Pan's Labrynith or Oscar's Pathway

Photo Courtesy of Picturehouse

"Pan's Labyrinth" or “El Laberinto del Fauno” is an exquisite film of the fantasical tale the mind of a young girl weaves when her mother brings her to the home of a fascist leader in Spain in 1944. Written, directed and produced by Guillermo del Toro of Mexico, “Pan's Labyrinth” won its first critical acclaim at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival and is now nominated for six Academy Awards including Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Original Score, Best Foreign Language Film, Best Make Up and Best Art Direction.

Born in Jalisco, Mexico, Guillermo's film making offers a breath of fresh air into the American cinematic world that has been lacking in ingenuity, depth and lasting conviction in the past years. “Pan's Labyrinth” bridges two unlikely worlds; fantasy and war drama seamlessly, so the audience follows willingly and enthusiastically. It's like if the love child of "Lord of the Rings" and "Harry Potter" had their own love child with the love child of "Motorcycle Diaries" and "Saving Private Ryan."

The storytelling is imaginative, the lighting is exquisite, but most of all the cinematography is breathtaking; fresh and mesmerizing. Chock full with universal symbolism and themes, "Pan's Labyrinth" pushes the envelope of what to expect out of a film. The best way to understand is to see it for yourself.

Photo Courtesy of Picturehouse

With the American film industry run by a monopoly of like minded, aged and gendered cowards, box office sales were down by six percent in 2005 according to Nielson Entertainment/NRG reports, American movie goers have been under whelmed with their box office selections.

But not only does this film and others like it offer something enticing to audiences, it offers something equally as enticing to film industry execs; a bankable new genre of film makers, producers and actors.

The earliest Latino actors were seen on film playing characters outside their own race like Italians. Audiences began seeing representations of Latinos in film in the mid 1900s where males, when seen on screen at all, were depicted as the "tragic mulatto" or a down trodden, low intelligence and income sidekick, and women were portrayed as sultry, fiery, sex driven objects. Latinos were behind the camera in even less instances than in front.

Needless to say the film industry has come a long way, but it would be wise for them to come an even longer way. Perhaps this year's Oscars will be an incarnation of 2001 where African Americans dominated as major category winners with Halle Berry winning Best Actress for Monster's Ball and Denzel Washington winning Best Actor for Training Day.

With Latino's nominated in categories such as Best Actress (Penelope Cruz-"Volver"), Best Supporting Actress (Adriana Barraza-"Babel") and "Babel" nominated for Best Picture and Best Director, the Academy has set the stage for another "sweep" type year. Whatever the connotation of this situation means to you, it represents well due recognition on the part of the Academy.

The truth will be told Sunday February 25.

Trailer:
http://imdb.com/title/tt0457430/trailers

Review:
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/pans_labyrinth/

Film Site:

http://www.panslabyrinth.com/