In a World Without Hope - Part 2

Rating: Null/10 (11 March 2007)

Having already spoken my mind on the movie The Children of Men, I thought it would be appropriate to see the remaining two movies from this Mexican/Latin/Spanish Trilogy, Babel and Pan's Labyrinth. Having now seen these three movies, I am convinced that the gods of cinema have transferred the various skills of movie-making to invaders from outside its Cathedral, Hollywood, the New Spanish Armada if you must, forcing the powers that control the purse strings, to allow this sudden and dramatic burst of energy and creativity to infiltrate an establishment that has gotten lazy and too comfortable.
What is common in all three movies is that they are extremely strong when it comes to the basics. With scripts that are complete and cohesive, absorbing and extremely effective. All the techniques of the film-making process; from the cinematography, to sound, to the editing and acting; bring to life in a most wonderful way, the power and the drama that is inherent in the written words and sentences, in the tragic nature of the characters, their relationships and conflicts, and in the brutality and honesty with which the story unfolds out there on the silver screen, in front of our very eyes.
Having now gathered all the resources and the sophisticated technology, and assembled the talent, it will all be a waste if there is no direction, a unique perspective, a singular point of view. This is the responsibility of the director. They must use their skill and imagination, and the resources at their disposal to create the magic. All the three directors have succeeded beyond expectation, and have created masterful art works that have, to a certain extent shaken the established order of things. They have all shown commitment and dedication, and displayed a passion and desire to express themselves through their movies without any reservations or shyness, telling the story as it was created, with all its brutality and honesty, refusing to compromise. Sometimes, as one watches these movies it can get frightening, and in spite of your self you want to tell them to stop, that is enough. There were one or two instances in the movies Babel and Pans Labyrinth, towards the end, where I thought they had taken things to far.
Pans Labyrinth has a more classical style to it, with rich deep colors, a wonderful feel and texture, with an old fashioned sensibility, looking almost like a black and white movie. The characters are extremely well defined, naive and idealistic in their passions and beliefs. The camera movements are often slow and deliberate, sometimes opening up the scene to include all the details and emphasizing each and every feeling and emotion the creators want to convey to the audience.
It is set in the past, and has as its central theme, a conflict between two fundamental ideologies, two "isms". In many ways the movie is much like Children of Men, the difference being in style; one unfolds like a Greek Tragedy and the other has a nervous energy to it and is set in the future. In both movies, it is difficult to separate the good from the evil, as both groups of people, those that belong with the systems of power and authority and those that are fighting the totalitarian regime's, will use any means possible to achieve their eventual goals and in the end one begins to question what are the goals. Both movies emphasize the idea that when man looses hope and belief, he also looses those elements that separate us from the rest of the animals, a Conscience, Morality and Virtue, Justice and The Rule of Law. It is the young innocent mind of a child that suffers the most in a world with no hope.
When children grow up without hope or belief, they will seek anything or any form or entity that will provide them with a sense of belonging. It becomes natural and normal for them to do everything and anything to protect what they believe to be a safe haven, never questioning the motives of their superiors or the means used to protect the power, for them it is obvious and rational. Some will be persuaded to seek in another human or group of people a reason for their angst, and will use their skills and genius in finding the means, to seek what they believe to be a just cause, a final solution.
Captain Vidal is just such a character, the uniform and the trappings of office, give him a sense of importance and a meaning to life. It is interesting to note that just before watching this movie, I had a watched a documentary on PBS, about the last years of Auschwitz. It gives you an insight into the nature of Rudolf Hoess, the SS Kommandant of Auschwitz, and Adolph Eichmann, head of the SS in Hungary. Sergi Lopez as Capitan Vidal gives a brilliant performance and should have been honored for his work.
When Ofelia realizes that her mother has given up all hope of surviving alone, submitting herself to the devil's care, she seeks, in the world of her imagination, the truth, where the gods do actually exist and miracles do happen and where humans will be actually punished for seeking what does not belong to them. When fantasy meets reality, the end result is tragic and painful; at least it was for me, as I watched the story unfold. Do the gods of Ofelia's imagination or those from Ancient Mythology really exist, do we finally achieve immortality when we die and leave this cursed earth. Are we to be forever punished by the gods and denied an Earthly Paradise for being weak and mortal. Should a child not dream of a better world for herself and her family? Is their no hope then for the human race? Important questions these movies demand of the audience, to consider and debate.