Beautifully haunting masterpiece

Rating: 10/10 (23 October 2006)

It seems as if it was just yesterday when a young Mexican director named Guillermo Del Toro sold his house in order to get enough money to complete his first feature length movie, "Cronos". Now, more than 10 years later, Guillermo Del Toro finally has created what many (himself included) call "his masterpiece", and to the surprise of many, they are not wrong. "El Laberinto Del Fauno", Del Toro's 6th movie, is truly a wonderful film deeply rooted in the director's favorite genres: horror and fantasy. A modern fairytale, "El Laberinto del Fauno" is a remarkable achievement that probably, is just the beginning of a new stage in this courageous and imaginative director.
Set in Spain in 1944, five years after the end of the Spanish Civil War, "El Laberinto del Fauno" is the story of Ofelia (Ivana Baquero), a young girl who travels with her mother (Ariadna Gil) to a rural area to meet her mother's new husband, the Captain Vidal (Sergi López). But Ofelia is not very happy with her mother's decision, as the Captain is a very strict and evil man who serves Franco's fascist regime and enjoys to hunt the remaining rebel forces. In the middle of this post-war nightmare, Ofelia finds an ancient labyrinth that is the path to a magical world of faeries and monsters.
In "El Laberinto Del Fauno", Del Toro once again dives into the fantastic genres he loves so much, this time exploring the nature of fairy tales, taking them back to its original roots, when fantasy tales were grim, dark and violent. The contrast between the post-war scenery and the fantastic world Ofelia is about to enter is just the first display of the duality motif, constantly present through the film. However, this is more complex than a mere "good versus evil" tale, it's about Ofelia's quest for her place in a world filled with the chaos and confusion of war. Deconstructing the hero's journey, Del Toro takes Ofelia through the classic outline of the three tasks she must complete to be able to enter the fantasy realm, with the Faun (Doug Jones) acting as judge and guide.
Visually, Del Toro's film is captivating and filled with a dark beauty that is both frightening and attractive. While the fantastic world Ofelia enters is considerably different than her reality, it's by no means less haunting, as it's also a violent world with scary monsters that may reflect the harsh reality of the post-war Spain. With many themes borrowed from Spain's folklore, "El Laberinto del Fauno" is very fresh and Del Toro's direction shows a maturity not seen before. One can only wonder what's next for the Mexican director as this film is easily his best film to date.
The cast is simply excellent, starting with the young Ivana Baquero, who delivers a believable performance as Ofelia, carrying the film with power and making a very likable main character. However, the best performance comes from Sergi López, as the ruthless Captain Vidal. At first sight it may look as another typical villain, but López adds a lot of soul to a character that easily could had been a two-dimensional caricature in less talented hands. Maribel Verdú is also quite effective as Mercedes, a young woman who works as a servant and becomes Ofelia's only friend. She shows a lot of emotions in a character specially complex due to her role in the story. Doug Jones plays Pan, the Faun, delivering a very expressive performance under the heavy make-up he had to wear, making an interesting character even more mysterious than he already is. Finally, Álex Angulo and Ariadna Gil complete the cast with effective performances, although I found Gil a bit annoying. Angulo was simply excellent in a subtle low-key role.
"El Laberinto del Fauno" is a movie that easily could had been a predictable fantasy tale like the rest, but Del Toro constructs a movie that, while clearly follows and respects the fairytale pattern, it's never boring or tiresome, and in fact it keeps increasing its haunting beauty to the unforgettable last frame. Some have criticized the apparently biased way Del Toro presents the Spanish Civil War, but personally, I think that he makes sure to show that, no matter what side you are, in war the ones that lose the most are the children. While the movie is of course very violent, I think the "R" rating is really unnecessary, as in the end, real fairy tales used to be that way too.
In the end, "El Laberinto del Fauno" is a very moving film, moving back and forth between the horror and fantasy realms with ease creating a dark world that may just be a reflection of our own violent reality. Beautifully haunting, "El Laberinto del Fauno" is a movie that can't be missed. 10/10. A Masterpiece.