Pan's Labrynth is One of the Best Films of the 21st Century!

When I went to see Pan's Labrynth, or El Laberinto del Fauno, I did not know much about it, but I was blown away. In my city of Columbia, Missouri, our independent film theatre, The Ragtag Cinemacafe, put on a special premier viewing of the movie at an old historic concert hall downtown. The Missouri Theatre, with its marble wainscoting, plaster reliefs, stained glass art panels and an 1800-pound Italian auditorium chandelier featuring crystal prisms and etched panels, seats over 1500 people, and was full the night of the movie, yet the crowd was silenced and captivated as soon as the film began to roll. It made for an eerie presentation watching with so many people as little Ofelia began her imaginary quest to be reunited with her true father, the king of the underworld while in reality her mother was suffering from a pregnancy by a militant captain in the Spanish Army during the Spanish revolution. Little Ofelia was left to fend for herself as the only child in a remote forest outpost of her step-father's regime.

Many of us may wonder how children can cope with great tragedies that unfortunately overtake their lives, especially in times of war. What we forget is that children have a secret tool that we adults forget about... the imagination. Ofelia manages to make friends and escape to a world where she was a princess instead of a forgotten stepdaughter, but this world was no less brutal and trying than the one she left in reality. She has to prove herself in feats of character, courage, and willpower in order to achiever her goal. It is frightening to see a child in such peril, but Ofelia keeps a dignity about her that is due to the amazing talents of the young actress, Ivana Baquero, whose achievements in this film should earn her some much deserved respect.

Ofelia's mother is played by Ariadna Gil, who is too involved in her troublesome pregnancy to pay much attention to her daughter. You will love to hate Sergi Lopez as her step-father, the captain whose character runs much deeper than just a cold and ruthless dictator who wants a son to carry on his name, but does not care what he has to do to get one. Maribel Verdu also does an amazing job as a seemingly submissive servant whose loyalties lie in her heart rather than in the Captain's headquarters.

There are so many amazing aspects of this film, the superb casting and acting, the imagery and the imagination it evokes, the unpredictable plot... it is difficult to pick just one that stood out because nothing missed the mark, in my opinion. And the aim was higher than most directors will ever dream of achieving. There is so much beauty in this film, yet truth and reality make their presence known as well. It is hard to describe the way this movie makes you feel at the end. Happy, sad, hopeful, comtemplative, and satisfied in the way that only a film of such high quality can leave you.

What baffles me is why many of the more mainstream theatres are not showing this film. Maybe they are worried that the subtitles will turn people away, because the movie is made in Spanish. Maybe they just don't recognize a truly beautiful film when they see one. But I think that whether or not you are into foreign films, this one is a must see. If you don't see any other movie this year, go see this one! I promise you won't be disappointed.