Fest Track On Sirk TV Film Review: PAN’S LABYRINTH [Cannes Film Festival - Cannes, France]
When "Pan’s Labyrinth" premiered at Cannes 20 years ago, Director Thierry Fremaux said it was definitely something different as it was the last film of the festival that year. Cannes was not known as genre festival per se. Guillermo Del Toro was returning to his roots in Mexico after "Hellboy" in 2004. What is interesting in watching the remaster on the occasion of its 20th Anniversary (as a Cannes Classics selection) is how self-assured the movie is but also the texture of undercurrent in Del Toro’s movie while still staying uplifting in many ways. Ivana Baguero who was in attendance and is now 30 shows that time does not stand still but it gives an interesting retrospect. Ofelia, as a character, is a very forward thinking character but is also a consequence within her time. As was thought Doug Jones, Del Toro’s go-to man of the creature, takes on both the Faun but also the Thin Man. The thin Man sequence is still nightmarish paying homage almost to "Hellraiser".
That said the progression of the film to its end is actually remarkably dark despite being hopeful. It wouid be interesting to see if this could be made today although after the screening Toro did say to cheers: “F#ck AI” which is obviously a topic of discussion on the Croisette this year. That said "Pan's Labyrinth" is an interesting reflection as it was made after 9/11 but in a way it has reflects today which Toro admits is not lost on him. The CG that is used especially with the fairy is done very specifically in terms of perspective and does hold up. I do wonder if this was ever converted in 3D. That said, the brutality of the story, set during World War II...especially with The Colonel (who wants to be called father and yet his lack of empathy and inability to embrace his reality is dead at odds against it), remains poignant. This is especially true when he comes to understand and accept his fate, which doesn’t adjust his intentions but instead relegates it to a sense of the inevitable. The movie holds up remarkably well because it is precise and that is of course Del Toro but, despite its satire, in a way, it is more pointed in certain ways than his recent films but that also might just be a sign of the times. B+
By Tim Wassberg
