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| Pan's
Labyrinth
THE MOVIE A personal review by Greg Hamerton This one might slip under the radar since it was showing on the 'art circuit' here in Cape Town (ie. not main theatres) The blurb says: "This haunting fantasy-drama, set in the fascist aftermath of the Spanish Civil War, tells the story of a young girl, Ofelia who is fascinated by fairy-tales, and who believes she is the mythical princess of an underground kingdom." Ofelia's mother, Carmen, recently married a cruel army captain, Vidal. I've got to warn you, you must be prepared to see some very appalling violence up close. This is an adult fairy tale, but dark fantasy fans will appreciate the relevancy, since it's not gratuitous violence. In this dark, harsh and violent world, Ofelia has to secretly live her magical life, whilst trying to complete the most arduous of tasks to prove that she is a real princess. The violence of her family/real world life only serves to make a dark canvas upon which the fantasy world glitters like a fragile pearl. Yet even the fantasy world is threatening, due largely to the ambiguous nature of its emmisary, the faun Pan. The result is a film that keeps you on the edge of your seat for a long time. There are a few flat moments in the narrative, but on the whole it is charming and disturbing, in a wicked kind of way. Ofelia faces a trio of challenges, and here we come across the most fantastic ghoul I've ever seen .. he sits at the end of a laden table, waiting for another child to wander into his trap. He is truly grotesque and unsettling, and I felt a weird sense of having already met him in the underworld (when was I there?). If I ever have a really good nightmare, I know this guy will be in it. I don't usually enjoy subtitled movies, but this one is special - the rolling gravelly voice of the Spanish narrator sets a great mood for the telling of what is, essentially, a fairy tale. Being subtitled only heightened the sense of being drawn into a tale, for me. Pan's Labyrinth is definitely worth the ticket price if you like dark fantasy. . . |
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 ABOUT THE REVIEWERGreg Hamerton has been writing fantasy since 1999. His Lifesong cycle begins with THE RIDDLER'S GIFT. |
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