Book Review - Pan's Labyrinth by Cornelia Funke, Guillermo Del Toro

Title: Pan’s Labyrinth
Author: Cornelia Funke, Guillermo Del Toro
Genre: Fantasy/ Horror/ Young Adult
Published: 2019
 
Description: Oscar-winning director Guillermo del Toro and bestselling author Cornelia Funke have come together to transform Del Toro’s hit movie “Pan’s Labyrint” into an epic and dark fantasy novel for readers of all ages, complete with haunting illustrations and enchanting short stories that flesh out the folklore of this fascinating world.
 
This spellbinding tale takes readers to a sinister, magical, and war-torn world filled with richlt drawn characters like trickster fauns, murderous soldiers, child-eating monsters, courageous rebels, and a long-lost princess hoping to be reunited with her family.

Review: It does not happen often that I prefer the movie over the book, but in this case I did. But there is a reason for it. “Pan’s Labyrinth” was a movie before it became a novel. Director Guillermo del Toro asked author Cornelia Funke to translate his masterful film to a book. Not for all ages in my opinion, like the synopsis says, but middle-grade or young adult would be more appropriate.
 
We meet Ofelia, a young girl who loves fairytale stories. Together with her mother Carmen she moves into a house in the woods, with her mother’s new husband Vidal, who Ofelia calls “the Wolf”. Carmen is expecting a baby with Vidal, but Ofelia believes Vidal doesn’t really love her mother and only wants a son to carry on his bloodline. Because Ofelia never feels welcome in her new home, she starts exploring her new ‘neighborhood’. Where she meets Pan, a Faun and the keeper of a secret labyrinth. He believes Ofelia is the long-lost princes Moanna and he gives her task, so she can return to her family. And so a journey begins.
 
The story is beautifully written and it’s accompanied by amazing illustrations. Because I have already seen the movie, it was easy for me to imagine all the creatures, the surroundings and characters of the book. But I felt like the book was missing something that the movie did have and I cant quite put my finger on it. Even though I still believe this book is fantastic and a wonderfully written tale, I believe the film conveys the right atmosphere to the audience better than the book did.
 
I would definitely recommend this book to fantasy lovers, this is the type of fantasy that even I love.
 
Rating: 4,5/ 5

00s Movie Review - Pan's Labyrinth

Director: Guillermo Del Toro
Genre: Drama/ Horror/ Thriller/ Fantasy
Runtime: 119 minutes
Year: 2006
Starring: Ivana Baquero, Doug Jones, Sergi López, Ariadna Gil, Maribel Verdú, Álex Angulo, Roger Casamajor, César Vea, Íñigo Garcés, Sebastián Haro, Eusebio Lárazo, Mina Lira, Federico Luppi, Ivan Masagué, Chema Ruiz, Ana Sáez, Manolo Solo, Milo Taboada, Fernando Tielve, Francisco Vidal

Description: In the falangist Spain of 1944, the bookish young stepdaughter (Ivana Baquero) of a sadistic army officer (Sergi López) escapes into an eerie but captivating fantasy world.

Review: “Pan’s Labyrinth” opens with the heavy breath of a young girl, Ofelia. When we see her lying down on the grown she is dying. Her eyes are watery and blood comes from her nose. While the camera shows us Ofelia, the blood goes back into her mouth and life comes back in her eyes. A new introduction. A voice tells us a fairytale about a princess from an underground kingdom who ran away and went into the human world. When she got there, she was blinded by the lights and lost her memory. Eventually she dies, but the king always believed her soul would return. The two different introductions are the heart of “Pan’s Labyrinth”.
Reality is tough for young Ofelia. Her mother’s health is bad, because she is pregnant. We meet them on the day they move in with mother’s new husband: a terrible army captain with an obsession for punctuality and discipline. Ofelia flees into her own fairytale, which isn’t that safe either. An intrusive Faun is waiting for her, giving her dangerous tasks. The tasks reflect the problems Ofelia is dealing with in real life. It’s a revelation to see the main characters not fleeing from reality to a dream world, but learning from that dream world about reality. Ofelia learns to make the right decisions in a mad world, the world of her stepfather, a world of fascism.
This takes us to a strong point in the film. The fascism also exists in the fairytale world. Take the scene where Ofelia is confronted with the ‘pale man’. He’s pictured as faceless, abstract, punctual, subordinating the individual. The message of the movie could be: dare to be disobedient. Dare to fantasize. Dare to live in your own world.
The montage is phenomenal, it’s fluent. And the art direction, cinematography, make-up, acting, music and script are all perfect. Together it makes one of the most beautiful films in movie history.

Rating: 5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2015 - # 131: Crimson Peak

Director: Guillermo del Toro

Genre: Drama/ Fantasy/ Horror/ Thriller/ Romance

Runtime: 119 minutes

Year: 2015

Starring: Mia Wasikowska, Jessica Chastain, Tom Hiddleston, Charlie Hunnam, Jim Beaver, Leslie Hope

Description: In the aftermath of a family tragedy, an aspiring author (Mia Wasikowska) is torn between love for her childhood friend (Charlie Hunnam) and the temptation of a mysterious outsider (Tom Hiddleston). Trying to escape the ghosts of her past, she is swept away to a house that breathes, bleeds - and remembers.

Review: At the start of the twentieth century Edith Cushing lives with her father in Buffalo, New York. Her dead mother visits Edith at night and warns her for Crimson Peak. Years later Edith’s life is turned upside down when she meets the British Thomas Sharpe and his sister Lucille. After the mysterious and sudden death of her father, Edith marries Thomas an moves with him and Lucille to England. There they live in Allerdale Hall, a huge mansion which is ruinous. Edith wakes up at night by ghosts and learns Allerdale Hall is also called Crimson Peak. Edith learns there are a lot of secrets in that house and also with Thomas and Lucille.

After his Sci-Fi adventure “Pacific Rim”, director Guillermo del Toro is back with what he knows best. “Crimson Peak” has an amazing set and it can be compared to “Pan’s Labyrinth” when you just look at it. The big difference is the romantic touch this film has. Del Toro based “Crimson Peak” on the gothic horror genre. The mansion is beautifully made and is almost a character itself. Del Toro is known for his eye for detail and Crimson Peak was completely build in a studio. Because it all looks so real, the atmosphere is more spooky.

The developments in the movie are sometimes predictable. The middle part of the film is a bit repetitive, when Edith goes on her search for secrets at night. This happens several times. The movie has a slow start, but the second half of the film is the best. Especially that finale was extraordinary and kept me on the edge of my seat.

Mia Wasikowska is a fresh heroin, she does a really good job. Tom Hiddleston manages to switch between being irresistible and charming and dark and mysterious in his role as Thomas Sharpe. But it’s Jessica Chastain who steals the show. As the intimidating Lucille Sharpe she is almost unrecognizable and extremely scary.

“Crimson Peak” is a gorgeous looking horror mystery. It’s not as scary as the trailers led us to believe, but it’s definitely a movie you should see. Strong cast and visually beautiful.

Rating: 4/ 5