Synopsis

Recently remarried and now heavily pregnant Carmen moves with her daughter Ofélia into the house of her new husband, coldly authoritarian Vidal, a captain in Franco’s army. A bright and dreamy little girl, Ofelia keeps her precious books of fairy tales close at hand. For Ofelia, fables of good and evil, magic and danger are more than simple entertainment, they are her window onto the world, awakening her to life's everyday possibilities and mysteries. Finding her new life hard to bear, the young girl seeks refuge in a mysterious labyrinth she discovers next to the sprawling Mill house. The garden labyrinth will become Ofelia's haven, a dark refuge from loneliness and sorrow. Its guardian Pan, a magical creature, reveals that she is none other than the long lost princess of a magical kingdom. To discover the truth, and fullfil her destiny, she has to accomplish three dangerous tasks without failing.

What The Critics Say

"Stunningly beautiful and movingly honest, this is one of best films of the year and another notch on the belt of one of the today's most exciting filmmakers." Joe Utichi FILMFOCUS "Superbly acted and beautifully directed, this is a bewitching tale that will stay with you long after you leave the cinema. One of the best films of the year." Matthew Turner VIEWLONDON "Dark, dreamlike and dangerous, Guillermo del Toro's Pan's Labyrinth is a fairytale every bit as scary and moving as they were always meant to be." Jonathan Trout BBC "The story is a compelling and deeply involving one, and the film is both beautiful, exciting, and sometimes horrifying. The creature effects are superbly handled. I mean, fairytales have often been pretty cruel. But this maybe takes it to a new level. But it's a remarkable film, though. I think this is his best film, actually. 4 1/2 STARS." David Stratton ABC AT THE MOVIES "I love the layers of fable and fantasy. I loved this film. And his creatures are just wondrous! I think he's brave with the cruelty that's depicted. 4 1/2 STARS." Margaret Pomeranz ABC AT THE MOVIES

"Guillermo del Toro's Pan's Labyrinth is that rarest of cinematic rarities, a fully and flawlessly realized fantasy film." ROGEREBERT.COM "Pan's Labyrinth is another jewel in a fast-expanding line of movie gems." Kevin Lally FILM JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL "I only wish more people in Hollywood would take chances on films with this kind of imagination behind it!" JoBlo JOBLO'S MOVIE EMPORIUM "This magnificent and moving horror-fantasy for adults has already been raking in nearly unanimous acclaim. I'm not only on the bandwagon, I'm proudly riding shotgun for one of the richest films of 2006." Aaron Hillis PREMIERE MAGAZINE "Del Toro pulls a gorgeous dark fantasy tale out of his bag of tricks easily one of the most gorgeous films this year." Edward Douglas COMINGSOON.NET

The Inside Story Ask the multitalented Guillermo del Toro what he thinks of of his latest film Pan's Labyrinth, and he'll tell you that in his opinion it's his most accomplished film, and the one of which he is most proud. "At its roots, the script of "Pan's Labyrinth" resembles my very first version of "The Devil's Backbone", and would have been my first film if I’d managed to find the budget necessary to make it at the time." Those who see his latest film will be surprised at how del Toro originally envised it. "It was set at the time of the Spanish Revolution and the story told of a pregnant young woman reunited with her husband in a house he had restored. While visiting the home, the mother to be discovered a garden in the form of a labyrinth, and in this garden, came across a satyr. She made love with the beast, who proposed sacrificing her child so that the labyrinth might come into bloom. If the woman had agreed," del Toro explained, "she would have lived for eternity by the satyr’s side. Even if resemblances remain, the new version of Pan’s Labyrinth is despite everything, very different, my sentimental side having got the upper hand in the end." For those who aren't familiar with the word, a satyr is, in in Greek and Roman mythology, a woodland god with some horselike or goatlike features. Just as "El Espinazo del diablo" was, his latest film is set in the Spanish Civil War, in General Franco's time. AS such he says it "deals therefore with fascism, with its very essence." del Toro says for him, fascism represents the ultimate horror. It's a very strong theme in "Pan's Labyrinth". "For me, fascism represents in some ways the death of the soul, as it forces you to make harrowing choices and leaves an indelible mark in the very depths of those who live through it." And that makes Captain Vidal the real monster in the film. Right? "A very real monster compared to those who lurk in the labyrinth," del Toro says. "Fascism consumes you, inch by inch, not necessarily physically, but certainly spiritually. This notion was at the heart of The Devil’s Backbone." And that has made this film much darker hasn't it? "I believe I have dealt with it better in Pan’s Labyrinth, an even darker, much more complex, metaphorical film." While the finished product is a fascinating film, the story of how the film was made is just as fascinating. The conception of the imaginary world in which Ofelia seeks refuge and Pan roams was entrusted first to Carlos Gimenez for the sketches, and then to David Marti and his company Efectos Especiales to give them form and bring them to life. Both had already worked with del Toro on "The Devil's Backbone" (which is definately worth having a look at on DVD). del Toro explained that "Carlos Gimenez, who replaced William Stout early in the preproduction, took care of designing the labyrinth while Sergio Sandoval, who had already created Kroenen's masks for "Hellboy", concentrated on the creatures, the Faun in particular. For this character (very inspired by Arthur Rackham), I wanted to use organic textures, his lower body covered in foliage and branches, as if truly, corporeally, a part of Nature. We used a special effects technique which I believe has never been seen before in a film. To make him appear as realistic as possible, we used practically no digital effects. Everything was done on the set, with the help of animatronics." One creature cinemagoers will be fascinated by is 'The Pale Man'. A monster who presides over a table upon which is a tempting, bountiful feast. "The Pale Man was originally conceived as a skeletal man with hanging skin, but I changed the design once David Marti sculpted the head," del Toro recalls. "It struck me as too human. I recalled the 'face' in the underbelly of manta rays : the lack of features, the slit mouth, the two ‘nostrils’ in place of the eyes. So I copied the features of the clay sculpture and then drew a new, featureless visage and emailed it to David, asking him to remove the features from his beautiful sculpture. He agreed, with huge reservations. I placed the eyes in twin stigmata in the Pale Man's palms, which he would display like peacock feathers in front of his face. That was the birth of this most surreal monster. But even with all the elaborate special effects, these two creatures would not have had the same impact without the performance of my friend Doug Jones, a professional mime who had previously played Abe Sapien in "Hellboy"." But these are not the only creatures in the film. "There are still more creatures in the film, notably a giant toad and fairies like none you’ve ever seen, much more grimy and deceitful than those in Peter Pan!", del Toro notes. So how would he describe his film? "I've always preferred genres to be mixed. Like combining horror with an historical narrative, for example. For me, "Pan's Labyrinth" is therefore a drama rooted in a context of war, with fairytale and mythological elements grafted on. Even these creatures of which I am particularly fond, for me, even they are not what’s most important. Above all this film rests on a very moving story, profoundly human and dramatic. A story that raises universal questions which, I hope, concern us all." "Pan's Labyrinth" is indeed a moving story aimed squarely at the adult market. It contains some very dark, traumatic scenes which makes it most unsuitable for children even if the lead character Ofélia is a child.
At the age of just 11, young Spanish actress Ivana Baquero already has four films to her name, all produced by Spanish company Filmax through its International subsidiary, Fantastic Factory. Baquero made her debut in "L'Enfer des Loups" ("Romasanta"), which was followed by "The Baby's Room", "Rottweiler" and most recently appeared alongside Calista Flockhart in "Fragile". Baquero plays Ofélia.
Born 23 January 1969 in Barcelona, Ariadna Gil, has appeared in more than fourty films. The daughter of an eminent lawyer she studied singing, classical dance and violin as a child, moving towards theatre and television at age 17, following her appearance on the cover of an avant-garde magazine. In 1986 Bigas Luna offered Gil her first film role in "Lola". It was while shooting the comedy "Belle Époque" (in which she appeared alongside Penelope Cruz) that she met her future husband, actor and director David Trueba. Numerous Spanish and French box-office hits followed. Famed for taking difficult parts, Gil will soon be seen in the films "Alatriste" and "Una Estrella y dos Cafes". Gil plays Ofélia's mother Carmen. Born 22 December 1965 in Vilanova i la Geltru, a small village near Barcelona, as an adolescent Sergi López preferred to study acting and circus arts rather than follow a more conventional scholastic path. He put on his own plays with a troupe of friends before leaving Spain to enrol in Jacques Lecoq’s prestigious École Internationale de Théâtre in Paris, where the emphasis was strongly on the physical aspect of the craft. It was in Paris, in 1992, that he met director Manuel Poirier, who immediately offered him a role in "La Petite Amie d’Antonio". The film brought López the Prix Michel Simon in 1993 and marked the beginning of a long collaboration with Poirier, the two of them going on to make seven further features together. López's talent has been rewarded with a number of awards including: the Best Actor Prize at the International Catalonia Film Festival for "Western" (1997) and a César Award for Best Actor after appearing in "Harry, He's Here To Help" (2001). "Pan's Labyrinth reunites López with his "Toreros" co-star Maribel Verdú. López plays the cruel Captain Vidal.
Born Maria Isabel Verdú Rollan on 2 October 1970 in Madrid, to a model mother and salesman father, Maribel Verdú underwent a strict convent education. When she was 13, her mother enrolled her in the same modelling agency as her own and Maribel was soon engaged for magazine and advertising work. Her career as an actress began only a few months later when producer Jaime Fernandez Cid spotted her. He immediately cast her opposite Victoria Abril in the TV movie "El Crimen Del Capitan Sanchez. Two years later, in 1986, came her first starring role in Fernando Trueba’s "El Ano de las Luces". Maribel Verdú numbers some 50 films amongst her credits including Alfonso Cuarón’s memorable and internationally acclaimed Mexican road trip film, "Y Tu Mama También". Maribel Verdú plays Mercedes, the housekeeper in charge of Captain Vidal’s domicile.
The youngest of four children, Doug Jones was born 24 May 1960, in Indianapolis, USA. He was educated at Bishop Catard High School and later, Ball State University in Indianapolis, leaving with a degree in telecommunications and theatre. At the same time, he was studying mime for pleasure, never suspecting that it would one day become his career. Having trod the boards in various theatre pieces, he left Indianapolis for Los Angeles in 1985 to pursue a film career. A fistful of B-movies ("Night Angel", "Carnal Crimes", "Magic Kid") was followed by the part of one of Danny DeVito’s henchmen in Tim Burton’s "Batman Returns". Since then he's appeared in more than ninety music videos, and has made some forty feature films (including "Mystery Men", "The Time Machine", "Men in Black 2" and "Doom") and TV series appearances. Jones plays two characters: the Pale Man and Pan (for which he had to learn to speak Old Spanish). The Verdict "A very powerful piece of storytelling, "Pan's Labyrinth" should delight adult cinemagoers who are looking for something a little 'different' at their local multiplex. While the central character Ofelia is a child, "Pan's Labyrinth" is definately not not aimed at the younger market. The film is strictly in the genre of 'adult' storytelling and contains scenes which could prove traumatic to children. Those who appreciated Guillermo del Toro's "El Espinazo del diablo" ("The Devil's Backbone") will find this a fascinating adventure and a rewarding experience. Highly recommended for adult audiences. 4 1/2 STARS." Cast & Crew Bytes "PAN'S LABYRINTH" stars .......
Ariadna Gil ["Capitán Escalaborns", "Trouble in Love", "Life's a Bitch" and "Welcome Home"]; Sergi López ["The Milk of Human Kindness", "Dirty Pretty Things", "Jet Lag" and "The Red Knight"]; Maribel Verdú ["The Age of Beauty", "Y tu mamá también", "Black Serenade" and "Jericho Mansions"]; Álex Angulo ["Escape from Segovia", "The Worst Years of Our Lives" and "My Mother Likes Women"], César Vea ["Sleepless in Madrid", "Dying of Laughter" and "The Seventh Day"] and Ivana Baquero ["Romasanta: The Werewolf Hunt", "Rottweiler" and "Fragile"] as Ofelia.
"PAN'S LABYRINTH" was .......
directed by Guillermo del Toro ["Cronos", "The Devil's Backbone", "Blade II" and "Hellboy"]; screenplay by Guillermo del Toro ["Cronos", "Mimic", "The Devil's Backbone" and "Hellboy"]; original story by ["" and ""]; cinematography by Guillermo Navarro ["The Long Kiss Goodnight", "Spy Kids", "Hellboy" and "Zathura: A Space Adventure"]; original music by Javier Navarrete ["Susanna", "The Sea" and "The Devil's Backbone"] production design by Eugenio Caballero ["Pasajera", "Crónicas" and "Pan's Labyrinth"] and editing by Bernat Vilaplana ["I, Whore", "To Die in San Hilario" and "The Nun"]. Run Time 114 minutes Rated MA15+ [AUST] Copyright ©2007 - Picturehouse - All Rights Reserved Copyright Protected © 2007 - Impact Internet Services - All Rights Reserved