Pans Labyrinth was made in 2006 by director Guillermo Del Toro, and follows the story of Ofelia (Ivan’s Baquero) who moves, with her mother, to a remote area in the Spanish woods to meet her father, the brutal fascist Captain Vidal (Sergei Lopez). Whilst there, she begins to discover there is a labyrinth in the woods, and is involved in more and more dangerous tasks by a mysterious faun humanoid, who claims that she is the princess of a powerful, hidden kingdom.
Del Toro uses different filters throughout the film. It is never specified when the filter changes, but I think that there was one used for the daytime, one for nighttime, and one for the other world in the film. These filters are all very different, for example the one used during the day is bright, rosy and brings out the natural beauty of the woods. Meanwhile the one used at night is dull and gloomy, and increases the darkness of the shadows to add to the mystery and supernatural element of the movie.
Pans Labyrinth holds a special place in film history since it is most likely Guillermo Del Toro’s most famous film. The unique and disgusting monsters are instantly recognisable, and the magical yet horrific aspects of the plot make the story interesting ands captivating.
I personally really admired the film! The terrifying and fascinating mythology that Del Toro invented for the movie is constantly keeping the audience interested, and leads to some extremely memorable sequences, such as the “pale man” sequence. The movie is also extremely suspenseful. The characters are all memorable for their arc’s, and usually violent deaths. The gore factor in the film is a perfect example of how Toro pictures how brutal real-life scenarios would be affected by the more supernatural and fairy-tale scenarios. This same scenario is explored in Guillermo’s other film The Devils Backbone (Guillermo Del Toro, 2001) which imagines how a ghost/haunting would effect people taking refuge during the Spanish Civil War. Pans Labyrinth explores how Fascist and guerrilla soldiers would be affected by the magical and often terrifying creatures that exist in the woods.
One thing that I liked about the film was how the soldiers of either side of the war are never actually influenced by the monsters. The combat taking place between Vidal and the rebels in the woods runs as a parallel story to Ofelia’s adventure with the faun and the labyrinth. The movie will often cut to the war crimes that Vidal is committing, to the repulsive monsters that live in the labyrinth. This shows how humans can be monsters too, but Vidal’s evil is slowly revealed to be more than initially suspected throughout the film, whilst the monsters are instantly disgusting and obviously evil. This comparison, the excellent performance from Sergei Lopez and the complex inner-thought and violence committed by him all make a compelling villain out of Captain Vidal.
The film is also surprisingly emotional. The struggle and hardships that the rebel’s must go through, and the hidden motivations of Captain Vidal all make up a shockingly human aspect of a film that on the surface is about hideous monsters and faeries. The ending is emotional, and the brutality of the relatable and sympathetic characters’ deaths makes it all the more crushing and impactful to watch.
That is why I respect and admire the undoubtedly masterful filmmaking of Pans Labyrinth. The characters are very realistic and likeable , the violence perpetuates the gruesome and dark undertone of the film, and the way that the real scenario of the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War and a magical but dangerous underworld collide make a fascinating and compelling film. So I rate Pans Labyrinth 4 and a half stars!
Finley Cairns A-Level Film Studies Blog 
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