Analyzing Pan's Labirynth

First off, I want to make my position on this movie clear-I thought it was absolutely wonderful. The acting was superb, the costumes were refined, the music fit the scene, and the scenes themselves were rendered in such detail that I could scarcely believe I was watching a DVD-in particular, the labyrinth itself was beautifully rendered. But above all else, one thing stood out to me, and that was its amazing script. Upon further investigation, I found out that the director and the screenwriter were one and the same, one Guillermo del Toro. Hollywood.com listed his professions as director, special makeup effects designer. Interestingly, this list does not list screenwriter as a profession, although if the credentials on Pan's Labyrinth are to be believed, "screenwriter" must be added to his list of professions. He graduated from University of Guadalajara Guadalajara, Mexico. Del Toro has a large list of movies under his belt, ranging from "Dona Herlinda Y Su Hijo" a.k.a. Dona Herlinda and Her Son in 1984 to his latest movie, the subject of this analysis (or at least the latest movie that I could find that he had produced), in 2006. If one were to watch Pan's Labyrinth one could classify it as a horror movie without too many problems. Yes, their are some elements of fantasy and history, but who can honestly say they didn't shutter when they beheld the monster from Ofelia's second task, or gritted their teeth at the scene (SPOILERS) where the captain is torturing a captured rebel? Upon further investigation, it can be found that Del Toro was taken by the horror genre from a very young age. Apparently, he was terrified by the episode "Mutant" from the series "The Outer Limits" (ABC, 1963-65). After seeing monsters in his closet, the "bogeyman" if you will, he made a deal with all the monsters he was seeing-if they would let him into his bedroom without harm, he would devote his life to them. Ignoring the films of his amateur days, his first "real" film was “Cronos” (1992), which took a new look at the story of the vampire. His first Hollywood movie however, came in 1997, with Mimic. Ultimately however, Del Toro was not happy with the finished product, and he felt that the studio had put too much pressure on him. After that venture, he created the independently produced film "The Devil's Backbone" in 2001, after which he returned once again to Hollywood, directing "Blade 2" in 2002, and "Hellboy" in 2004. Interestingly enough, Pan's Labyrinth drew on the time and place covered in "The Devil's Backbone". A prime example of an artist drawing off of his own works. Pan's Labyrinth would ultimately go on to win five "Academy Awards Nods including Best Cinematography, Best Original Screenplay and Best Foreign Language Film."


ALL QUOTES AND INFORMATION IN THIS BLOG ENTRY CAME FROM
"http://www.hollywood.com/celebrity/Guillermo_del_Toro/199287#fullBio"
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