the surreal and mundane intersect seamlessly in this brutal, unflinching, yet visually lovely magical-realist movie by Guillermo del Toro. this visually stunning adult fairytale won three Oscars -- for cinematography, makeup and art direction.
the story takes place in a remote rural army bastion in post-civil war spain. franco's regime is spreading like a corrupt, indelible stain over this lovely land. though the war is over five years before the 1944 of the movie, insurgency is alive in the mountains of spain, supported by villagers.
the protagonist, prepubiscent Ofelia(Ivana Baquero in a stunningly mature performance) is called to her stepfather's garrison with her pregnant mother Carmen. on the way, she comes across a praying mantis-like creature, who she assumes to be a fairy, like those from the many fairy tales she reads to escape from the bleakness of her situation. she follows this creature into the ruins of a laybrinth,where she meets a faun,who tells her she is the princess Moana of the underworld, who must complete three tasks befor the 'moon is full', so that she can return to her kingdom and her father, who has long been waiting for her. the laybrinth is one of the many portals her 'real' father had openend to let her through to her rightful land. in the pursuing of these tasks, (two of which she fails, incidentally), she comes across creatures both horrific and fascinating.
her stepfather is the villainous ogre of this story. we see him summarily, sadistically kill and torture those he take to be republican insurgents. (Captain Vidal is played most menacingly by Sergi Lopez). his heart set on having a son who will carry on his name, he does not hesitate to direct the doctor, 'if you have to choose, save him, save my son'. his chilling disregard for human life, especially of 'the vermin' as he calls the rebels is one of the strongest pivots of the movie.
in this atmosphere of daily cruelty, Ofelia finds a friend in her stepfather's housekeeper Mercedes, who is living a dangerous double life-her brother is one of the rebels-the 'men in the wood'. Mercedes later becomes mother-substitute for the desolate Ofelia, but even she fails to protect Ofelia from the cruelty that awaits her.
Del Toro does not make you comfortable, indeed, this is one of the most disturbing films one may see. but it also remains one of the most original, forceful, fascinating films of recent times. what i personally liked was the ambiguity of the film. Del Toro leaves it to the audience to figure out if Ofelia's fantasy-world exists outside her dreams or not.
not to be missed.
p.s. i rather liked the mantis-fairy.
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