Violent but so moralizing

Rating: 8/10 (1 February 2007)

I don't understand the modern tendencies of impressing the viewer with straightforward violence. On the other hand this picture gives us a very good reason for all the blood shed in front of the audience. It's been some time since a character has given me such disgust as Capitan Vidal does. And if it hadn't been for the visual depiction of his horrific acts probably he would have remained anonymous among other bad guys. We have to admit that many of his actions are predictable and from the start you learn what to expect from him. What is great about him is the fact that he lacks all the drama that surrounds the bad characters in a classic Hollywood movie. If he has to torture someone or kill him, he just does it, he doesn't feel the need to explain himself or prepare the audience for the grand finale. This makes it very realistic and the tragedy is emphasized even more by this sadistic and cruel plain depiction.
I admire directors, or scriptwriters, who have the courage to kill their main characters in order to sustain their ideas. During the final scenes, with Ofelia lying on the ground in Mercedes' arms, I was praying that "a miracle" doesn't happen. It was so obvious that the point of the movie was to show that innocence can be broken and that it doesn't survive in our cruel world. It isn't a land of faerie tales nor miracles and even the purest may fall victims.
I'm still asking myself if this movie would have had the same effect on me had the language spoken been English. Although Pan was interpreted by an American actor I found all his lines magnificent. It really gave me the feeling that I had fallen back in times of magic and wizardry. Miss Baquero was incredible if we think that she is only twelve years old. Her character was strong and the chemistry between her and Mercedes, not to speak of the one with Pan, was great. You begin the movie by feeling sorry for this child, you go on by loving him and you end up hating the world.
To summarize I must say that it is a great movie definitely worth seeing but I can't give it a maximum for two reasons. First of all the violence. Maybe I am too sensible or more fond of classic ways to describe violence, without showing it. Here it serves its purposes but the simplicity it brings takes away some of the hate you should feel for the character and brigs to surface disgust and fear. Maybe this is what Mr del Toro wanted us to feel, but it doesn't really cope with the main idea of evil defeating innocence. Secondly I have to say that he could have found a better ending. I loved the line "He won't even know your name" but why give hope after such terrible events? Evil has won, Ofelia is dead, that child is his and may as well inherit his habits so let Vidal live and warn the whole world of what may happen if we don't control our evil side.