4/29/2023 0 Comments Devil backbone![]() ![]() Casares and Carmen keep a large cache of gold to help support the treasury of the Republican loyalists, making this remote site a frequent target of Franco's troops an unexploded bomb waits to be defused in the orphanage's courtyard. Casares and Carmen, both supporters of the Second Republic cause, operate a small orphanage in a remote part of Spain, along with the groundskeeper Jacinto and a teacher, Conchita. I promise that it holds up wonderfully, and still remains among his best, even 20 years later.The Spanish Civil War enters its final stage. If you’re a fan of Guillermo del Toro’s films, and you haven’t seen this one, please do yourself a favor and go watch it. Much like seeing pieces of Jaws or Indiana Jones in Steven Spielberg’s Duel, I loved revisiting The Devil’s Backbone and seeing pieces of his newer, more successful films. It’s truly amazing to go back to early films in acclaimed director’s filmographies. By the end of The Devil’s Backbone, the audience is more than ready to see Jacinto’s demise, much like Michael Shannon in The Shape of Water or Sergi Lopez in Pan’s Labyrinth. Villains tend to really get in their hits throughout his films. Jacinto is such a detestable character, and contrasts so well with all the other likeable characters of the film. The other important standout from this film is del Toro’s ability to direct a villain. To be able to make the setting a complete story building device takes a lot of talent, and was even done in earlier films of his, like Cronos and Mimic. The orphanage in this film was a lonely, starving, forgotten place for lonely, starving, forgotten children. ![]() The environments tell us so much of the story, that things barely need to be explained to us. Del Toro also has a knack for bringing out an incredible amount of personality from old, decrepit settings. Inspirations from earlier Japanese horror films were used in his practical design, and the ghostly blood effects flowing from Santi’s head would live on 14 years later in del Toro’s Crimson Peak. Santi’s ghost is truly haunting, especially for 2001 visuals. The first being his incredible talent for impeccable monster and setting creation. The Devil’s Backbone accomplished two extremely important things that Guillermo del Toro would bring with him in his filmmaking throughout the rest of his career. RELATED: Ten 2021 Horror Films We Can’t Wait to See This story just feels real, which isn’t surprising as it was inspired by del Toro’s uncle, who supposedly came to him as a ghost when he was a child. Not only can a stray bullet or bomb completely change a character arc at any time, but the actors play their parts perfectly, representing the mental anguish and worry that comes with the random destruction that came come with war. All of the fear and unknowns of war put pressure on all angles of this extremely isolated ghost story. The Devil’s Backbone is no exception, putting the audience smack-down in the middle of the Spanish Civil War. His storytelling often weaves what normally would be unbelievable gothic tales throughout real events in human history, creating a narrative in historical fiction that feels amazingly credible. Guillermo del Toro is an absolute masterful filmmaker. Carlos, with the help of his new friends, must bravely uncover the dark past of the orphanage, while maneuvering around Jacinto’s sketchy antics. In doing his investigation, he makes enemies with Jacinto (Eduardo Noriega), a now-grown longtime resident of the orphanage whose hatred of it runs deep. At night, Carlos starts to have supernatural experiences with the ghostly form of Santi (Junio Valverde), a boy that went missing before Carlos arrived. Though he’s not initially well-received, Carlos befriends several of the other boys at the orphanage and even starts to bond with a few of the caretakers. RELATED: The True Story of ‘The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It’įor those that haven’t seen it, The Devil’s Backbone follows 12-year-old Carlos (Fernando Tielve), as he’s dropped off at an orphanage following the death of his father during the Spanish Civil War. Let’s go back and celebrate two decades of The Devil’s Backbone. Twenty years ago, del Toro helmed a gorgeous political-supernatural film that was inspired by his personal experiences and memories, and still remains one of his best. With the more recent successes of Guillermo del Toro’s films, like Best Picture winner The Shape of Water or summer blockbuster Pacific Rim, his early films get pushed further and further from the public eye. ![]() ![]() Casual movie watchers probably don’t remember that James Cameron directed Piranha II: The Spawning or that David Fincher directed Alien 3. When directors reach certain level of success, it can be easy to forget some of their early, lesser-known works. ![]()
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