Pan's Labyrinth DVD: Review By Dodd

It is safe to say that many horror films today have fallen into a slump of banality. With one teen slasher flick being released after another, there is always the need for something unique and creative to remind us that there are indeed writers out there striving to create something rich and memorable. A horror filmmaker who has really transgressed the classical system is Mexican director Guillermo del Toro. After gaining acclaim for both American projects (Hellboy, Blade II) and foreign ones (The Devil's Backbone), del Toro has managed to even win over mainstream crowds with his subtitled projects created on home soil. Pan's Labyrinth is his latest Spanish-speaking outing that has cracked the Top Ten lists of numerous critics, and even pulled in large box office sums. Created with heart, horror, and fantasy, it is no wonder this aesthetically-pleasing tale has swept audiences off their feet from across the globe.

Pan's Labyrinth is a story somewhat similar to del Toro's last Spanish-speaking project The Devil's Backbone in that it deals with the Spanish Civil War. Following this particular battle in 1944, the fascist army has taken control while rebels hide in the mountains planning their next strategies. Young Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) is a frightened child stuck in the middle of this war-torn Spain in more ways than one. Her loving mother is with a child, and is now married to fascist Captain Vidal (Sergi Lopez). Ofelia and her mother move into Vidal's military compound where the sadistic captain cares nothing more than to see his new wife bear a son who can carry on his authoritative and masculine tradition.

Neglected and scared, Ofelia seeks solace in the walls of an old labyrinth located behind the compound. It is here where her imagination comes alive and allows her to escape the intimidating hand of her evil stepfather. She befriends Pan (played by contortionist Doug Jones), a human/fawn hybrid who walks with a frightening, rickety gait. Pan informs Ofelia that she is destined for great things and can become royalty in this imaginary world if she agrees to complete a series of tasks. It is through the rest of the film that Pan jumps between illusion and reality to overcome all odds. In the fantasy worlds, she encounters an array of nightmarish creatures. However, they are no scarier than Captain Vidal and his drive to torture and punish anyone who disobeys him.

After the release of Pan's Labyrinth, I discussed the film with various film buff buddies. What I found is that most of them disliked the film because it focuses more time in the real world rather than the fantasy world emphasized in the previews. This is actually the truth. The film is essentially a thriller/drama about the Spanish Civil War with aspects of the unreal dominating only about half of the plot. However, I completely disagree that such a thing ruins Pan's Labyrinth. What Guillermo del Toro has done is created a sweeping piece of historical fiction and his film serves as a reminder of the many possible ways horror and fantasy can be reworked. Living under the thumb of Captain Vidal, there is a strong question as to who Ofelia sees as the real monster through her eyes. Her Alice in Wonderland-like curiosity almost gets her killed in the imaginary world by a baby-eating monster with eyeballs on his hands (also played by Doug Jones). Such terrifying imagery serves as nightmares that parallel the horrors encountered by Ophelia in real life. As her stepfather mercilessly tortures the innocent in his stable, this story reveals that the monsters that exist in real life are the inspiration for the monsters in our imaginations.

The complex plot is accentuated by the unforgettable filmmaking. Ofelia travels to magical and morbid worlds that are rarely seen on the big screen. Thanks to the flawless team of art directors and cinematographers, this world of imagination is brought to the big screen. I found myself in even more a state of awe and wonderment than the film's young protagonist. Guillermo del Toro puts a strong emphasis on the dichotomy between dreams and reality, and makes both worlds quite haunting.

Disc One

The first disc of this DVD contains the necessary features that are closely tied to the actual film. Guillermo Del Toro does the typical brief intro to the DVD. It is very courteous of the filmmaker, but pretty brief and insignificant. The real highlight here is the commentary track from the filmmaker. Del Toro is a creative and eccentric guy, and it is wonderful to hear him handle this track alone. Most people are not capable of keeping busy on a solo commentary venture. Guillermo Del Toro handles himself very well here and allows listeners to pick his brain about both the technical aspects of his filmmaking and his storytelling.

This disc also contains poster art and trailers.

Disc Two

Featurettes

There are four major doc*mentaries on this DVD that are made exclusively for the DVD. The first is titled "The Power of Myth" that looks specifically at fairy tale mythology. When watching this film, it felt as if someone was lulling me to sleep with a demented, adult fairy tale. Therefore, I found this featurette to be a great companion piece to the movie after really feeling the magic of its storytelling. Del Toro does much of the talking here about how he really strove for simplicity in his fairy tale by discussing the Spanish Civil War. "Pan and the Fairies" takes a much-needed look at the make-up effects present throughout the picture. The most amazing thing is watching Doug Jones in the makeup chair as he takes on his dual characters. The third doc, "The Color and The Shape", has Del Toro discussing his use of color palates from gloomier tones to brighter ones. The fourth and shortest featurette, "Lullaby" briefly touches upon the enchanting lullaby score by Javier Navarrete.

The Director's Notebook

These are excerpts from Del Toro's notes on the film that go back as far as 1993. He clarifies this in an introduction that some pages are older than others. Viewers can flip through various sketches and notes. Some of these excerpts even have clickable icons that can be pressed to reveal explanatory interviews from Del Toro. This is like a boring slideshow with a huge kick. I give high praise to the DVD designers for this imaginative feature.

The Charlie Rose Show

The insightful interview show brings together Guillermo Del Toro with fellow filmmaking buddies Alfonso Cuaron and Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu. This isn't entirely about Del Toro, but this is a real treat. These Mexican filmmakers have brought unforgettable films to American multiplexes and Rose really gets down to the bottom of their styles and ideas.

Comics

These are one-minute, animated comics that tell prequel stories of the various creatures in the film. While I wish they were a bit more complex, this is still a creative concept.

The DVD also includes multi-angle storyboard comparisons, visual effect comparisons, and photo galleries.

Widescreen. There are certainly no problems with picture quality here. Guillermo del Toro is no stranger to aesthetics, and he decorates his film with vivacity and glum.

5.1 Dolby. The haunting lullabies by Javier Navarrete still continue to run through my head. These are beautiful melodies and they sound incredible in stereo.

Standard DVD case. The case comes packaged in a (surprise!) decorative slip sleeve. Pan is pictured on the front cover with a frightening expression and a beckoning hand.

Pan's Labyrinth is probably the best DVD I have experienced so far this year. The film itself is one of the best to be released in 2006, and the DVD is fully loaded with goodies about the film. It is especially nice that the outgoing Guillermo del Toro contributes so much to this. There is absolutely nothing skimpy about this DVD. I highly recommend giving this a purchase.

Questions? Comments? Just want to talk movies? Drop me a line at dodd@movieweb.com