The Devil's Backbone (2001)

Lucid Dream

This is one of the best movies I've seen in some time, multi-layered and a visual feast. Nothing corny here. Immediately, the film pulls the viewer into another time and place, to a landscape filled with immense beauty and menace. This is not a horror film, but a coming of age movie of great poetry, portraying compassionate understanding of the tribally violent and innocent world of childhood. Lust, greed, mystery, ghosts, and friendship are all explored with a deft touch. This will be a classic. You won't even notice the subtitles, and the lovely Spanish language only adds richness and depth to del Torro's tapestry, set in Spain during the Civil War. I really can't recommend this film highly enough. Ironically, it's easier to write a tough, critical review than communicate the lucid poetry of this film's accomplishment. July 9, 2008

Great, great movie..........

"The Devil's Backbone" is excellent!

I was alot like you at first, skeptical of this movie. It's often listed on different lists as superb, amazing, scary as hell!

Well, I finally watched it and yes, for a matter of fact, it's all those things. Guillermo Del Toro is right up their with M. Night Shyamalan. Every movie he makes is a classic.

This movie has amazing characters, a great storyline and a good ending. The best part about Del Toro's movies is that he lures you in with the spooky stuff and mild horror and then unleashes a super story and makes it all tie in beautifully!

Highly recommended! June 22, 2008

Great movie

I loved this movie. It got me to like Guillermo del Toro's stuff. It is not about the typical scariness, but as in his other pictures, he gets to work on your imagination. I lied that the movies seems complete, and that the characters and all are well developed. March 27, 2008

Masterful Command of Sound and Colour That Is Breathtaking, 12 Sep 2007

Plot:

10 yr-old Carlos arrives at a Spanish school sheltering the orphans of the Republican militia only to discover it has many supernatural secrets.

My Review:

Albeit that Pan's Labyrinth did undoubtedly well, take it amongst yourselves to watch the first and second in Del Toro' magical trilogy. This second in a trilogy revolves around a group of boys and this time, an old-fashioned wartime ghost story. This not just because that dir. Del Toro's has a hovering and poignant ghost story to tell that harnesses more substance, 'jump-factor', and is executed with rather more style than the whole number of Hollywood' asinine lack lusting scare movies, but recent work for a major studio, working in Mimic, allowed Del Toro to refresh himself.

Our protagonist is a 10 yr-old Carlos (Fernando Tielve) who doesn't take on being bullied so easily, even after being abandoned in the school by his fathers friend and picked on since day one, all those who remember starting a new school will connect and laugh with this young witty troublesome attraction and to his likable friends that refuse to boycott him. Del Toro manages to yet again swindle directing children to startling effect. No corny-ness, but with all the decent, funny and if not typical young-to-teenage boy idiosyncrasies, that range from comics, model cars and dirty pictures.

Providing the support and adult figures to some of the disobedient children, is headmistress Carmen (Marisa Paredes), whom isn't hard, demeaning or strict but reluctant to take on more kids, she's tough despite the effect the war has had on her. The likable Dr. Casares (Federico Luppi) who provides assistance and understanding to the boys and Carlos in particular when the vivid appearances of a school-boy ghost 'Santi' make claim. He is warm-hearted and passionate towards his job, and gets to defend its keep from a man Jacinto (Eduardo Noriega) who is a depressed ex-school boy whom now works at the school for pleasurable means to the headmistress and caretaker, who could easily be compared to Captain Vidal in Pan's Labyrinth. Even the local bully Jaime (Íñigo Garcés) has deep roots towards the complex, but there is always a reason for being brute and far too familiar with local surroundings.

The Spanish language goes to find its deeper roots for a complex horror set in a school for orphaned boys during the Spanish Civil War. Some unaware of the deaths of family members. From the crisp start to finish Del Toro manages to unite all his divergent rudiments - horror and gold, fear and infidelity and politics and civil war - to amazement.

Verdict:

If indeed Pan's Labyrinth would be the proverbial Red Wine or Bordeaux, Devil's Backbone just happens to be the fine Scotch Whisky. 8.5/10. February 23, 2008

A damn fine ghost story.

A great film that shows where Guillermo was headed before Pan's Labyrinth. Very atmospheric and beautiful to watch. February 17, 2008

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