A Somber Fairy Tale

Rating: 8/10 (26 February 2010)

I saw this movie in theatres a few years back. The movie we went to see was playing at very odd times, so in the spirit of spontaneity we went in to Pan's Labryinth. Not knowing what to expect or even what it was about...wow what a surprise and a treat.
The story takes place in war torn France in and around WW1. The heroine a young girl has been moved from her home to a new home with her mother, and her stepfather. The mother is pregnant with the stepfather's child. The stepfather is a very sadistic man whose charge is to stamp out the rebels in the hills...even torture and murder is not overstepping his boundaries in his eyes.
The girl who either has a vibrant imagination or is privy to the mythical world of magic.
She escapes into this world (either real or imagined) to get away from her every day boring and uncomfortable life, especially since her mother has fallen ill with her pregnancy.
All three plot arcs (war, magic world,dysfunctional home life) seem to come together, which is a beautiful thing...but the ending while moving...is VERY disturbing.
I was pleasantly surprised by this movie, you don't notice the subtitles after a while. I've seen it twice since then and it is still beautiful and packs a punch. I highly recommend this movie. 8/10