Films/DVD Asylum

Posted by Harmonia (A) on June 30, 2008 at 01:07:25

In Reply to: RE: Pan´s Labyrinth or the damage of LoTR ´s made on the decades of films to come... posted by patrickU on June 29, 2008 at 01:40:24

Oh my. Along with Jazz, I must vehemently and respectfully disagree.

GDT is a serious student of history, myth, fable and fairy tale. Pan's contains the fruit of much of his labors in this particualr vineyard.

But PL has only the vaguest and most superficial connection to LOTR, the book of which, BTW at the time GDT made Pan's, he cordially disliked. There is no cause and effect between these two films. GDT and Jackson do have several things in common as filmmakers. But a link between these two movies in not one of them.

PL had been in the director's mind for years, long before the release of LOTR, and GDT has the notebooks to prove it. It took years to get it financed. It follows from his previous SPanish language art film, The Devil's Backbone, with which it shares some slightly political and supernatural overtones, as well as its setting during the waning days of the Spanish Civil war.

PL really is a fine film in my estimation, as well as many others far more eloquent than I. Don't be too quick to dismiss it, the man has serious things on his mind with this film. It was one of my top two of 2006, the other being Children of Men.

See below.

• Pan's Labyrinth Review   (Open in New Window)