Pan’s Labyrinth is well described by its genre categories on imdb (8.4/10.0): Drama, Horror, Fantasy, Thriller, War…
El Laberinto del Fauno is all of these things in equal portion. I found myself wishing that it weren’t so violent, so that Bella could watch it; but even though there were scenes where I had to cover my eyes, I have to admit that that the horror and violence was an integral part of the story. The backdrop of the guerilla warfare in Spain is mirrored in Ofelia’s own insurgency – seeing and believing in fantasy is always some kind of resistance to the pain of daily living, isn’t it? I loved how the story was told from the perspective of the little girl and the fairy tale nature of having three tasks to fulfill before the full moon. I lay in bed last night thinking about how we create our reality around us.
Another A. (Chad says he would give it a B+, but remember he has the flu right now.)