Pans Labyrinth The Criterion Collection DVD

How do we symbolize a society’s willingness to fully abandon totalitarianism and establish the rule of law? With a girl, Ofelia, who is fatherless and has been adopted by a dictator, and a mother who dislikes the dictator but believes in the saying: “keep your friends close and your enemies closer.” Even with such guardians, a girl can’t do it alone. Guillermo del Toro aims high in Pan’s Labyrinth, blending politics, fairy tales, regime transitions, and the underworld. Totalitarianism is represented by the Francoist dictatorship in Spain. The act of withdrawal—the escape from reality when a situation is too dire to confront—is portrayed through what seems to be a pact with the Devil made by the girl. She seeks guidance from a creature that resembles “The Beast”: a middle-aged, intelligent, half-man, half-animal figure with two horns. It’s unclear whether del Toro is expressing his pessimism. In the film, the alternative to totalitarianism seems to be either a male-dominated resistance movement—which comes across as a group of men eager to replace the dictator and restore another testosterone-driven regime—or a girl who cannot succeed on her own and perhaps makes a compromise too large to bring about anything positive in this world. The movie is also unforgiving in its portrayal of the female world: women are depicted as concerned only with the short-term well-being of their children, displaying a kind of myopia when it comes to the importance of fighting for society as a whole. A pact with the Devil doesn’t pay off in this world… Overall, the dialogue, visuals, and scenes are of outstanding quality. The message may seem pessimistic, but that’s just one interpretation by a reviewer of a film that, at times, feels like a labyrinth with no exit. Read more

Great addition to this collection Read more

Tremenda edición de esta pelicula de culto, muy buen arte y packaging. Read more

Entertaining movie. Read more

A gorgeous, raw fantasy meets period piece in Spanish history, minging in a young girl’s life quest. The girl, Ofelia, accompanies her mother, Carmen to an outpost where Carmen’s new husband awaits, a ruthless officer intent on wiping out the Spanish resistance in the nearby hills and seeing that his son is born where he is, regardless of the physical pain it causes the mother. Little does he know the guerillas are closer than he knows, ready to upset his plans. Close as well is Ofelia, ready to meddle in anything. For she’s found out she’s the lost Princess Moana and she’s been given a quest by a faun, who’s been waiting for her in a labyrinth for a long time… This is not a movie for the faint hearted. It offers a taste of brutality and tyranny as well as magic. Not everyone gets a happy ending and the ones that are offered are…debatable. It is a tale of magic, though, showing how magic can infuse even the harshest of settings where reality is at its most brutal. Along with the movie itself are incluced a number of interviews, one with Guillermo del Toro himself another with Doug Jones, who brings the Faun and the monstrous Pale Man to life. 3 beautiful comics, illustrating the backstory came with my DVD, along with a commentary, and a number of other extras. For all of this and the feature itself, I give this product five stars. Read more

Each viewing reveals more of the beauty of this film which can be jarringly brutal at times. A tour de force by Guillermo del Toro. Read more

This video was shipped quickly and arrived in good condition. This video is an enjoyable addition to my video collection! I am always impressed by the quality of the Criterion Collection versions of these films. Read more

Great movie by Guillermo del Toro, but beware: Area Code 1 / USA only, cannot be watched in Europe Read more