Pan's Labyrinth

Guillermo del Toro's 2006 dark fantasy drama takes place in 1944 Spain after a recent civil war. The story examines a violence-filled world binging in cruelty and heartlessness from the perspective of our 11 year-old protagonist Ofelia (Ivana Baquero), and her only escape route from here comes in the form of a figurative fairy tale.

The screenwriting quality at display here shines through the paper! Every scene either moves the plot forward or reveals character. And characters, oh the defined characters! Mercedes (Maribel Verdú), Doctor Ferreiro (Álex Angulo) and especially Captain Vidal (Sergi López) are eternally memorable! Captain Vidal is probably one of the most intimidating antagonists ever put to screen! Not to forget, the Faun and Pale Man are amazing creative renditions!

With two plots seamlessly travelling interchangeably, it leaves us wondering how the writer-director managed to captivate us for the entire runtime with such a simple, visual and smooth screenplay! Monstrous Toad and the three magic stones, Pale Man and the room full of feast, last goodbye to a severely injured leg, mandrake dunked in a bowl of milk and forest shootout are just some of the examples of visceral and powerful sequences available in this motion picture! The theme is disobedience and while all the actions performed by the characters and her allies honor the theme organically, Ofelia eating out of the table she was precisely warned against repeatedly before and during the moment appears implausible plus forced.

Pan's Labyrinth is essentially a near-perfect feature. You could clearly tell without an ounce of doubt how much thought, time, effort and teamwork went behind erecting this landmark piece of filmmaking. Colors. Cinematography. Visual effects. Prosthetics. Film editing. Transitions. Sound design. Sound mixing. Score. Setting. Makeup. Practical effects. You name the rest of the perfections!