Truly the best film of 2006

Rating: 9/10 (27 November 2009)

Pan's Labyrinth is a film about the role choice and blind obedience has in shaping the destinies of the individual as well as society. The film consists of two tales that are skillfully interwoven with the same twelve year old girl, Ofelia, at the center of each. One is a tale of life and rebellion in 1944 Spain under the Franco regime, the other tale involves a magical world in which the faun, Pan, oversees three tests that will allow Ofelia to claim her rightful place as princess in that magical world. At the beginning of the film both tales have little in common with one another other than the girl being at the center of each. However, as the film progresses, the magical world crosses over more and more into the real world. For example, the key, the dagger, and the monsters encountered in the magical world have definite analogs in the earthly realm.
There is much that is left open for interpretation in this film. For example, until the end you are not sure if Pan is even telling the girl the truth. Is he actually leading her to a higher destiny, or does he just need someone to perform the three tasks in order to get something for himself? Why does Pan get younger and younger as the film progresses? Since Ofelia has a love of magical stories and nobody else actually sees any of the magical occurrences, are they real or just ways for the girl to escape her increasingly sad situation and environment? Most of the characters in the "real world" part of the film, however, are completely unambiguous. Ofelia's stepfather, Captain Vidal, is the most shining example. From the beginning he plays a man devoted to detail, to the extinction of the rebels, and to his own legacy. He seems to have no human feelings and is as made of stone as the labyrinth that inhabits his property. This is made clear early in the film by a violent scene in which two villagers that claim to be hunting rabbits are killed by Vidal as suspected rebels. When he later finds a rabbit in the mens' belongings that seems to confirm their story, his only reaction is that of irritation at his men for not more thoroughly searching the villagers before bothering him with the matter.
If you enjoy tales of magic and fantasy in which everything is not sewed up into a tidy happy ending, and you appreciate how the visual aspect of film can contribute to the mood of various scenes, I strongly advise you check this movie out.