movie world

Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) is an 11-year old girl who, as the movie begins, is reluctantly moving to the mountains of Spain with her pregnant mother to be with her new step-father, Captain Vidal (Sergi Lopez). The time is 1944, and the fascists have won the Spanish Civil War, but there are still some Communists rebels holding up in the mountains. It's Vidal's job to capture them, but he'd rather just slaughter them all.

Thrust into a violent and unfamiliar world, Ofelia spends much of her time reading fairy tales, and when she sees a strange bug fly into her room and land on her leg, she's not terribly surprised to discover that it's really a fairy that has been sent to bring her into the forest. Following the small flying creature, Ofelia is lead through an ancient labyrinth and down into a deep well. At the bottom she meets a faun who reveals that she's not just an ordinary girl, but the daughter of a king. In order to be able to return to her kingdom however, the faun must be sure that Ofelia is pure and hasn't been tainted with the curse of mortality. In order to prove herself she has to accomplish three tasks before the next full moon, only days away. Each one is more dangerous than the last.

All the while Captain Vidal searches for the rebels, cutting the locals rations so they won't have any food to share and torturing or killing anyone he suspects of helping them. With Ofelia knowing that one of the maids is helping the resistance, and her mother's pregnancy taking a turn for the worse, the girl is left with no one to turn to and no one to help her.

Director: Guillermo del Toro
Cast: Ivana Baquero, Ariadna Gil, Sergi Lopez, Doug Jones
Country: Spain, Mexico, USA
Genre: Drama, Fantasy, War

BD50 + 2xDVD9 | 1080p AVC, NTSC | 01:59:22 | 45.3 Gb + 13 Gb + 3% rec
Language: Espanol
Subtitles: English

Extras:

• Commentary - this audio commentary by Guillermo del Toro was recorded in 2007 and initially appeared on New Line Cinema's release of Pan's Labyrinth. The director explains in great detail how the idea for the film emerged, where and how various sequences were shot, the film's unique narrative structure and visual style, etc.

• Director's Introduction - this archival video introduction by director-writer-producer Guillermo del Toro was shot in 2007. In English, not subtitled. (1 min, 1080i).

• Del Toro and Funke - in this brand new video interview, Guillermo del Toro discusses his interest in fairy tales, the manner in which kids and adults approach and decipher them, the impact they had on his films, some of the key conflicts in Pan's Labyrinth and the world in which its protagonists exist, etc. Also participating is novelist Cornelia Funke (Inkheart). The interviews was conducted exclusively for Criterion in 2016. In English, not subtitled. (40 min, 1080p).

• Director's Notebook - presented here is an interactive gallery with Guillermo del Toro's notebook of drawings and sketches for Pan's Labyrinth, with short video inserts featuring comments from the director. The notebook was produced by Javier Soto in 2007. In English, not subtitled. (1080i).

• Documentaries - the four documentaries were produced by Javier Soto in 2007.

1. The Power of Myth - in this featurette, Guillermo del Toro discusses the specific time period that is depicted in Pan's Labyrinth, some of the symbolism that is channeled through the main story, and its main protagonists and the dilemmas they face. In English, not subtitled. (15 min, 1080i).

2. Pan and the Fairies - in this this featurette, Guillermo del Toro discusses the many unique characters that appear in Pan's Labyrinth as well as the special effects/costumes that were used in the film. Also included in the featurette are clips from archival interviews with some of the special effects artists that contributed to the film. In English and Spanish, with optional English subtitles where necessary. (31 min, 1080i).

3. The Color and the Shape - in this featurette, Guillermo del Toro discusses the use of color in Pan's Labyrinth and the film's visual style. In English, not subtitled. (5 min, 1080i).

4. The Melody Echoes the Fairy Tale - in this featurette, Guillermo del Toro discusses his initial interactions with composer Javier Navarrete and the soundtrack he created for Pan's Labyrinth. In English, not subtitled. (3 min, 1080i).

• Doug Jones - in this new video interview, actor Doug Jones, who plays the Faun and Pale Man, discusses his contribution to Pan's Labyrinth and Guillermo del Toro's working methods. Included in the interview is plenty of raw archival footage that shows the preparation work that was needed for his transformations before each shooting session. The interviews was conducted exclusively for Criterion in 2016. In English, not subtitled. (26 min, 1080p).

• Ivana Baquero Audion - presented here is archival footage from actress Ivana Baquero's audio for the role of Ofelia in Pan's Labyrinth which was shot on April 10, 2005. In Spanish, with optional English subtitles. (3 min, 1080i).

• Prequel Comics - presented here four animated comic-style stories with original tales for the unique creatures that are seen in Pan's Labyrinth, which were produced by Javier Soto and illustrated by Jason Shawn Alexander, Guy Davis, and Michael Kaluta in 2007. With sound effects.

1. The Giant Toad. (1 min, 1080i).
2. The Fairies. ( 1 min, 1080i).
3. The Faun. (1 min, 1080i).
4. The Pale Man (2 min, 1080i).

• Video Comparisons - presented here are three video pieces that offer before-and-after comparisons that highlight the type of work (from concept work to music) that was done during the pre-production process. The three pieces were produced in 2007.

• Trailers and TV Spots - presented here is a large collection of original trailers and TV spots for Pan's Labyrinth.