Movie Review: Pan's Labyrinth

I’ll never understand American movie studios. Not only do their choices as to what to make puzzle me, but also their decisions about when to release certain films. Case in point is the film that currently ranks among the best reviewed movies of 2006, according to Rotten Tomatoes, with a 97% positive consensus - Guillermo del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth (El Laberinto del Fauno).

The Spanish language adult fairy tale premiered at the Cannes Film Festival last May to standing ovations and then had its U.S. debut as the closing night selection at the New York Film Festival in October. Common sense would lead one to believe that such prestigious honors might translate into end of the year awards recognition and the strong box office that can result from such accolades.

So why would Picturehouse, the releasing studio and a subsidiary of Time Warner that formed as a joint venture between New Line and HBO, hold off on releasing del Toro’s film until December 29 and then only in four major cities? Whatever the rationale, awards watchers seem to agree that the late release has hindered the film’s chances for Academy Award nominations aside from an expected slot as Mexico’s entry in the Foreign Language category.

That’s a shame too, because Pan’s Labyrinth is the kind of movie sorely missed from the multiplexes nowadays. It’s not quite at the masterpiece level as some critics are portraying it, but I couldn’t help but be enthralled by the sheer imagination and artistry that bursts through the screen. Movies have always succeeded by their unique ability to present us with things we’ve never seen before. With the increasing use of digital effects, much of what’s been fed to us has become boringly expected in its fake carnage and slick explosions. There’s a clinical aspect that’s emerged through the over-reliance on expensive special effects more akin to video games than the cinema. Yet, without a compelling story, most of these effects-laden blockbuster hopefuls become utterly forgettable or not even worthwhile and punish their audience with a fatiguing use of superficial green-screen moviemaking.

In Pan’s Labyrinth, which del Toro also wrote, we are introduced to Ofelia and her pregnant mother just as they are to arrive at the temporary military home of Captain Vidal, who’s been assigned to eliminate opponents of the fascist Franco regime following the end of the Spanish Civil War. Ofelia’s father has been dead a few years and her mother has married the Captain, who wants to be near his new child when it’s born.

Article Author: clydefro

clydefro is an industrious young film lover. He uses his film journal as an outlet for his ever-growing need for Billy Wilder and Nicholas Ray.

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