Pan's Labyrinth - 'Stunningly beautiful and movingly honest'

[Clancy]

...This is not a film about losing innocence but rather a film about embracing it; we are above our human struggles.

...Pan's Labyrinth speaks to us on an amazingly personal level even if it takes place far away in a different time.

Stunningly beautiful and movingly honest, this is one of best films of the year and another notch on the belt of one of the today's most exciting filmmakers. Not playing near you? Make the trip, no matter how far it is; you'll be grateful you did.
https://www.filmfocus.co.uk/review.asp?ReviewID=20717


The drama builds forcefully, with some brutal scenes necessary to define the battle between the Franco army and those who defy it. How the director moves the drama along with the intersecting of Ofelia’s magical world and the harsh reality of the horror going on around her is superb filmmaking.

Rich in detail and conception, “Pan’s Labyrinth” mounts intensifying suspense. While conveying its built-in metaphorical message involving freedom from fascism, the film simultaneously soars as art. So much is original about the story, visuals and intricate construction that Del Toro’s work consistently dazzles.
https://www.wolfentertainmentguide.com/pub/filmsearch.asp?record=3814

["Mad" Miles]

Yo Clancy,

Thanks for promoting "Pan's Labyrinth" I agree with the critics. Here's what I wrote to sonomaculture and friends/family Friday before last.

“Pan’s Labyrinth” (2006)
By R. Miles Mendenhall
1/20/07

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Waiting patiently for the local release of this film has been difficult. Just about every critic put it in his or her top ten list for last year. I’ve been seeing previews for it for three or four months. I’ve read at least six or seven reviews of it. Finally it is playing in central Sonoma County!

“Pan’s Labyrinth”, or “The Labyrinth of a Faun” in a literal translation of the title, is not for the squeamish. Some scenes are very brutal, uncompromisingly brutal. This is a dark, morose, brooding tale that is also life affirming. Well, really not so much life affirming as affirming the power of the imagination to help us transcend the suffering inherent in life.

Ofelia is a young Spanish girl brought to the countryside with her pregnant mother by her intimidating stepfather. He is a captain of fascist troops at the end of the Spanish Civil War engaged in the mop-up of local guerilla forces that have yet to capitulate. Ofelia is brought to the threshold of the underworld by a nymph; where she meets Pan (The Faun) who informs her that she is the soul of a lost princess who must complete three tasks to regain her throne. The film shifts between the “real” world of the end of the war struggle and the “fantasy” world of Ofelia’s quest.

My experience was one of constant tension, to the point of terror as the story rushes forward. I won’t go into any more plot points, so as not to ruin any surprises. Except to say one of the protagonists is one tough mama who knows how to wield a paring knife very effectively! For those of you hip to the iconography of Paganism, you’ll enjoy the many visual references to Goddess worship religions.

I thoroughly enjoyed this Guillermo Del Toro masterpiece. I concur with the general critical consensus.


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Dear Waccobbites,

This is an example of the film mini-reviews I've been writing for the last few months. Does anyone object to me sending them to this list/board in the future? I worry about being too verbal on this board and try, in spite of appearances, to moderate my contributions so as not to appear to be trying to dominate the discourse flow. (Secretly I am of course! Sic.) But so far responses to the reviews I've written have been fairly positive, although my brother accused me of revealing plot points, even when I do my best not to. At least not in a way that is specific enough to make a difference to anyone's viewing experience. Since my reviews are only written soon after new films open locally, they are timed for when the film is currently available in the theaters.

Let me know, by replying privately, if you have any objections to me sharing my film viewing experiences on this board.

Happy happy, Joy joy,

"M" Miles

[Clancy]

Very good review Miles, thanks.

I'm deeply touched and moved by this movie. Just saw it last night and it's still settling in to my consciousness. It works on every level. Simply amazing.

["Mad" Miles]

De Accuerdo!

In one of my earlier reviews (not distributed here. Yet?) I mentioned all the great films coming out of Spain. What I didn't acknowledge is that many of the new fantastically great directors are Mexican, even if they're working in Spain or Hollywood.

Let's hear it for the legacy of Luis Bunuel!

["Mad" Miles]

Spoiler Alert: If you haven't seen the film and don't like being told about major plot points and endings beforehand, Please Don't Read This!


Hey All Youse Movie Freaks,

Earlier today Lorrie and I had an exchange by email that continued the discussion of "Pan's Labyrinth" With her kind permission I've pasted it below. I think some of you might find it interesting and informative. Maybe we need a poll?

Cheers,

Miles On Movies
(not to be confused with "Mad" Miles! Can we say Multiple Personality Disorder?)


Lorrie First Wrote:

Monday, February 5, 2007 8:16 AM

Because of your review and my boyfriends desire, we went to see Pan’s Labyrinth….<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>
I thought it was gross and pointless and dark dreary. But I am glad that that guy got it in the end, not glad that she did.<o:p></o:p>

He dies, she dies, they die everybody dies. It was gross.<o:p></o:p>

You and my boyfriend are the only ones that know.<o:p></o:p>

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*~~~~~~~~~~~~~Lorrie<o:p></o:p>


<o:p></o:p>
Distaste for "Pan's Lab.."

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Lorrie,

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Sorry you didn't like it. I did try and let people know how violent and emotionally intense it is.

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And, if you accept the premise that the Fairy World was real, not just in Ofelia's imagination, and there were some ways the director showed that it might be (how did the Labyrinth hedge open for Ofelia and not for the Captain?) then in the Fairy World she did not die. But yes, it was dark and dreary.

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I don't expect everyone to agree with me. and I know I'll never agree with everyone. Yet, I am much more tolerant of films that many other critics (professional ones, unlike this amatuer) have negative comments about.

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Chaque'un son gout!

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(French for "To each their own taste" My apology if you already knew that and I'm overindicating.)

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Thank you for taking the trouble to reply to my review and letting me know what you think.

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Maybe I should create a violence / depressing emotion scale to rate films by in my mini-reviews?

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Happy Monday,

<o:p></o:p>

Miles Mendenhall

Forestville



Well, Miles...

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My note to you was not in regard to your review precisely, it was my review of the movie to you. I saw it on Saturday. I my boyfriend was the one who wanted to see it and said as much before your review. After your review, I went to the website and in there was no indication of how violent it was, just the fantasy side of the movie, this part I found really desirable to watch. But then the thread that said it was violent, I did not want to go watch it Friday night, when he did, I knew I was not prepared for the violence, and thought I was on Saturday afternoon. I had to turn away anyway.

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I went to get popcorn when they were gonna chop the guys leg off so I didn't see that part. I felt that the movie would have done well to stay in the fantasy side and just do that. Have her go on like a treasure hunt, with clues leading to clues, and us following her whole adventure where good things and bad things happen leading her to be the princess, and base the whole movie on that. The other cruel world have, seemed unnecessary, and took away from the fantasy part and it was gross.

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~ Peace ~Love ~Joy ~

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Lorrie

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Lorrie,

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I completely understand your point of view. And this will be my last response on this.

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I just wanted to share a review of "PL" that I ran across last night while researching post-Spanish Civil War resistance to Franco and the Fascists. (I was concerned that the realistic story of partisan resistance in 1944 was totally made up and wanted to see if there was historical evidence that it actually happened. This would be five years after the Republic fell to Franco and I'd never heard of any. Turns out it did happen.)

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Anyway this review contains a quote by Guillermo del Toro, the director, about the violence in the film. The quote is near the end of the review.

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I doubt he'll convince you, but at least you'll know what he was thinking.

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https://jjcohen.blogspot.com/2007/01/terrible-beauty-of-monsters-pans.html

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Hopefully the next film you see will be more to your taste.

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Miles

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Th, th, th, that's aalll Folks! For the Mo'

M on M's for L and M Discussions (?)


:bgrphug:

[Clancy]

I didn't find it depressing or dreary. It did evoke grief in me, for man's inhumanity to man. I thought it was a soaring testament to ordinary people's ability to rise above the worst possible circumstances, circumstances that we as Americans are creating in a variety of places in the world today.

Yes, it was brutal, as advertised. But, as war films go, there wasn't a lot of violence, it's that the violence in this film was intensely personal, as all violence really is. Most film depiction of violence safely cushions the viewer from having to empathize with the victims, this one did not.

Ophelia was an incredible, heartbreaking heroine, all the more so because of her innocence and sensitivity.

This was one of the best films I've seen in years.