CMFH Film Reviews

2006, Mexico/Spain/USA
Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Horror, War
Review by Deborah Nicol

What is remarkable about Guillermo del Toro’s stunning film is that fantasy and reality meld so well that there is no sense of the movie being primarily labeled as one genre or another. It uniquely represents historical fantasy, where the horrors of a country under civil war create the dark fantasy world of a child aching for peace.

This fairytale winks devilishly at such Disney-adapted tales as Alice in Wonderland, Cinderella and Peter Pan. However, the animation studio would never have delved into the evils and atrocities of Spain’s World War II era fascist regime. As curious young Ofelia (a phenomenal Ivana Baquero) is forced to move into the command post of her widowed mother’s new husband, she is simultaneously surrounded by military cruelty and an unknown world attempting to claim her as their reincarnated heir.

Whether viewed as reality or a convincing mental diversion, this gloriously dark netherworld is so detailed that its every crevice appears worn from years of a bygone era more alive than Ofelia’s present world of constant death. A master of fine detail, del Toro applies particular attention upon the film’s sound design. This is evident in a good theatre when each character’s personal sound may be detected: Ofelia’s softness of silk, the faun’s ever-creaking woodiness, and the captain’s snap of leather. It is consideration such as this that lends to the blurring of truth and fiction.

The visions are wicked yet beautifully grotesque. Violence is vivid and unrelenting, but war is never pretty. Captain Vidal (a slick and disturbing Sergi López) is a sadist Fascist who believes that killing a man once is never enough. Traitors are tortured and killed then shot five times more. Despite his military accomplishments, he lives under the shadow of his heroic father and will not be satisfied until he creates an heir to continue his family’s bold and bloody legacy.

The women of the film are each brave in their own respects. Ofelia’s mother sacrifices personal happiness for her daughter’s wellbeing, the maid (an arresting Maribel Verdú, of Y tu mamá también) risks her life to help the underground resistance and Ofelia is forced to tap into a maturity beyond her young age in order to secure her family’s survival. They take incredible risks and constantly face danger with their heads held high, yet they are unable to acknowledge their own sacrifices.

As Ofelia explores her new world, she is given three heroic tasks to complete in order to prove her worth. As with many myths, the requests are extremely challenging and require a boldness of spirit, yet their true purpose is not always evident. Much is not as it seems, and she is given reason to doubt and question her deeds. But with her family’s life in her hands, she has no better alternative.

Guillermo del Toro has created a dark and disturbing world that melds the terrors of reality with a fantasy world that provides a more satisfying alternative. The netherworld does not feel false nor the outside world too extreme. There is a balance that allows them to coexist in layers without overpowering each other, though eventually home can only reside in one. And it is in the journey home that the hero may finally find peace.