The Devil's Backbone (Special Edition)
by Guillermo del Toro
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Íñigo Garcés, Eduardo Noriega, Federico Luppi, Fernando Tielve, Marisa ParedesDirector: Guillermo del Toro
Brand: Sony
Producer: Guillermo del Toro
Writer: Guillermo del Toro
Producer: Agustín Almodóvar
Producer: Bertha Navarro
Producer: Michel Ruben
Writer: Antonio Trashorras
Writer: David Muñoz
DVD: Region Code 0
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Subtitled); Spanish (Original Language), Dolby Digital 5.1
Format: AC-3, Anamorphic, Color, Dolby, DVD, NTSC, Special Edition, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: Anamorphic Widescreen, 1.85:1
Running Time: 106 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2004-07-27
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Movie Reviews of The Devil's Backbone (Special Edition)
Movie Review: An emotion suspended in time.
Summary: 5 Stars
I had mentioned before that so many times people are so angry or uninterested in horror films because all it does is show scared people reacting to extraordinary events. It normally shows limbs flying everywhere or blood caked against the walls. Well, what would you say if I offered you a film that not only gave you a horror story, but also a very character driven stories. What if I were to show you a horror story that could possibly happen to you, or at least you feel that it could happen? Well, look no further, because I have found it in a little Spanish horror film called El Espinazo del diablo (also called The Devil's Backbone). There were several reasons why this film really worked, and worked well. I am going to list the top five reasons that this film worked so that you can take it back with you, and watch this film, and see what direction the horror genre is headed and how it will soon be a bigger part of cinematic culture.
1) The obvious -- the Bomb. This was in nearly every shot, and provided so much for my mind. Why didn't the bomb explode? Sure, there are scientific reasons, but when researched further, you may see that it goes so far beyond that. It is the root of this film. It is the biggest symbolic reference in this film. What is the bomb you may ask? My question to you is ... WHO is the bomb? When I watched this film I really felt that the bomb symbolized Jacinto. When Jacinto arrived it was like the bomb arriving. It has the power to destroy, but has yet to. It is dormant, waiting for the appropriate time to wreak the destruction ... just like Jacinto. When he arrives he does not immediately kill, but waits for the perfect time. But, like the bomb, Jacinto has the ability to kill without remorse. It kills to fulfill its mission, which is all. Also, this bomb not only symbolizes Jacinto, but also Santi. Together an unknown force joins these two. The common bond ... the bomb. In the beginning of the film, Carlos immediately runs to the bomb because there is some attraction to it. There is no fear, just an unvarnished desire to know more about it. This is the same for when Carlos first meets Santi, fear is surrounding him, but instead he would rather learn more about Santi and help him.
2) This wasn't the normal horror film plagued with beautiful scenery and screaming children, this was almost a fresh retelling of the book The Lord of the Flies. At times I had to ask myself if I wasn't watching a literal interpretation of this book in this film. There are some major differences, but some of the overall themes remain the same. Director del Toro takes a big leap with this film and succeeds where others have failed. He doesn't clutter this film with flowers or filler, he instead tells the story as it should be told, and for that I have so much respect for this film.
3) The way that del Toro filmed this movie was amazing. I wasn't expecting the second half of this film when I first began it. I wasn't ready for the death of the children, or the sudden death of the adults. I sometimes get so used to Disney-fied storytelling that it almost jolts me when I am reminded that it can be dark. A story cannot always be happy, especially when you put characters out of their element. I longed to see the ghost, and del Toro wasn't afraid to show him. So many times in today's cinemas we have to wait until the very end to catch a glimpse of the evil spirit that has been causing the chaos ... not in this film. Immediately upon arrival at the school, we see (with Carlos) the spirit of Santi. It really helps build the tension much better than waiting until the very end.
4) I loved the theme of revenge in this film. This goes back to my explanation of the common bond between Santi and Jacinto. While the bomb symbolically represents the both of them, characterally, they both are very similar. Both want revenge, both grew up in this school, and both are hopelessly wandering through life. I really though that it fit perfectly that these two characters were so similar, yet hated each other so much. There was a fear there that was kept hidden, but as you the viewer realized, it was always there. Only del Toro could have pulled this off.
5) Finally, the actor Eduardo Noriega did an impressive job on this film. I had recently seen him in the film Abre Los Ojos (aka Open Your Eyes) playing the part that Tom Cruise would later improve, and was unimpressed, but upon seeing this film ... I have been reborn. . He has this air of malevolence about him. His intense, dark eyes are windows into a tortured soul. His voice is venomous. He even has an exceptionally evil grin. If someone were to smile at me the way Jacinto smiles, I would go pale and shrivel. At first I was very worried when I saw him on screen, but by the end of the film ... I was nothing but impressed!!!
Grade: ***** out of *****
Summary of The Devil's Backbone (Special Edition)
DEVIL'S BACKBONE SE - DVD MovieSeething passions, wandering ghosts, and an unexploded bomb fill this beautifully filmed tale of war and suspense. Though The Devil's Backbone 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. --Ali Davis
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