Pan's Labyrinth (2006) review

Childlike fantasy on one side. Fascist war on the other. I held this off for far too many years because it looked so weird to me, but after recently getting more familiar with Guillermo del Toro’s visual language, I finally gave it a chance. Early on, this gives me Bridge to Terabithia (2007) and The Spiderwick Chronicles (2008) vibes with its childlike wonder. There is that feeling of a child discovering a hidden world where strange creatures and magical places exist just beyond ordinary reality. But this one feels much darker. I thought it was a straight up fantasy, but there’s also war. I also kept wondering if the fantasy world is actually real or if it is all inside Ofelia’s head. With how oppressive her real life is, surrounded by war, violence, an abusive stepfather, and her sick mother, I can completely understand why a child would create another world just to escape. That ambiguity makes the childlike wonder hit differently because the fantasy can either be her salvation or her coping mechanism. The texture of the sets gives me The Shape of Water (2017) vibes. I love how Guillermo’s worlds feel damp, weathered, dirty, and actually touched by time. The stone, wood, moss, walls, and strange fantasy spaces all feel tangible instead of looking like clean fantasy sets. I love the war cinematography. It reminds me of Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral (2018), especially with the muted period look, earthy environments, uniforms, smoke, and natural landscapes. There is something about photographing war this way that makes the period feel grounded. Verdict: Interesting