Image courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures			Pan’s Labyrinth
Much like Mexican filmmaker Guillermo del Toro’s previous films, The Devil’s Backbone, Hellboy, and Blade II, his latest offering is no stranger to the dark side of fantasy.  In Pan’s Labyrinth, writer/director del Toro brings to life the beautiful yet gruesomely sad fairy created by a little girl to help her cope with the atrocity of World War II First and foremost, I have to say Pan’s Labyrinth is one of the best written and more entertaining films I have seen in a long time.  By expertly weaving the fantasy element of the labyrinth and the real-life struggle of revolutionaries fighting against the fascist government of war-torn Spain (taking place on D-Day and the day before), del Toro effectively plays the two independent storylines against one another without detracting from either.  However, just because the fairy tale is told by a youthful protagonist, don’t be fooled into thinking this is one for the kids.  The dark visual connotations of the labyrinth and its mythological creatures do more than just echo the grim tone of the ongoing war, it also represents just how far one little girl will go to escape from the horrific violence of her daily life.
The story begins after the death of Carmen’s (Ariadna Gil) husband when she is far along in her pregnancy with the baby of Capitán Vidal (Sergi López), who forced her to marry him.  Carmen and her daughter, Ofelia (Ivana Baquero), a bookworm with a taste for fairy tales, are traveling to their new home where they will live with the Capitán.		Image courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures
Along the way, Ofelia spots a fairy who leads her to the entrance of a hidden labyrinth in the woods where she encounters Pan (Doug Jones), a faun.  Pan tells Ofelia she is a princess whose father, the king of the underworld, has been searching for her.  But, before she can reclaim her throne, Ofelia must complete three tasks before the next full moon.  In between visits to the labyrinth, Ofelia is forced to endure other atrocities at home.  On one hand, her mother’s life is in jeopardy due to the pregnancy that is killing her – literally.  On the other hand, her new step-father tends to be a tad on the violent side, especially when it comes to torturing revolutionaries he catches hiding in the woods.   My only warning about the film is to be prepared for the violence.  Because this is a war movie we’re talking about, there are plenty of scenes to make even the most stoic audience members wince.  But, that’s where the fantasy element comes into play.  By incorporating horror elements, such as monsters, wicked step-fathers, and tragic princesses into this gothic fairy tale, two worlds become one; and, the magic of the labyrinth helps to ease our pain as well as Ofelia’s.
Image courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures		By surrounding the ugly violence of war with the beauty of hope, offsetting the tragedy of fate with the balance of karma, and placing new life in the shadows of death, Guillermo del Toro creates an exquisite tale of love, pain, and the loss of innocence that is absolutely mesmerizing.  © Kelly Bartley 2007
Running Time:	115 minutes
Release Date:	January 12, 2007
MPAA Rating:	R (violence and profanity)
Distributor:	Warner Bros. Pictures
Language:	Spanish with English subtitles