My last film to appear on The Countdown at #6, is
Pan's Labyrinth.
As stated multiple times previously, I am a fanboy of Guillermo del Toro; his love and admiration for creatures and the supernatural is a beautiful thing to behold and this movie is one of his best.
A dark sojourn like any true Grimm-like fairy tale, we see the cruel dangers of both our reality and the reality of the underworld via a young girl's extremely difficult travel through the labyrinth of both of them.
Del Toro does not hold back either, especially when it comes to the violence inflicted by the Captain and the imaginative creation of the creatures that inhabit the quests young Ofelia must face.
The tension never really lets up, especially when it comes to the rebellion forces inhabiting the woods looking to remove the tyrant and excessively volatile Captain.
On first watch, these two extreme worlds may seem a bit jarring. I know on my original watch I had wished for more of the fantastical than the war story. But in retrospect, and in continual re-viewings, I see the delicate balance of the two and the flawless blending that creates this excellent story and film.
The filming and composition are rather exquisite with the use of shadowing that adds a kind of dark life all its own on many of the interior shots and even the woodland shots have this old forest feel to it.
Everything works exceedingly well in this movie, including the pacing that grips you and holds you to the very last moments.
Films Watched 69 out of 94 (73.4%)
1. Amélie (#16)
2. O Brother, Where Art Thou? (#21)
3. Ratatouille (#23)
4.
5. Gladiator (#40)
6. Pan's Labyrinth (#7)
7.
8. The Incredibles (#36)
9. V for Vendetta (#58)
10. The Dark Knight (#10)
11. WALL·E (#13)
12.
13. Memories of Murder (#27)
14. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (#76)
15.
16.
17. Mother (#96)
18. The Departed (#19)
19.
20. Memento (#11)
21. In the Mood for Love (#12)
22. Downfall (#28)
23. Quills (#67)
24. Oldboy (#22)
25. A Bittersweet Life (One Pointer)
One Pointers: 10 out of 38 (26.31%)