"Pan's" Deal

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Just got out of the 8:20 pm showing of Pan's Labyrinth at the Lincoln Plaza, and there was no missing the fact that the crowd was enthralled, captivated...until the very sad, somewhat dispiriting ending. This is a very sensual, obviously transporting dream movie, but director-screenwriter Guillermo del Toro's story plays as it does because, deep down (or so I believe), his hatred of Sergi Lopez's Captain Vidal (i.e., wanting to see him beaten down, sliced open and destroyed for his black monstrousness) is stronger than his feelings of love and tenderness for Ivana Baquero's Ofelia, although those feelings are obviously considerable.

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Posted by Jeffrey Wells on January 3, 2007 at 7:55 PM

comment #1

John Y says ...

Oh, but the ending was the most beautiful, emotionally enchanting part of the whole movie, for reasons I cannot go into here without spoiling it for others readers.

Posted by John Y at January 3, 2007 11:06 PM

comment #2

Mike K says ...

For fuck's sake, "Pan" is only playing very limited right now, and maybe some of us didn't want to know about a "sad, somewhat dispiriting ending".

Goddammit.

Posted by Mike K at January 3, 2007 11:08 PM

comment #3

dobbsy says ...

Try as I may I can't be cranky about this year.

Here's why: The Lives of Others, Volver, Pan's Labyrinth, Apocalypto, Departed. Totally moved, transported, thrilled, challenged by all five movies.

Then there's Little Children, United 93, Notes on a Scandal, Flags/Iwo, The Queen, Venus. All smart, stimulating, creative films with great ideas and/or performances.

Borat, Talledega; funny as hell.

Cars, Flushed Away, Over the Hedge; first rate to solid animated efforts.

Not a great film? But World Trade Center answered hate with a film of poetry, love of life, love. Nice message to send the world in these troubled times.

If not the films, the Performances: Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt in Prada, Diane Lane in Hollywoodland.

Someone gave a cool role (Tesla) to David Bowie (Prestige).

Don't know how any of these will play in the minds of Oscar voters, but outside of chanting, praying, burning incense, making pacts with Satan and God in order for O'Toole to win the friggin' Oscar, don't care, though justice somewhere would be nice.

Moment of the year: last line of Lives of Others. "It's for me."

If you were a Stasi agent in 1984 East Germany, could your heart be changed by love and art?

Just checking....

Posted by dobbsy at January 3, 2007 11:27 PM

comment #4

EDouglas says ...

"For fuck's sake, "Pan" is only playing very limited right now, and maybe some of us didn't want to know about a "sad, somewhat dispiriting ending"."

It's subjective. Some people might not find it to be sad or dispiriting.

Posted by EDouglas at January 4, 2007 5:03 AM

comment #5

PanTheFaun says ...

I think Wells is on his own on this one... While I won't get into how well he interpreted/misinterpreted the ending-- to spare those who haven't seen it-- I will say most people I've spoken to who HAVE seen it, cite it as the most emotionally resonant part of the film for them.

Posted by PanTheFaun at January 4, 2007 5:37 AM

comment #6

bipedalist says ...

You bring into the ending your own belief system, I think. The film is so brilliant - the most moving film I have seen all year, for sure. I'm still feeling it the morning after, in fact. But I do think how you see the ending depends on your own imagination, your own spirituality perhaps. I'm unfortunately an up and down realist so...it's hard to discuss without spoiling it so I won't. GREAT movie. I think I may have a new favorite director in Guillermo Del Toro. With more time for the film to settle in, I believe it would do very well with the Academy, like Crouching Tiger.

Posted by bipedalist at January 4, 2007 5:52 AM

comment #7