Mysterious, dark and labyrinthine

Rating: 9/10 (31 July 2015)

"Pan's Labyrinth" could easily be mistaken for a children's story, if it wasn't for the dark undertones which permeate throughout. Up until Captain Vidal's first brutal act of violence, the film feels like a morose kids' film, similar to (for example) "A Series of Unfortunate Events". This sense of innocence and wonder formulates a unique atmosphere and a narrative which is strung parallel between a grotesque folklore fairy tale and the gritty real events of 1940s Spain.
The Spanish dialogue doesn't hinder the pace of the storytelling - in fact the foreign language increases the fairy-tale feeling within the film. The atmospheric orchestral score contributes to the ominousness, emphasising the darkness of both worlds. Although Ofelia's tasks are terrifying and mysterious, monsters are exposed too amongst the background of war-torn Spain; the oppressive Captain is a hellish stepfather with his power complex and unhealthy fixation on honour and death. The stark storyline is mirrored in the cold blue and yellow tones of the scenes.
Disbelief has to be suspended for the mythical creatures and otherworldly realms, although there is the subtle possibility that the fantasy world is a figment of the imagination. In this, del Toro descends a little into the cliché of a magical world open only to imaginative youngsters; yet this conclusion is left open to interpretation, as are the various fables and bedside stories mentioned symbolically throughout.
"Pan's Labyrinth" is hard-hitting. No part of it is easy watching, from the violence of the Civil War to the fortuitous gore and the heart-in-mouth suspense of many "other-world" scenes (notably the lair of the horrifying Pale Man). Don't make the mistake of writing it off as a children's film, for it achieves that rare balance of creating a gripping dark story with a measure of innocence added by the perspective of a child - it is also far too scary for youngsters! However, the heavy themes don't weight it down, thanks to astounding acting from the actress who plays Ofelia and the comparatively "escapist" mystery of the magical fairy realm.