Review: Pan's Labyrinth (2006)

Ofilia is a hopeful and imaginative girl caught up in a horrible situation. She is going to meet someone she only knows as "The Captain," but is told by her mother to call him, "Father." They finally arrive at the Captain's station. Her mother is pregnant and the exhaustion from the drive surfaces.

Ofilia loves books and is scolded for her love of reading fairy tales. Her life, as it unfolds, is far from a fairy tale. Her stepfather is a brutal fascist in Spain. Pan's Labyrinth is a fairy tale for adults. The cruel and domineering Captain is a character apparently drawn from the Nazi regime.

She discovers an ancient maze near the Captain's house. A curious dragonfly follows her and leads her to its center. The tale unfolds and she is drawn into a fantasy that offers an escape in life. She finds she is a princess of an underworld, but must pass three tests in order to claim her nobility.

Her mother's health is rapidly declining and she is no longer allowed to visit with her. A nurturing maid cares for her in her mother's stead.

Ofilia is drawn into a world of magic that wasn't supposed to exist. The Captain barely acknowledges her and cares only for the child her mother is carrying.

Ofilia's mother does not have a healthy delivery and the Captain is only concerned with the baby. She tries to take her baby brother with her and the Captain catches her.

The seemingly tragic ending leads to a happier beginning for Ofilia.

Ghoulish Details:

With many fairy tale elements, Pan's Labyrinth is not for children. Several scenes with the Captain's treatment of his "enemies," are gruesome.

This is an interesting film and hails from Spain .

Ghoulish Rating:5 (out of 6)