Guillermo's lesson for children

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The Reeler's Stu VanAirsdale is running some interesting comments from Pan's Labyrinth director Guillermo del Toro about why, despite its themes and violence, kids should be encouraged to see it.

"Fairy tales, when they were created first, they were not only very disturbing tales, but at the same time they were meant to represent very dire circumstances at the time they were written," del Toro explains. "Famine. Plague. Not, in general, very nice situations, with kids being orphaned, being abandoned, etcetera. And I think in that sense, the movie is just a continuation of that thread in the genre.

"I feel like the movie is a movie about the responsibility of disobedience and the responsibility of choice. It's a movie about choice and about how your choices affect your destiny and who you are. It's a girl that refuses to obey either the magical creatures or the fascist captain. And how she essentially forges her own destiny. Chewing up fairies aside, I think that's a damn valuable lesson in this world."

comment #1

T.Holly says ...

I couldn't even get my niece and nephew out of their sheltered, conventional home in New Jersey to see Lemony Snicket. Secure kids with a strong sense of storytelling, yes, sure. Frightened, disassociative types, no.

comment #2

EveHarrington says ...

Pan's Labyrinth is an incredible film. The violence worked fine for me but I wouldn't take my kids to see it for shots like the guy getting his face bashed in and some of the other slicing and dicing that goes on. Even though this sounds counter to High Art, I wish GdT would do a "phantom edit" with some of that violence toned down. Because when it comes for movies that are ideal for kids, I'd put this up there with the films of Miyazaki if I felt comfortable letting them see that. There aren't many films made these days I could say that about. Most of the so-called "family films" are pure shite.

comment #3

cjKennedy says ...

I don't have kids and violence generaly doesn't bother me too much, but I wish it had been turned down a notch or two in Pan's Labyrinth. Not really a criticism, just a personal preference.

comment #4

p.Vice says ...

Why not take kids to see this? If I had kids I'd certainly rather them watch Pan's Labyrinth than a brain-dead vehicle for product placement and consumerism like Happy Feet. The incredible lack of intelligent, non-pandering children's films is one of the reason our country has gone to shit... we're raising a bunch of coddled sissies on Disneyfied non-reality and talking cartoon animals. How about something that might actually PREPARE them for the real world?

comment #5

Ian Sinclair says ...

I would certianly be happy to take certain children to see it. Particularly loud, obnoxious children and that one little bugger who threw up on my snakeskin shoes that one time.

comment #6

dixiedugan says ...

The kiddle will be seeing this with me - I can't imagine the violence in this is any different than what they can see on news channels or even regular network programming anymore. Which is not to say I don't monitor what she watches (she did not watch Deadwood or The Sopranos with me needless to say) but the kids these days...way more savvy exposure wise.

Ian - when the husband and I went to see Casino Royale a guy brought in three young boys from about ten down to four. Unfrigginbelievable.

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