Pan's Labyrinth
Feb. 12th, 2007 03:48 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
javasaurusWell, Pan's Labyrinth was not what I expected.
Here's the quick summary from IMDB: "Pan's Labyrinth" is the story of a young girl who travels with her pregnant mother to live with her mother's new husband in a rural area up North in Spain, 1944, after Franco's victory. The girl lives in an imaginary world of her own creation and faces the real world with much chagrin. Fascist repression towards the end of World War II (1944) is at its height in rural Spain and the girl must come to terms with that through a fable of her own.
Add to this that it received noms from the Academy for multiple awards like cinematography and best foreign language film.
(IMDB clicky)
I really expected an escape style childhood fantasy, something like Oz or Narnia. The beginning of the film leads directly into my expectations. Until we meet the step-father. After that, the movie is more realistic, in a very dark way, not less. And the trips into fantasy, the escapes, are like episodes away from the main story, rather than the main story itself.
Don't get me wrong, it's a fantastic movie. But it's full of realistic horror, and realistic violence, and it's really not for kids. And it deserves every nomination it got (best foreign language film, art direction, makeup, cinematography, original score, original screenplay).
Here's the quick summary from IMDB: "Pan's Labyrinth" is the story of a young girl who travels with her pregnant mother to live with her mother's new husband in a rural area up North in Spain, 1944, after Franco's victory. The girl lives in an imaginary world of her own creation and faces the real world with much chagrin. Fascist repression towards the end of World War II (1944) is at its height in rural Spain and the girl must come to terms with that through a fable of her own.
Add to this that it received noms from the Academy for multiple awards like cinematography and best foreign language film.
(IMDB clicky)
I really expected an escape style childhood fantasy, something like Oz or Narnia. The beginning of the film leads directly into my expectations. Until we meet the step-father. After that, the movie is more realistic, in a very dark way, not less. And the trips into fantasy, the escapes, are like episodes away from the main story, rather than the main story itself.
Don't get me wrong, it's a fantastic movie. But it's full of realistic horror, and realistic violence, and it's really not for kids. And it deserves every nomination it got (best foreign language film, art direction, makeup, cinematography, original score, original screenplay).
no subject
Date: 2007-02-13 07:41 pm (UTC)it's still rated R. and subtitled. i think the subtitling alone would give parents a clue that... yanno... 9 year old children should not be watching this movie.
i really really really enjoyed it. i also really really really closed my eyes during the gory parts. ;)
if you liked this movie, you should also check out Devil's Backbone. same director, same feel and spooky-supernatural goings ons, but more realistic, too.
no subject
Date: 2007-02-14 03:19 am (UTC)Well, I know that now...lol
Turns out that in Mexico, after the first week, they had to put big signs out saying "not for kids" because people kept bringing their young ones.
I watched the trailer again on the net, and it really doesn't do a good job of portraying the true nature of the film. It doesn't help that Terabithia previews are out at the same time.
Thanks for the heads up on Devil's Backbone, I'll keep an eye out for it.