The Devil's Backbone (2001)

Good start, but then it gets ruined

It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

Watching it is like watching the spectacle of a class clown at their best: you laugh at their jokes, instigate their defiance, and "ooooh" when they get in trouble.

Good acting and great visuals highlight this interesting yet bit of a slow moving film about a group of orphans. The film deals with different issues, from greed to revenge, and also has a few great action sequences, and some truly scary moments. Being only his third film as director, the film already carries Guillermo's stunning visual trademark. The child actors were very good.

Set at an orphanage in a remote corner of Spain during the Spanish Civil War, the narrative here mixes a great deal of human drama in with a supernatural ghost story. The owners of the orphanage hide a large cachet of gold somewhere within and the aggressive and violent handyman constantly seeks its location. The boys live in fear of this bully, as well as of the ghost of a boy called Santi who vanished the day of the arrival of a bomb. A bomb which remains unexploded and buried vertically in the courtyard.Like his later masterpiece Pan's Labyrinth (2006) Guillermo del Toro has concocted another tale with a backdrop of the Spanish Civil War which intertwines grim reality with a supernatural thread. In the case of this movie, the War is far more in the background yet so too is the ghost story. In fact, the horror is very downplayed here with what is essentially a sympathetic ghost and little in the way of genuine scare-oriented scenes. It is a technically very well-made film and it does sport good performances. It is a fine movie in many ways, yet at the same time it sort of feels like it could have added up to more. Perhaps the human drama section is not strong enough, given its main prominence in the story overall and perhaps the characters just aren't as interesting or sympathetic as they need to be. Whatever the case, it feels like something is missing here. Yet, I would still have to say it is certainly a good film on account of some of its visual ideas and de Toro's sure directorial hand but ultimately this is one I would recommend yet perhaps suggest is slightly over-rated.

"El Espinazo Del Diablo" it's a wonderful fantasy drama with small touches of horror, its one of the best films from director Guillermo del Toro, and this is also a personal movie for him, well, any movie its personal to its director, but this one seems to have a special place in del Toro, the film also captivated me with its engaging story and great performances.Watching this film is like being transported to 1939 and experiencing the misery and grittiness of a Civil War, while not being in direct contact with the battlefield. The film its amazingly directed by Guillermo del Toro, who does a fantastic job at directing the child actors in the film, all of them deliver a memorable performance in their roles. The characters are well developed, there isn't an unlikable character in the film, I mean, yeah there are villains but you get their motives, even when a character does a questionable action they find a way to redeem themselves. This is a crude and violent film, it doesn't restrain itself from showing graphic scenes of tragedy and death.Its an amazing film, I totally recommend it, but don't expect a horror movie, its closer to poetry than to horror.

An elegant, alluring & sumptuous poetry from Guillermo del Toro, The Devil's Backbone is crafted with remarkable care, told with great composure, and brims with endless passion to finish as one of the most enchanting works of its genre. Gorgeously rendered, meticulously detailed & uplifted by sincere performances, it also paints a fascinating portrait of childhood in an era marred by war & violence.Set in Spain during the Spanish Civil War, the story of The Devil's Backbone follows a young boy who arrives at an orphanage in the middle of nowhere but is having trouble adjusting to the new environment. To worsen his situation, he is constantly bullied by another boy and discovers that the whole place is haunted. But after managing to forge an unlikely friendship with the bully, he attempts to uncover the dark secrets of the place.Co-written & directed by Guillermo del Toro, there is a graceful quality to his direction as each n every frame of it is carefully structured, and exhibits terrific use of light & shadows. del Toro is in no hurry to skim through the calm segments and allows even its atmosphere to build up naturally. The plot stays firmly grounded throughout its runtime, and not only do all characters have well-defined arcs but they all get sufficient time on screen too.The technical aspects exhibit first-rate craftsmanship in all facets and is executed to near-perfection. Cinematography is a major highlight, for it skilfully encapsulates the whole picture with a ghostly vibe & Gothic chill, and this bewitching ambiance is maintained till the very end, thanks to its fluid camera-work, ideal lighting & precise colour tones. Editing provides a smooth flow to its entire set of events while letting the plot unfold at its own gradual pace.Coming to the performances, the film features a committed cast in Fernando Tielve, Iñigo Garcés, Frederico Luppi, Eduardo Noriega & Marisa Paredes, and all of them build their work on the solid groundwork & interesting background provided to their characters in the script, thus chipping with splendid performances. The children definitely stand out the most but the adults aren't far behind. And adding further enhancements to the story is Javier Navarrete's calm, ethereal & mesmerising score.On an overall scale, The Devil's Backbone is a labour of love from Guillermo del Toro and remains one of his finest films to date, if not the finest. A political commentary, an evocative illustration of childhood, and a ghost story, all wrapped into one, the film effortlessly succeeds in concealing its mystery within its walls, is unsettling on more occasions than one, and is as compelling in content as it is visually appealing to look at. A masterwork of pure affection, del Toro's most personal film comes strongly recommended.