Pan's Labyrinth, second time

[ssurgul]

It really wasn't any better than the first, as far as tension release. Sure, I knew what was going to happen. But Guillermo did such a terrific job of spelling out the film, giving the imagery time to build and coalesce and such that I really didn't seem to miss much of anything save for one tiny thematic element: that of the lullaby. And it was still .... brutal.

Comments

[andreal.livejournal.com]

Saw it for the first time yesterday, down in Santa Cruz. It hit me like a ton of bricks, and I was definitely crying at the end... though I couldn't quite articulate why, either to myself or my friends.

It was just so... beautiful. And there were so many emotions that had been pent up through the film, and they finally broke free. There's room in this film for analysis and discussion certainly, but my sheer visceral reaction was that this was powerful and moving.

[ssurgul.livejournal.com]

Indeed. I would LOVE to discuss it, but .... I'm sure there are those reading this that would be ... disappointed to read the discussion and thus the crucial plot points, if we assume that the bulk of the movie isn't a critical plot point.

It hits like a freight train and just won't stop. You keep hoping and praying for an alternate ending that just never comes. Granted, the final 10 minutes make it so if you wanted to believe the better of the two obvious ending interpretations, you're more than justified in doing so. But ..... Damn. It's so rough.

I was nearly in tears the second time as well as the first when I saw it, but I was vascillating between the positive and negative endings that I couldn't even vent my feelings enough to let it happen. And THAT is the mark of true cinematic genius.

[nikkys-dreams.livejournal.com]

I was thinking of going to see this. Is it a must see at the theater movie?

[ssurgul.livejournal.com]

Definitely. Unless you've got a 50"+ TV to support it.