Pjtaylor-96-138044 The central ghost has essentially no bearing on the plot and might as well not be in the flick for all the good it does the narrative, but 'The Devil's Backbone (2001)' isn't really about devils, spirits or backbones of any kind. It actually tackles the usual Guillermo Del Toro themes of man being the biggest monster of all and childhood innocence lost too soon, set to the backdrop of the Spanish Civil War which, while not as lavishly recreated as in 'Pan's Labyrinth (2006)', provides a tangible and rich tapestry for this melancholic tale to be set against and introduces some nice allegoric elements, to boot. The flick is a methodical and character-driven tale of the escalating troubles in an orphanage, with the trademark, but ever-so-slightly neutered, 'shocking violence' that the director has come to be known by exploding onto the screen in its latter half to take it in an entirely unexpected direction. It is the atmosphere that really excels, above even the nicely knitted plot, because it is this that allows the rather predictable turns for each character to feel rooted in a real world and have a lasting impact on the audience. 7/10

Red-Barracuda 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.

SnoopyStyle The Republicans are losing the Spanish Civil War to General Franco and the right-wing Nationalists. Carlos is sent to an isolated orphanage run by Republican sympathizers one-legged Carmen and Dr. Casares who are hiding a cache of Republican gold. He hasn't been told that his father was killed on the frontlines. Dr. Casares sells his spiced rum "limbo water" to the villagers from a glass jar containing a baby with an exposed spine or the Devil's Backbone. Carlos encounters the ghost of Santi, a boy who disappeared when a giant bomb landed in the middle of the courtyard. The bomb is suppose to have been defused. Carlos is bullied by Jaime and the other boys. Carlos rescues Jaime from drowning and they become friends. Angry groundskeeper Jacinto was once one of the orphans being cared for and Conchita is the beautiful teacher.Carlos has a childhood innocence and this is an intriguing childhood ghost story from Guillermo del Toro. This is not scary but it has the tension of the Spanish Civil War like his later masterpiece "Pan's Labyrinth". It has a mood of dread and feel of wonder. The characters are all compelling. It would be nice to have Carlos and Jaime battle it out a little longer. It's all very well made.

capone666 The Devil's BackboneTo increase adoptions, all orphanages should double as animal shelters.Unfortunately, the poorhouse in this horror movie is already half- occupied by ghosts.After being separated from his parents during the Spanish Civil War, the newly orphaned Carlos (Fernando Tielve) seeks refuge at a forsaken orphanage run by a doctor (Federico Luppi) and his administrator (Marisa Paredes).Uneasy with his surroundings, which include an undetonated bomb in the middle of the courtyard and a creepy caretaker (Eduardo Noriega), Carlos isn't surprised to be haunted by a spectral orphan proselytization impending doom.While the script can stray into some confusing territory at times, director Guillermo del Toro always steers it back on to its eerie, and oddly compassionate, course.Drenched in shadows and rife with spine tingling atmosphere, the scares are subtle but sufficiently startling.And just like in real life, no one wants to adopt an orphan ghost older than six.Green Lightvidiotreviews.blogspot.ca