Guillermo del Toro's fantasy thriller focuses on two worlds that meld into one. In the real world it is 1944: the Allies have invaded Nazi-held Europe and in Spain the surviving Republicans are fighting on, hoping for aid in their struggle.
A troop of Franco's soldiers are sent to a remote forest to flush out the rebels. They are led by Capitán Vidal (Sergi López) a murdering sadist. With him are his new wife Carmen (Ariadna Gil) and her daughter from a previous marriage, 11-year-old Ofelia (Ivana Baquero)
It is Ofelia who both witnesses her stepfather's sadistic brutality and is drawn into Pan's Labyrinth, a magical fantasy world of mythical beings where a faun sets her three tasks that will see her crowned as princess of this strange kingdom.
Preoccupied with completing the tasks and escaping the brutality of her life, Ofelia flits between the two worlds, trying to survive in each.
Del Toro keeps both stories compelling and the narrative of each, with only minor adaptations, could have been a stand-alone film. Yet though the threads never collide, they mirror each other in their imagery in this compelling, dark yet magical movie.
Pan's Labyrinth is a Film programme that first aired in 2006 and has been classified a 15 certificate.
