Pan's Labyrinth

A Gothic fairy tale set against the back drop of post war repression Spain. Pans Labyrinth is told through the eyes of Ofelia, a dreamy young girl who with Carmen her mother is sent to live with her abusive step-father Captain Vidal. Captain Vidal is leading his team of soldiers against resistance fighters and he is willing do whatever it takes to kill every last one of them. As Vidal bosses around the pregnant Carmen, Ofelia choses to escape all this by emersing herself in a world or magical creatures and demons. She stumbles across a labyrinth where she meets Pan who believes she is the lost princess of the underworld and must complete three tasks to see if she is worthy of returning.

Pans Labyrinth is by no means a children's film and is not for the squeamish, it is enchanting and haunting, a magical fairy tale for adults.

Would definitely recommend it!

In contrast to the many other reviews that this film received, I have to admit I was deeply disappointed with perhaps the whole film in its entirety. My flatmate insisted that this film would make a good choice between staying in on a Saturday night, instead of going out. Captivated by his words I thought his idea of watching a foreign language film would perhaps be quite interesting and somewhat different to the films he usually chooses. This film for me lacked a clear understanding for its audience. A fairytale storey with characters similar to that of the David Bowie classic - Labyrinth had somehow lost its direction by portraying extreme violence diversified with a plot scripted for children - the latter neither being interesting or coherent to say the least. I have watched many foreign films, and I do believe that there are some outstanding films to be found hidden amongst the vast quantities of Hollywood flicks we are usually accustomed to. However, this film for me regretfully did not live up to the expectations that the media had portrayed it to be. The ending of the film was absolutely ludicrous and didn't actually ease the mind in any sense from the complicated plot consisting of alcoholic captains, fairy-eating demons, talking Fauns, magic chalks, human torture (graphic!!) and rebel soldiers (whose character development is practically non existent). I cannot justify anything that would recommend viewing this film, it was unquestionably disappointing. If you are enchanted by fairies, goblins, soldiers and violence (within reason) - then the Lord of the Rings in consequence should meet your expectations!

I hope this 'Honest' review was helpful.

This is a Spanish fairytale that is more reality than fantasy. Set in the 1940's as the Spanish Civil War is ending, Ofelia and her frail, pregnant mother are going to live with her mother's new husband, a Captain in the Franco's army who is trying to round up rebel forces in the hills around the camp. He wants his son to be born near him. He is a hard man and Ofelia does not like him. She escapes into storybooks and makes friends with the head housekeeper, Mercedes, who happens to be a rebel spy.

Ofelia is visited one night by a fairy who takes her into the adjacent stone labyrinth and introduces her to a faun who tells her that she is princess of the underworld and that years ago she left and her body became mortal and died. She has returned in this form and can return and reclaim her throne if she completes three tasks, which she sets about doing, while trying to keep her mother healthy.

This film is not a children's story. It is extremely violent and gory. The fantasy scenes are interwoven with the war story and both come together in a fairly bloody and horrific ending which shows the destruction caused by the Civil War and the brutality of the fascist regime in Spain. It is beautifully made and extremely suspenseful, however, if a bit slow-moving at times. You will be alternately hiding your eyes and transfixed by the cinematography. It's not a fairytale in the traditional sense, but the fantastical elements of the story really do emphasize the sheer horror of the reality. It is a great film.