Customer Reviews

The Devil's Backbone

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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!!

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 one made in hte future...the acting is top notch, the plot and directing are too...if anything this movie deserves a 10 out of 5

*note that the review that compares this movie to scooby doo is a little off...if scooby doo was like this movie, than i doubt it would be viewable by little children

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. The orphanage has huge undetonated bomb in the middle of the yard, which they say has been disarmed. Upon arrival, Carlos discovers that there is something haunting him besides the other boys of the orphanage. It is a mystery to Carlos why 'it' is haunting him, but he intends to solve the mystery.

Well directed by Guillermo Del Toro, this is a stylish, Spanish gothic film with remarkable performances by the entire cast. The entire film takes place during the Spanish Civil War of the 1930s in a remote, ramshackle school in the middle of nowhere that houses boys who have been displaced by the war. Many of them are orphans. An unexploded bomb, courtesy of the fascists, lies half buried in the courtyard of the school, a stark reminder of what is happening beyond the boundaries of this isolated spot.

One such boy, Carlos (Fernando Tielve), who is unaware that his father was killed in the war, is brought to the school by his tutor and left in the care and custody of its one legged headmistress, Carmen (Marisa Paredes). A Leftist, she is a passionate woman who has been funding the Left in its losing battle against the fascists. Cesares (Federico Luppi), one of the professors at the school, is a kindly, older man who befriends the bereft and bewildered Carlos. He is also an incurable romantic, in love with and devoted to Carmen, yet too much of a gentleman to consummate his passion for her. She. too, however, has a secret passion, and it is not him.

As the new kid on the block, Carlos attracts the attention of the school bully, Jaime (Inigo Garces), but manages to hold his own against the bigger and older boy. It is just as well, as there is something else going on at the school that demands both their attention. It seems that Santi (Junio Valverde), a boy who has been classified as missing, is eerily making his presence felt. Moreover, the school handyman, Jacinto (Eduardo Noriega), the handsome "prince without a kingdom" much like the devil himself, appears to be up to no good, while Conchita (Irene Visedo), the school's young housekeeper, has set her cap for him.

Amidst the war, the haunting, and the destructive violence of Jacinto, Carlos unexpectedly comes of age. Jaime, who is part of Carlos' rite of passage, matures into a natural leader. What they must face together will ultimately bind them in friendship. This is a complex, multi-layered film, dealing with themes of anger, betrayal, greed, love, and hate, all of which are played out and lead to the stunning climactic ending.

Marisa Paredes gives a rich, three dimensional performance, as Carmen, a woman who is tired by the ongoing civil war and who finds herself questioning the leftist cause, the very cause that she financially supports, while harboring a secret passion. Federico Luppi imbues his character, Cesares, with a depth of emotion that simmers just below the surface, as well as with an old-fashioned grace that is touching. Eduardo Noriego, as Jacinto, gives an emotional portrayal of evil, yet manages to infuse a certain poignancy in his character. The children all give very good performances. This deftly directed, well acted film is worth watching.

The DVD offers a widescreen version of the film with first rate audio and visuals. Along with a commentary by the director and the cinematographer, it offers an interesting featurette on the making of the film from the point of view of the director, Guillermo Del Toro. This is a DVD well worth having.

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 expectations.
This movie is a bit of a thriller, but using the term 'frightening' is a misnomer. The plot is pretty basic, but the acting is top-notch, as is the filmography.
Without giving too much away, as the plot developed I was reminded of old Scooby Doo cartoons. The theives want the gold, one of the caretakers turns out to be greedy and abusive. In the end, 'I would have gotten away with it if it weren't for those meddling kids!'
Oh, yes. The ghost. Displayed prominently on the cover of the DVD, pick it up and your staring into the eyes of a creepy, evil demon kid. Make no mistake, this character is secondary in the story. He pops up from time to time to give clues as the storyline develops, but, as another reviewer stated, a horror film this is not. A good story, but if you're looking for a scary film, move on. I wouldn't have been so disappointed if I would have picked it up in the 'drama' section as opposed to the 'horror' section. I wish marketing departments would stop trying to mislead potential renters and buyers. It just makes the final outcome more disappointing. I was reminded of 'House of the Spirits' in the end. Again, definitely not a bad film, but different than you might expect. Want a decent thriller with a bit of a predictible plot? Pick it up. Want some frights and chills? Stick with 'The Others.' I know I will.

(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 série Pânico. Parecia que aquelas velhas e empoeiradas estórias de terror que realmente assustavam e envolviam estavam extintas mas coube a The Devil's Backbone, um filme espanhol com pequeno orçamento, resgatar toda a dignidade perdida das produções de antigamente, revelando o talento do diretor Guillermo Del Toro, que surge como um cineasta bastante original e criativo. O filme narra as desventuras do menino Carlos, que na década de 30, durante a guerra espanhola, é mandado para um orfanato situado no meio do quente deserto, sob os cuidados de Carmen (Marisa Paredes),uma professora amarga que perdeu uma das pernas e Casares, o bondoso e camarada diretor do estabelecimento.Lá ele também conhecerá os outros garotos, e o revoltado e odioso Jacinto, um rapaz de seus 30-35 anos que cresceu no orfanato e que nutre um grande ódio pelo local e pelas pessoas que o criaram.Depois de algumas noites, carlos sentirá a presença sobrenatural de Santi, um garotinho que desapareceu estranhamente na mesma noite em que uma gigantesca bomba caiu no pátio do orfanato, sem explodir. Os meninos criaram várias teorias para explicar o que houve com Santi, mas, aos poucos, a verdade irá revelando-se, claro que com a ajuda do espírito do garoto, que quer se vingar do responsável pela sua morte. Embora o fantasma de Santi exerça uma função importantíssima na trama, este é apenas o pano-de fundo para a narrativa maior, que envolve amores não correspondidos, ambição, o ardiloso Jacinto e uma fortuna em ouro escondida no local. Com uma fotografia perfeita, Del Toro transporta a platéia para a década de 30, trazendo todo o desespero da guerra visto através dos olhos de crianças confinadas em um orfanato amarelado, sujo e empoeirado.O deserto é mostrado em tons pastéis de forma tão maestral que você quase é capaz de sentir o calor do lugar. As atuações são perfeitas, maravilhosas, todos estão no mesmo nível, Marisa Paredes dá uma performance marcante como a carente Carmen, Eduardo Noriega brilha como o malvado Jacinto.O filme, apesar de trazer um tom sobrenatural,é mais um drama psicológico, pessimista e muito, muito triste, que certamente consagra-se como um dos dez melhores filmes de 2001.

"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. The school admininstration consists of just a few characters, which makes the school seem even spookier and alienating. In the background, the war moves closer to the school, creating additional horrors. A new boy, Carlos, arrives and he begins seeing a ghost. These scenes are very chilling and well-directed, but not really scary per se. As the action progresses, it becomes clear that the ghost is not the only evil in the school. The plot is well-written and has some great plot twists. The actors are all terrific, with the kids putting in some impressive work in difficult roles. I really enjoyed this movie and highly recommend it for fans of psychological horror films, such as "The Others."

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. The children acted to the MAX. these little guys can whoop some of our famous older actors. . i would say they should remake this in English but it might ruin it. So get it. I dont think i have ever seen such a raw, outright treatment of children like this. SHOCKING and BRILLIANT