Cinema - Pan’s Labyrinth

Guillermo del Toro, director of Pan’s Labyrinth, said in an interview that his response to being questioned about the contents of his films is: “Learn to watch a f**king movie and shut up.” I mention it, because this film received almost universally rave reviews, yet I was left feeling ambivalent. I’ve been wondering if there is a male equivalent for ‘chick flick’ (my partner suggests ‘dick flick’). Maybe that’s what this is. It is brilliant in many ways; visually sumptuous, great use of magic and fable, terrific acting.

The story is set in Northern Spain in 1944 and seen through the eyes of gentle young Ofelia, who, with her ill and heavily pregnant mother Carmen, comes to live with new father Vidal. He’s a Civil Guard Captain, and looks terrific in uniform, but as we see from his obsession with a broken pocket watch, is a man with issues (aside from being a brutal, sadistic fascist, which is a bit of an issue for other people). The story weaves between Ofelia’s real world and the fantasy one she turns to when it gets too much, meeting characters like the long-haired faun Pan (more dodgy than kindly Mr Tumnus), and a ghoul with eye-balls in its hands. All marvellously reminiscent of Jan Svankmeyer. But the film is less sure of itself in the ‘real’ world. Del Toro might tell me to shut up, but I thought the lingering violence had a porn-like gratuitousness. Those familiar with horror films or Manga comics may disagree. EC