Pan's Labyrinth (2006) - Spanish film directed by Guillermo del Toro

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This is often thought of as a horror film by those who haven't seen it, possibly because of the spooky poster and terrifying creature creations, however it is actually just quite sinister and creepy, the only horrific things are the bloody violent sequences. The film takes place in fascist Spain on a house that is owned by a brutal captain of the Spanish army. After her pregnant and ailing mother marries the captain a fanciful girl moves to this place and discovers magic within the Labyrinth. 

The film is marvellous for anyone who was the type of child who lived in stories and dreamed of magic and fairies. The darkest and most dangerous moments in the film are all to do with humans and reality, even though some of the magical creatures appear dangerous at first. The magic used is very creative because there is a mixture of classic, such as fairies or mandrake root, but there are also new ideas, such as the Pale Man. A balance between known and unknown magic is really useful because sometimes a magical realm can become overwhelming if everything has been created just for this one story. 

The brutality in the film is quite shocking. A lot of violence is shown and countless pints of blood and this can be really off-putting to a lot of viewers. Personally I am not overly squeamish and this made me squirm a fair amount. The violence is justified, however, because it is (apparently) based on real events that occurred during Spain's fascist period. Gore for shock is not always needed in a film, just like some sex scenes, however gore that proves a point, develops a character and marks a period in history is effective and it is the latter type of gore that you find in Pan's Labyrinth.

The film can be confusing because there are a few plots running at once. The girl's magical quest to help her mother through a difficult pregnancy and become a princess of another world, and the captain's fascist vendetta against the opposition. The two topics are obviously distinct and there is little crossover between the two, however sometimes you really get into one of them and then everything switches suddenly and you have to try to remember at which point the other storyline was at. It's not a huge problem but it means that you have to stay fairly alert while watching this film.

Pan's Labyrinth is (I think) the only Spanish film that I have seen and if it is a marker for what wonders Spanish cinema can produce then I will definitely be looking into watching more. A beautifully twisted fairytale for the adult dreamers but also a poignant look at a terrible time in Spanish history.