Comments on: Pan’s Labyrinth

By: jodie

jodie — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 06:37:00 +0000

It has taken me all night to work up to courage to watch this film. I read lots of reviews and opinions hoping to prepare myself for the gore and voilence so many people had mentioned. I am at this moment 20 minutes into the film, and after witnessing the horrific first murder i had to take a break. although everyone is being very generous and not leaving detailed spoilers-i really wish someone had! i am going for round to now with my finger set firmly on fast forward…good luck to me

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 29 May 2007 15:39:00 +0000

I finally got to see this movie, I was bearing down for the violence, and there was some, but I wouldn’t say it was gratuitous. For instance, the torture scenes were defiantly dreadful, but somehow understated, left to the imagination.

I agree with your other readers that this film was deeply saddening. Mauricio and I debated about whether or not the alternate, fairy world really existed… though the film communicates a message about believing in magical happenings, everything starts with a story in a book.

This is one of the film’s strengths, the delicate line between something so hopeful – magic and eternal life – and something so bleak – seeking, in death, a refuge from endless suffering; the contrast between the dark world of mankind and the illuminated other world.

Amanda

By: leigh

leigh — Sun, 20 May 2007 10:23:00 +0000

I saw this last night and agree it was gratuitously brutal. Surprisingly it didn’t linger with me afterwards, probably because the fairytale aspect gave it the detachment of watching cartoon violence – not real.

This week I also saw ‘This is England’, which wasn’t nearly as violent as I’d expected; but the tension followed me all the way home.

By: nishanna

nishanna — Fri, 18 May 2007 14:28:00 +0000

I had very similar feelings about the movie. I might have had different expectations going in but i was just so sad leaving the theatre. I was expecting a Mirror Mask type movie, dark for sure but nothing like pan’s labrynth. I didn’t think of the movie for too long but it stuck with me. Psychologically there was so much going on and all i kept thinking about was how the story could have reflected the writer own loss of innocence, hope and compassion- which is the worst aspect of self to lose. I might watch it again and have mre control ofver it to get a better sense of the movie. I am interested in the underlying message of the movie but i couldne’t grab hold of it the first time because i did feel assulted.

(hi, my name is nishanna. i wandered over from Jersey Knitter)

By: helen

helen — Wed, 02 May 2007 03:19:00 +0000

Loved the film, have seen it twice so far and will definitely buy it on DVD.

The violence and cruelty in the "real" world contrasts with the fairness and rules of the "imaginary" underworld, where cruelty is balanced with beauty, making us the audience wonder which world is realer and which is more dangerous. But, as if to redeem the human "real" world, we also see the courage of Mercedes and the doctor, the brave desperation of the mother and even the very human need of the father to know his son would learn of him.

I thought this film was filled with wisdom and beauty, definitely the best I have seen in years, and worth watching over and over.

By: Lena

Lena — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 22:49:00 +0000

I’m so thankful for your blog. I’m a journalist and I’ve covered wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and Africa. Nothing I’ve seen there compares to what I saw on the screen tonight. The violence was beyond gratuitous. It was used to shock, not storytell. I notice a lot of the people who posted here are women. My theory is that the worst of the film is not even the violence…it’s the death of the mother in childbirth…our worst fear, perhaps? We’ve been rooting for the redemption of their relationship all along. Leaving the girl motherless — and then learning that even Mercedes can’t save her — is just too much to bear. Some underworld ice-queen on a big pedestal at the end just doesn’t make up for the constant orphaning and terrorizing of a 10-year-old girl.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sun, 08 Apr 2007 21:08:00 +0000

Pan's Labyrinth was the best movie of 2006, period. I never see horror movies, slasher films, fantasy or sci-fi. I read plenty of reviews before going and was really on the fence about whether or not to see it. I expected NOT to like it, in fact. But the opposite happened: I loved this film.

The violence was necessary to show the life the protaganist was escaping by slipping into this imaginary world. (And it was historically accurate violence. I know this because my grandfather and father lived under Franco's sadistic regime.) Pan's is an adult fairy tale. It is sophisticated and dark and complex. The lighting, photography and art direction are amazing. Plus, there's a great sweater in this movie!

By: Kate

Kate — Sun, 08 Apr 2007 17:42:00 +0000

I also struggled with this movie. I wanted to love it, and there were parts that I enjoyed, but I have always been sensitive to violence and this just seemed like too much for me. What sent me over the edge were the two children sitting behind us in the theater. I’m going to guess that they were about 8 and 10 years old. While I don’t want to judge their parents, it upset me to know that they were watching such extreme violence at such young ages. Their gasps and crys throughout the movie really made it difficult for me to enjoy. I think it was the combination of their voiced upset in conjunction with the soundrack of the film that really seared some of the images into my memory.

I’m glad I stumbled upon your blog!

By: Bel

Bel — Sat, 31 Mar 2007 23:58:00 +0000

I haven’t seen this one, and don’t intend to. I used to be quite into horror or violent movies and comix but, like others have commented (and this is gret to read because I actually haven’t heard this from other parents before) since having children, this stuff is just too much for me. Even movies that I wouldn’t have considered too violent before, like Gladiator for instance, are way too graphic. I literally couldn’t watch last time it was on tv. Anyway, you already knew all this about me Mandy, but I am just adding my 2 cents.

By: GKan

GKan — Fri, 30 Mar 2007 03:38:00 +0000

Oh dear, I didn’t have a visceral reaction to Pan’s Labyrinth at all. Maybe it’s because I don’t really get frightened by movies with fantasy elements in them, but I get terrified by movies that have stalkers, or murderers, or serial killers…ugh.

I did, however, close my eyes when the girl met that Monster in front of a Feast Table: the monster with eyes in his hands. Oh goodness. I didn’t want that image seared in my brain!

you’re right…I’m older now, and horror just doesn’t seem to do it for me…