Beautiful work of art

Rating: 8/10 (26 August 2016)

Pan's Labyrinth is a beautiful film both dark and heavy in art, yet very real and far from being horror. It's essentially about a young girl who stumbles onto a fantasy world hidden in plain sight. She learns to see and interpret the signs and rules, all while living under the roof of an evil army officer. It deals with war, but on a small scale in an isolated environment, creating a perfect world where reality and fantasy blend together to the point that one loses track and lets themselves believe in the magic. The rural and dangerous setting also creates a sense of imprisonment, leaving the characters with an internal struggle about whether to flee or face their fears. One of Del Toro's best works, Pan's Labyrinth is masterfully executed with superb acting and phenomenal character design and will be remembered for a very long time. A must see for anyone who appreciates design work.