All The Fairy tales Are Not Happy

Rating: 9/10 (12 September 2007)

"Pan's Labyrinth" is clearly one of the best movies of the year 2006. It was just released on DVD in Finland. It was long-waited and desired.
In the year 1944 in Spain Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) and her mother Carmen (Ariadna Gil) travel together to Carmen new husband, a fascist and cruel Capitan Vidal. Carmen is pregnant and it has made her very ill. Ofelia escapes to the world of imagination. Ofelia meets a faun in a mysterious labyrinth. The faun has tasks for Ofelia. The suppressed feelings of Ofelia reflects trough the imaginary world.
Guillermo Del Toro combines hard realism and fantasy to a working concept. The horrible nightmares in belligerently Spain come real through the fantasy. Capitan Vidal is a merciless missionary on the path of fascism. He don't really care about his wife and her young daughter.
"Pan's Labyrinth" is dark and beautiful. People are searching light in the cold realism. Ofelia is truly brave. All fairy tales don't end in "happily ever after" and that is unfortunately true.
High recommends and applauds to Mr. Del Toro who lifts European cinema to its rightful and well-earned pedestal!