The Devil's Backbone (Special Edition)

Buy This Item The Devil's Backbone (Special Edition) by Sony Pictures  Available from Amazon  $12.99  on 9-19-2008     Seething passions, wandering ghosts, and an unexploded bomb fill this beautifully filmed tale of war and suspense. Though <I>The Devil's Backbone</I> was advertised as a horror movie in the States, it's really more of a drama that happens to have ghosts in it. During the Spanish Civil War, young Carlos is abandoned at a completely isolated orphanage. The tensions therein have been building for years, exacerbated by the unexploded bomb resting menacingly in the courtyard. Bullies scheme, tempers flare, and a ghost that visits Carlos's bed seems to be the key to it all. The movie is full of excellent performances, especially by Marisa Paredes as the gruff-but-kind headmistress, Eduardo Noriega as the handyman with secrets to keep, and Federico Luppi as the benevolent professor who likes to keep deformed fetuses in jars. A rich, satisfying drama with some good, spooky fun thrown in. <I>--Ali Davis</I> Reader Reviews Plot: 10 yr-old Carlos arrives at a Spanish school sheltering the orphans of the Republican militia only to discover it has many supernatural secrets. My Review: Albeit that Pan's Labyrinth did undoubtedly well, take it amongst yourselves to watch the first and second in Del Toro' magical trilogy. This second in a trilogy revolves around a group of boys and this time, an old-fashioned wartime ghost story. This not just because that dir. Del Toro's has a hovering and poignant ghost story to tell that harnesses more substance, 'jump-factor', and is executed with rather more style than the whole number of Hollywood' asinine lack lusting scare movies, but recent work for a major studio, working in Mimic, allowed Del Toro to refresh himself. Our protagonist is a 10 yr-old Carlos (Fernando Tielve) who doesn't take on being bullied so easily, even after being abandoned in the school by his fathers friend and picked on since day one, all those who remember starting a new school will connect and laugh with this young witty troublesome attraction and to his likable friends that refuse to boycott him. Del Toro manages to yet again swindle directing children to startling effect. No corny-ness, but with all the decent, funny and if not typical young-to-teenage boy idiosyncrasies, that range from comics, model cars and dirty pictures. Providing the support and adult figures to some of the disobedient children, is headmistress Carmen (Marisa Paredes), whom isn't hard, demeaning or strict but reluctant to take on more kids, she's tough despite the effect the war has had on her. The likable Dr. Casares (Federico Luppi) who provides assistance and understanding to the boys and Carlos in particular when the vivid appearances of a school-boy ghost 'Santi' make claim. He is warm-hearted and passionate towards his job, and gets to defend its keep from a man Jacinto (Eduardo Noriega) who is a depressed ex-school boy whom now works at the school for pleasurable means to the headmistress and caretaker, who could easily be compared to Captain Vidal in Pan's Labyrinth. Even the local bully Jaime (Íñigo Garcés) has deep roots towards the complex, but there is always a reason for being brute and far too familiar with local surroundings. The Spanish language goes to find its deeper roots for a complex horror set in a school for orphaned boys during the Spanish Civil War. Some unaware of the deaths of family members. From the crisp start to finish Del Toro manages to unite all his divergent rudiments - horror and gold, fear and infidelity and politics and civil war - to amazement. Verdict: If indeed Pan's Labyrinth would be the proverbial Red Wine or Bordeaux, Devil's Backbone just happens to be the fine Scotch Whisky. 8.5/10.

The Devil's Backbone (Special Edition) Available from Amazon Price: $12.99 Updated on 9-19-2008.

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