"Pan's Labyrinth" (otherwise known as "Laberinto del Fauno, El") was a film I had been waiting to see for a long time, having heard many great things about it. It was voted second best film of 2006 by Empire Magazine, recieved six Oscar nominations and won three awards, and even picked up a supposedly twenty minute standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival - therefore, it had to be worth watching.
The film is directed completely in Spanish by Mexican director Guillermo Del Toro ("Blade 2", "Hellboy") as it is set during the Spanish Civil War. With it partly being a war film, "Pan's Labyrinth" obviously contains that background context and Del Toro sets up a scenario in amongst all that is going on where a brutal Falangist Captain is tasked with routing out the remaining leftists from the woods and hills of Northern Spain. However, 12 year-old Ofelia(played to absolute perfection, by the then 11 year old, Ivana Baquero) is brought to the camp under is power when her pregnant mother agrees to marry him, as well as carrying his son. Ofelia is uncomfortable with her new surroundings, suspicious of her stepfather and desperately concerned about the worsening condition of her mother; particularly when realising the sheer monstrousness of her new stepfather. In dealling with the situation, she uncovers a strange alternative world, and the chance to escape forever the pain and uncertainty of her everyday life.
I was actually surprised by the amount of violence and brutality that the film contained; half-expecting it to be aimed at a slightly younger audience due to it's make-believe, fairytale-like story, however, I thought that the contrast set up by the graphic violence against the beautifully magical creatures of the Labyrinth was a really nice effect. The film alternates between the world of Civil War Spain and the strangely mysterious world of Pan's Labyrinth which succeeds in becoming increasingly bizarre as the film progresses. This corresponds with the increasingly corrupt outside world - as reality worsens so the Labyrinth becomes more beautiful.
Huge emphasis is placed on the stark victories of the child which are heightened by the failures of the adult world. This idea of youth and innocence is a recurring theme throughout; not only is the film seen through the eyes of a child, whose duty is to protect another child (her yet-to-be-born baby brother) but even the entrance to the Labyrinth resembles the shape of a womb. The contrast between this childhood dream-world and the film's brutal imagery of the Spanish Captain massacring people - many whom are innocent - is very powerful and allows us to sympathise with young Ofelia, to the point at which we prefer imagation to reality.
Unsurprisingly, this is a film in which imagination really does prevail, with the mind of Del Toro being explored at its fullest. There are indeed Narnia-like qualities to its set up, however, there is a lot more realism about it in the sense that the Labyrinth is not neccessarily portrayed as actually being there. We are shown it through the mind of the young girl, however, whenever any other character is brought within its territory we suddenly are reduced to an image of nothing. This allows the character's who appear within the Labyrinth to be a lot more striking and in many cases personal. Del Toro, who supposedly hallucinated Fauns when he was younger, uses the Faun as almost a mentor to Ofelia, in fact claiming to be her father. He sets her challenges to be fulfilled in which she encounters other fascinating and terrifying creatures, including the wonderfully disturbing Pale Man who I felt was more frightening than most things seen in horror films these days. However, what we do realise is that the Labyrinth is a world set up for Ofelia, after losing her father, preparing her for the eventual death of her mother at the end of the film, and eventually herself. Sad as this may seem, the film's ending is in fact shown in a positive light, with her re-united with her family in what seems to be a heavenly extended version of the Labyrinth. She is now living in her imagination for eternity.
I would agree that this is probably one of the most beautiful films I have ever seen, despite its graphic brutality, which I felt was well reflective of the period of time in which this was set. As I concluded when anylising "Amores Perros" and "Children of Men", the trademark of a Mexican director is to depict a great deal of realism in the film's they direct, and here I believe the case to be the same. There is no excess violence in this Civil War/ Fantasy Drama, however, the violence is just right in highlighting the monstrousness of the adult world against the beauty of purity and innocence. In a way, "Children of Men" carried a similar message. There often seems to be morals at the end of these films, which I feel is not a bad thing, as a moral allows there to be a point to a film. In Mexican Cinema, the morals are mainly reflective of what has been learned growing up in Mexican Society, hence the reason why Mexican films are said to be political representations of their own culture. Maybe this film is not as reflective of Mexico as perhaps "Amores Perros", however, the style, the influence and the effect are all still there.
Thursday 22 March 2007
Monday 19 March 2007
Amores Perros
I purchased this - mainly out of curiosity - to see what exactly was so amazing about this film "Amores Perros" (otherwise translated to Love's a Bitch), that has been labelled as possibly the best Mexican film of all time. It was the first movie I had watched by the up and coming director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, so unfortunately I had none of his other works to compare to; however, I had to start somewhere and I thought I might as well watch this before "Babel".
The film is a tragic love tale, orientated around a horrific car accident, which connects three stories, each involving characters dealing with loss, regret, and life's harsh realities; all in the name of love. Like "Children of Men", this movie is typical in that it carries the Mexican trademark of being extremely gritty and realistic - this, I felt, was a good trait as the style fitted in really nicely with the narrative.
The first story focuses around a character named Octavio who is madly in love with his brother's wife. There is a clear contrast between the two brothers - Octavio is portrayed as the more caring yet ambitious one - and his brother is shown as the selfish and abusive husband. As an audience we really feel for Octavio and connect with him very deeply. Rising actor Gael Garcia Bernal does indeed do a very good job in winning the audience's sympathy as the unrequitted lover. He is a very likeable character - I had only seen him once before in "The Motorcycle Diaries" (another Spanish film) - however, he seems to have certainly built himself up a good reputation in the world film industries, and I definately hope to look more into the development of his career, as this was the film which launched it.
Once the film reaches its second story, the atmosphere completely changes - the storyline becomes quite confusing and at the time it did take me a little while to establish what was going on. After seeing the first story, I found the jump to the second one quite tough to adapt to as we suddenly go from having connected really well to a group of characters, to having to start from scratch again. It takes a while to get going, however, it does become interesting once we start to notice the recurring theme of tragic romance.
The film's final part brings it back on track again and this time we are drawn to an older character named El Chivo who is homeless and living with a pack of dogs. His care for the dogs is really iconic of the film itself as they have been dominant features themselves throughout. In fact they leave a clever message on the story; the animals in the film are mostly loved, however it is love and compassion for other humans that the film shows the characters having difficulty with - and this is where the emotional impact of the film is. "Love's a Bitch" almost certainly appears to suggest this.
Overall, I found the "Amores Perros" deeply interesting, despite its drop in pace around the middle. The narrative is unusual, however, this is not neccessarily a bad thing as in this case I believe it to have worked. The style of the film is also extremely realistic (even the way the romances don't have fairytale endings) - it says a lot about the industry in Mexico and how they intend to really reflect the Mexican culture. If I had one criticism, however, I would say that perhaps the three stories were too losely connected - although one may argue that this would take away the realism of it all, and make the film too much like a Hollywood film. I think it all depends on taste really, and to be honest, I still really enjoyed the movie. I look forward to watching "Babel".
The film is a tragic love tale, orientated around a horrific car accident, which connects three stories, each involving characters dealing with loss, regret, and life's harsh realities; all in the name of love. Like "Children of Men", this movie is typical in that it carries the Mexican trademark of being extremely gritty and realistic - this, I felt, was a good trait as the style fitted in really nicely with the narrative.
The first story focuses around a character named Octavio who is madly in love with his brother's wife. There is a clear contrast between the two brothers - Octavio is portrayed as the more caring yet ambitious one - and his brother is shown as the selfish and abusive husband. As an audience we really feel for Octavio and connect with him very deeply. Rising actor Gael Garcia Bernal does indeed do a very good job in winning the audience's sympathy as the unrequitted lover. He is a very likeable character - I had only seen him once before in "The Motorcycle Diaries" (another Spanish film) - however, he seems to have certainly built himself up a good reputation in the world film industries, and I definately hope to look more into the development of his career, as this was the film which launched it.
Once the film reaches its second story, the atmosphere completely changes - the storyline becomes quite confusing and at the time it did take me a little while to establish what was going on. After seeing the first story, I found the jump to the second one quite tough to adapt to as we suddenly go from having connected really well to a group of characters, to having to start from scratch again. It takes a while to get going, however, it does become interesting once we start to notice the recurring theme of tragic romance.
The film's final part brings it back on track again and this time we are drawn to an older character named El Chivo who is homeless and living with a pack of dogs. His care for the dogs is really iconic of the film itself as they have been dominant features themselves throughout. In fact they leave a clever message on the story; the animals in the film are mostly loved, however it is love and compassion for other humans that the film shows the characters having difficulty with - and this is where the emotional impact of the film is. "Love's a Bitch" almost certainly appears to suggest this.
Overall, I found the "Amores Perros" deeply interesting, despite its drop in pace around the middle. The narrative is unusual, however, this is not neccessarily a bad thing as in this case I believe it to have worked. The style of the film is also extremely realistic (even the way the romances don't have fairytale endings) - it says a lot about the industry in Mexico and how they intend to really reflect the Mexican culture. If I had one criticism, however, I would say that perhaps the three stories were too losely connected - although one may argue that this would take away the realism of it all, and make the film too much like a Hollywood film. I think it all depends on taste really, and to be honest, I still really enjoyed the movie. I look forward to watching "Babel".
Tuesday 13 March 2007
Children of Men
Before this movie, I had only seen one film by the relatively new-to-Hollywood Mexican director Alfonso Cuaron, and that was Harry Potter 3 - which was, however, my favourite of the Harry Potter films. It was darker in tone to the previous two and had a much grittier feel to it, which I felt reflected the books more accurately. There seemed to be an atmosphere about it that had not been present in the other films.
Children of Men was not much different to the Harry Potter 3 movie in terms of style, despite the fact that this was enhanced to a much greater level. Set in London, in the year 2027, we witness the world in complete chaos after no woman on the entire planet has given birth for 18 years. Mankind has effectively become an endangered species and now economies are falling apart. It is a plot which seems quite silly on first hearing - which is what I thought before watching it - however, in the film, it is portrayed so simply that it is horrifyingly believable.
The film does have an amazingly apocalyptic feel to it and this is really enhanced by the way the audience are placed within the action on so many occasions. We follow character Theo, the main protagonist, throughout, and our thoughts are synchronised with his - as he learns, we learn. Therefore, the story does not really give much away and the whole time we are left asking a lot of questions. However, this makes it even more intense as we feel really part of this mass-panic. Many of the film's action scenes are filmed in long takes (the longest, I think, being up to eleven minutes long) and they do generally allow the viewer to be very involved. Most of it is filmed handheld and the camera tracks through the intense, endless-seeming action, amongst bomb explosions, gunshots and massacres of crowds of people, which all in itself seems so real, however, the attention is still carefully not drawn away from the main character who remains in shot for pretty much the entire time.
What I enjoyed most about Children of Men was its realistic portrayal of the future world and how unafraid it was to show really graphic scenes of terror and violence without corrupting the whole plot, which was the characters' struggle to protect a young girl who is about to deliver the first child into the world in 18 years. The cinematography was also amazing, being both visually disturbing and beautiful - which really related to the theme of the story as a whole. The thing that worked most, however, was how the director was never tempted to over-do any of the action - he kept it real and believable, which is something many Hollywood directors fail to do. I feel Alfonso Cuaron brought from his Mexican roots, the ability to reflect society to a true extent, keeping it gritty and terrifyingly real, without relying heavily on special effects, whilst making the most of what could be described as quite a simple storyline.
Children of Men was not much different to the Harry Potter 3 movie in terms of style, despite the fact that this was enhanced to a much greater level. Set in London, in the year 2027, we witness the world in complete chaos after no woman on the entire planet has given birth for 18 years. Mankind has effectively become an endangered species and now economies are falling apart. It is a plot which seems quite silly on first hearing - which is what I thought before watching it - however, in the film, it is portrayed so simply that it is horrifyingly believable.
The film does have an amazingly apocalyptic feel to it and this is really enhanced by the way the audience are placed within the action on so many occasions. We follow character Theo, the main protagonist, throughout, and our thoughts are synchronised with his - as he learns, we learn. Therefore, the story does not really give much away and the whole time we are left asking a lot of questions. However, this makes it even more intense as we feel really part of this mass-panic. Many of the film's action scenes are filmed in long takes (the longest, I think, being up to eleven minutes long) and they do generally allow the viewer to be very involved. Most of it is filmed handheld and the camera tracks through the intense, endless-seeming action, amongst bomb explosions, gunshots and massacres of crowds of people, which all in itself seems so real, however, the attention is still carefully not drawn away from the main character who remains in shot for pretty much the entire time.
What I enjoyed most about Children of Men was its realistic portrayal of the future world and how unafraid it was to show really graphic scenes of terror and violence without corrupting the whole plot, which was the characters' struggle to protect a young girl who is about to deliver the first child into the world in 18 years. The cinematography was also amazing, being both visually disturbing and beautiful - which really related to the theme of the story as a whole. The thing that worked most, however, was how the director was never tempted to over-do any of the action - he kept it real and believable, which is something many Hollywood directors fail to do. I feel Alfonso Cuaron brought from his Mexican roots, the ability to reflect society to a true extent, keeping it gritty and terrifyingly real, without relying heavily on special effects, whilst making the most of what could be described as quite a simple storyline.
The Stories of Three Amigos
http://www.washingtontimes.com/entertainment/20070111-094543-4197r.htm
An article on Innaritu, Cuaron and Del Toro from the Washington Times.
An article on Innaritu, Cuaron and Del Toro from the Washington Times.
Monday 12 March 2007
Amazing Video
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8155571489738252066&hl=en
An hour long interview with Mexican Directors Alejandro Gonzalez Innaritu, Alfonso Cuaron and Guilermo Del Toro on "Babel", "Children of Men" and "Pan's Labyrinth".
Saturday 10 March 2007
Textual Analysis
Watched "Children of Men" last night - the latest film by Alfonso Cuaron - and was very impressed.
Still need to watch one of Cuaron's earlier films "Y Tu Mama Tambien"
And the films of Alejandro Gonzalez Innaritu "Amores Perros", "21 Grams" and "Babel"
Also Guilermo Del Toro's "Espinazo del Diablo, El" (The Devil's Backbone) and "Laberinto del Fauno, El" (Pan's Labyrinth)
I will be keeping a record of the content of each film - my notes on the "El Mariachi" trilogy will also be added to these.
Still need to watch one of Cuaron's earlier films "Y Tu Mama Tambien"
And the films of Alejandro Gonzalez Innaritu "Amores Perros", "21 Grams" and "Babel"
Also Guilermo Del Toro's "Espinazo del Diablo, El" (The Devil's Backbone) and "Laberinto del Fauno, El" (Pan's Labyrinth)
I will be keeping a record of the content of each film - my notes on the "El Mariachi" trilogy will also be added to these.
Friday 9 March 2007
Tuesday 6 March 2007
Cool Article
http://enjoyment.independent.co.uk/film/features/article1369996.ece
About how this year's Mexican directors at the Cannes Film Festival - mainly Babel and Children of Men
About how this year's Mexican directors at the Cannes Film Festival - mainly Babel and Children of Men
Initial Project Idea
Subject Area: World Cinema
Suggested Title: In what ways have Mexican film directors had influence on Hollywood?
Principal Texts: El Mariachi, Desperado, Once Upon a Time in Mexico, Pan's Labyrinth, Babel, Children of Men, Grindhouse (maybe)
Suggested Title: In what ways have Mexican film directors had influence on Hollywood?
Principal Texts: El Mariachi, Desperado, Once Upon a Time in Mexico, Pan's Labyrinth, Babel, Children of Men, Grindhouse (maybe)
Thursday 1 March 2007
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