The Devil's Backbone

 

 

Create your own review

Guillermo del Toro is currently known as the guy who made the Oscar-winning "Pan's Labyrinth," the "Hellboy" movies, and is going to direct "The Hobbit."

But way back in in 2001, del Toro made a movie that serves as a sport of ghost-story prequel to "Pan's Labyrinth." With its mysterious specter, innocent hero and a story set during a bloody civil war, "The Devil's Backbone" is a unique kind of horror movie -- it deftly sidesteps the cheap tricks and scares that most ghost stories employ.

Unaware that his father has been killed, Carlos (Fernando Tielve) thinks that he's being left at a remote orphanage only temporarily.

Kindly Dr. Casares (Federico Luppi) sympathizes with the lonely new boy, but Carlos soon is distracted from his troubles. He keeps seeing shadows, footprints and falling pitchers -- and when he wanders down into the vaulted cellar, he catches a glimpse of a silent ghost with a bleeding head wound. Even worse, the ghost -- which was a boy named Santi -- informs him that many people there will die.

But the most dangerous one at the orphanage is the brutal former-orphan Jacinto (Eduardo Noriega), who is searching for a cache of hidden gold. As Carlos tries to figure out how Santi died -- and what angry, miserable Jaime (Íñigo Garcés) has to do with it -- the orphanage is suddenly turned into an explosive war zone. As Dr. Casares tries to protect the remaining boys, Carlos discovers the reason Santi died -- and what he wants now.

"The Devil's Backbone" is a movie filled with death: the orphanage is a dying institution in a time of war, filled with orphans and surrounded by sun-burnt grass. It even has a defused torpedo stuck right in the middle of the courtyard. By the time the ghost shows up, it seems like almost a natural part of such a ruined, quietly sorrowful place.

Fortunately Guillermo del Toro avoids cheap scares -- the ghost doesn't make weird noises or leap out at Carlos for no reason. Instead he evokes the fear of a child in a dark, creaky old house who is ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN that there's something out there. Also some beautifully creepy visuals, such as blood floating in the air as if it were in water.

But the whole creepy-ghostly-factor is eclipsed about halfway through the movie. After a slow buildup of tension, everything suddenly erupts when Jacinto suddenly reveals his true self. Suddenly we've got explosions, blood, shattered glass, mangled bodies and an all-too human enemy who is slowly closing in. It makes the ghostly Santi seem suddenly very... nonthreatening.

And though the plot seems simple, del Toro spins a spiderweb of interconnected hints and plot threads -- comic books, slug collections, a wooden leg and blood-tinged water all come into play. There's loads of symbolism, and the beautiful scenes (Dr. Casares' final poetry recital to Carmen) are handled just as powerfully as the more gory, ghastly ones (the orphans' final assault).

It's kind of amazing that this was Tielve's movie debut, because he's simply incredible -- his character slides through fear, courage, sorrow and confusion, all with a kind of unshakable innocence. Garcés is equally good; at first he seems like a mere bully, but we gradually see how troubled and guilty he feels over what happened to Santi. Noriega is thoroughly nasty as a greedy, sociopathic thug who cares about nobody except himself (even his fiancee), while Luppi is a kindly, cultured old man who obviously loves the boys as if they were his own.

"The Devil's Backbone" is a haunting kind of ghost story, where the ghost is not the scariest thing you'll see. A powerful, striking movie.

This is a truly remarkable film. I won't go into the plot as it has been dissected ad nauseum on this site already, I'm sure. Suffice to say that this movie succeeds on so many levels as to approach brilliance. It is an effectively creepy ghost tale. A coming of age story. A grand soap opera. It is worth the price alone for the smolderingly sexy Edward Noriega as Jacinto, the caretaker with a torpedo-sized chip on his shoulder. As for the young orphan boys, they make the doe-eyed sugary sweet moppets of Cider House Rules look like munchkins on Prozac. They are alive, human, wounded and all-too-believable as boys left orphans by a world they cannot even hope to understand yet. Check it out!

Like a mix between 'Pan's Labrynth' and 'The Grudge'. I enjoyed the crap out of this movie!!

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review

› See all 14 customer reviews on Amazon.ca

 

5.0 out of 5 stars excellent, 2 thumbs up to del toro
the devil's backbone... is a great movie....although it is misleadinga as a horror movie(it is more of a thriller) one can only pray that there are more complete movies like this... Read more

Published on July 31 2002 by JB

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb Ghost Story
Devil's Backbone a cerebrally chilling story about Carlos. Carlos is brought to a secluded orphanage during the Spanish Civil War unknowing of his fathers death. Read more

Published on July 30 2002 by Kim Anehall

4.0 out of 5 stars STYLISH SPANISH GOTHIC...
Well directed by Guillermo Del Toro, this is a stylish, Spanish gothic film with remarkable performances by the entire cast. Read more

Published on July 27 2002 by Lawyeraau

3.0 out of 5 stars Not what I expected
When I first saw the cover of this DVD, I noticed the tagline: 'More frightening than The Others.' Being a big fan of that film, I picked this one up with some pretty high... Read more

Published on July 20 2002 by That one guy

5.0 out of 5 stars Um dos dez melhores filmes de 2001
(Portuguese Language) The Devil's Backbone traz novo fôlego para o gênero horror, que encontrava-se em franca decadência graças a fiascos recentes como Resident Evil e a... Read more

Published on July 20 2002 by Ary Luiz Dalazen Jr.

4.0 out of 5 stars Atmospheric melodrama
"The Devil's Backbone" is a ghost story, but it is also much more. Set during the Spanish Civil War, the story chronicles the happenings in an isolated school for orphaned boys... Read more

Published on July 13 2002 by Westley

5.0 out of 5 stars Dont miss!
Ok so its subtitled but there are many scenes in silence where u dont have to read. Dont misunderstand this movie, it isnt a horror movie, but is frightening. Read more

Published on July 5 2002 by VIN SCOTT

5.0 out of 5 stars Quintessentially Spanish Surrealism
THE DEVIL'S BACKBONE is a visually elegant, beautifully photographed, seamlessly written and directed tale of ghosts. Read more

Published on July 3 2002 by Grady Harp

4.0 out of 5 stars Chillingly good
A stylish, atmospheric ghost story which, unlike so many recent examples of the genre, does not rely on any climactic twist for its punch. Read more

Published on Jun 22 2002 by Steven Reynolds

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Ghost Story and engaging drama
I saw this in the theater a few months ago and loved it. It is one of the best ghost story horrors I have ever seen in that it doesn't become any less engaging or scary once the... Read more

Published on April 26 2002 by William J. Perkins

Search Customer Reviews
Only search this product's reviews

› See all 14 customer reviews on Amazon.ca

Search Listmania!