Finn Price/Staff reporter
Guillermo del Toro recently released the film Nightmare Alley, based on the 1946 novel by William Gresham of the same name. Del Toro’s adaptation was bad.
It flopped hard, even though it was released on Dec. 17, 2021, and has only grossed eight of the 60 million that was its budget, likely making the film a loss for the production company. However, a flop isn’t always a bad thing, as it can bring attention to other films by the same director. This flop brought back one of del Toro’s masterpieces, Pan’s Labyrinth.
Pan’s Labyrinth is a cinematic masterpiece. Although in Spanish, the emotion and passion are conveyed beautifully. The emotional range of the actors is truly displayed in this film.
Captain Vidal, Mercedes and Ofelia
The story begins with the eleven-year-old Ofelia and her mother Carmen being driven into the mountains five years after the Spanish civil war. They arrive at a military camp run by Ofelia’s stepfather Captain Vidal. Near the camp is a large labyrinth which Ofelia is drawn by but is told not to enter by the maid Mercedes, as she will get lost. However, Ofelia returns later and discovers that her world isn’t as unlike those in the stories she loves dearly. Ofelia learns she must do a set of three tasks to be allowed entry into the world of all her fantastical desires.
Pan’s Labyrinth is set in the summer of 1944, 5 years after the Spanish civil war. It is in part, a display of the horrors of the Francoist regime yet also a film of fantasy and wonder. While an amazing watch, it is not for the squeamish as there are some very gory scenes.
The Pale Man from the feast room
The film ties elements of bewildering fantasy with the brutality of the Francoist regime all while maintaining an emotional and powerful conclusion.
While not on Netflix, it is still absolutely worth the effort of going to a library to find it.
The conflict between good and evil is a representation of the fighting in the Spanish civil war between 1936 and 1939. Pan’s labyrinth is one of, if not the best film by del Toro for so many reasons, the symbolism, the enchanting fantasy and the intense emotions it makes you feel.
Information:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7740496/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nightmare_Alley_(2021_film)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pan%27s_Labyrinth
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guillermo_Del_Toro
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7140096-nightmare-alley
Images:
http://criticalandy.blogspot.com/2010/02/pans-labyrinth.html
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0457430/mediaviewer/rm3001602561/