Pan’s Labyrinth is one of those films that I just knew I’d like before I saw it. I could have been setting myself up for a fall, but it’s safe to say that I didn’t.
Set at the end of the Spanish Civil War, events take place in a mountainous region as Captain Vidal moves a garrison of his troops along with his new wife and stepdaughter into a remote retreat in order to take on the rebels living in the hillside. His wife is pregnant with a child he believes to be a son – something he’s desperate for. His stepdaughter, Ofelia, has not taken to this vicious military man and takes solice in her books filled with fairy tales.
But things begin to come to life for Ofelia as she first meets a fairy and then is introduced to Pan (or the Faun as he is in the original Spanish title – El Laberinto del Fauno) in his labyrinth – an ancient stone construction that sits nearby. Pan sees that she has special powers but must test her before she can fully join this fantasy world.
In the meantime, Vidal is setting about mopping up the weakened rebels, despite the secret help of Mercedes the housekeeper and the local doctor.
To say that this is a strange story would be to do the plot a disservice, but you quickly get completely wrapped up in procedings. It’s a wonderfully beautiful film to look at, and is evidently something the Mexican director Guillermo del Toro has been working towards from Cronos through to more recent films like Blade II and Hellboy. I was completely won over and loved this film.