Del Toro Loses Focus

Rating: 4/10 (6 November 2006)

Guillermo Del Toro's latest foray into the grim and fantastic underworld of the human imagination is probably best described as the mutant cousin to 2001's Gothic hit "The Devil's Backbone." The latter was a beautiful, chilling thriller, pitting a child against the horrors of wartime in Spain. The former, "Pan's Labyrinth," continues in the same vein, but Del Toro seems to have lost his focus. The result is a topsy-turvy morass of a film that becomes increasingly ridiculous and offensive as the run-time unfurls.
The central character, Ofelia, played by Spanish newcomer Ivana Banquero, is a child isolated by the harshness of conflict during the Spanish Civil War. Her imagination runs wild, but her Gothic fictionsobvious defense-mechanisms against realitybecome corporeal with the help of a mystical fawn, Pan, who resides in a hidden forest labyrinth. While Ofelia embarks on a secret mission, people around her drop like flies due to the sadistic practices of Captain Vidal, her malicious step-father. Vidal, a highly ranked officer in the Francisco Franco regime, will do anything to protect his legacy and his autocratic way of life. Del Toro uses him to underscore the idea that the greatest villains exist not just in dreams but also in waking life.
Banquero, the lone child in the cast, who was 11 when "Pan's Labyrinth" was shot, is very convincing as Ofelia and deftly handles a challenging role. Sergi López ("Dirty Pretty Things") and Maribel Verdú ("Y tu Mamá También"), playing Captain Vidal and servant Mercedes, respectively, turn out visceral performances. But a flawed plot overshadows these strengths.
The juxtaposition of light, saccharine moments with repulsive, horrific scenes makes the dark, dramatic "Labyrinth" almost comical. Elements of the film that Del Toro intends to be poignant come off as flimsy and manipulative. Also, the trials Ofelia must undergo in the fantasy world are far from challenging. In fact, we are given little incentive to believe in the necessity for their completion. The prize is said to be eternal life in the dream world. Nevertheless, despite the grim landscape of war-torn Spain, Ofelia seems loathe to separate from her mother and the only life she's ever knownand why shouldn't she when her dreamscapes are at times nightmarish and intensely claustrophobic?
While "Pan's Labyrinth" can be applauded for its richly textured imagery, it falls short of reaching the narrative heights of other recent Del Toro films. Not even the input of Alfonso Cuarón, who produced the film, seems to have helped. In fact, one might question whether "Labyrinth" was a failed attempt at mating horror with "Harry Potter." Such an experiment requires a fine alchemist to get the balance right. In this case, the alchemist mixed ingredients to suit two audiences that have radically different tastes. What we're left with is a witch's brew. A fairytale ending doesn't always offer redemption.
Copyright (c) 2006 by Lauren Simpson