Pan's Labyrinth (Widescreen Edition) (2007)

Starring: Ivana Baquero, Ariadna Gil, Sergi López

Product Description

Pan's Labyrinth (DVD) (WS)In a dark time for a young girl, Spain and the entire world, the haunting fantasies within her mind merge into reality, giving birth to a land of fantastical creatures and... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: DVD
• Language: English
• Release Date: March 2002
• Rating: Unrated (Not Rated)
• Publisher: Alliance Films
• Director: Guillermo del Toro
• Starring: Ivana Baquero, Ariadna Gil, Sergi López
• Number of Disks: 1
• Other Video Info: NTSC; Widescreen
• Weight: 0.22 lbs.

Customer Reviews

In your hands is your destiny

Director Guillermo del Toro outdid himself by creating a film that surpasses all previous works. Although he intentionally layered both technological and psychological elements, the final product is more profound and multifaceted. This may be due to leaving loose ends and only hints. What appears to be two stories is actually one story where one reality intertwines with another until they eventually merge. It is 1944 in Spain, five years after the Civil War, and ten-year-old Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) is about to meet her new stepfather, Captain Vidal (Sergi López). Vidal is a fascist pro-Franco officer. Ofelia is about to encounter more than that as she meets potential friends from another world. We also see how touchy and fantastical elements are contrasted. One of the main questions is whether the magical creatures are real and can only be seen because you have to have the right gaze, or if they are just figments. You need to watch the movie several times to catch the nuances and notice the surrounding environments you miss when focusing on the dialogue. See how the two worlds are parallel in furniture. Notice that both works share similar tasks, as both include a key and a knife. Additionally, there are always more surprises ahead. The acting is superb, especially in Ofelia’s death scene. Ivana Baquero won the Imagen Award for Best Actress, Premio ACE for Best New Actress, the Newcomer Award Female (Categoría Femenina), Turia Award for Best New Actress, and was nominated for the Young Artist Award for Best Performance in an International Feature Film - Leading Young Actor or Actress. The Blu-ray I watched had English subtitles available, but I found them to be slightly inaccurate and missing some background conversations. However, the director’s voice-over option helped highlight what wasn't obvious until he pointed it out. As the director mentioned, the violence was not just for shock value, and they didn't use cowboy-style breakable props. This is one of the films that makes great use of Blu-ray resolution and clarity.

Love the film! DVD dies at the end.

I am in love with the story and movie. Ophelia’s journey is an incredible one set between fantastical elements and war-torn Spain. I’m just a bit disappointed that my copy freezes right at the end of the film during the crucial moment. :(

Wonderful Movie, But...

Phenomenal movie, but if you only speak English, you'll have to read the English subtitles at the bottom. And you'll want to watch it over and over again. If you speak Spanish, you're luckier than I am. FYI, if you find a copy that says Language: English, don't be fooled. There never was an English-dubbed version made, much to my chagrin.