightful place next to the throne of her real father – king of this underground realm.
Make no mistake, this is a brutal piece of cinema steeped in graphic violence and menacing characters. The sadistic nature of the cold hearted captain and his troops is often mirrored in the fantasy realm and Ofelia’s tasks. The slightly drab palette enhances the dark nature of this movie and blurs the edges between fantasy and reality. The acting is superb with many strong performances (particularly the actors/actresses playing Ofelia, the captain and Mercedes). Converse to what might be thought, this is not a depressing movie and has a thread of hope running all the way through from beginning to end.
An ambitious undertaking by mister del Torro and I suppose the big question is - did he pull it off? Absolutely. This is the finest movie I have seen for quite some time and has Best Foreign Film written all over it come Oscar time. I don’t think Guillermo del Torro has come up with a better film. In fact, I’d go further, this is a masterpiece. If it were a painting, it would be Van Gough’s Potato Eaters. The drab colours and harsh vision of reality cannot hide the fact that this is a work of art. For me, this is the type of movie that earn the Fantasy genre respect and shows just what can be achieved with the proper care and attention.
One slightly sad note, I could only find one cinema in Edinburgh showing this movie and scarcely a dozen people put bums on seats when I was there. This film deserves so much more. Don’t let the subtitling put you off, this movie is very much worth a viewing.
9 out of 10. Film of the year as far as I’m concerned and I can’t wait to get my grubby paws on a DVD when it’s released. This is a must-have and no mistake.
