Director Guillermo del Toro is a unique talent whose films have a special feel and great style, and this 2001 entry, The Devil’s Backbone, is one of his finest.
In his introduction to the movie, the director explains how this film saved his career and his sanity after having a terrible experience directing Mimic in Hollywood with a lot of studio interference.
As General Franco’s fascists close in on victory during the final days of the Spanish Civil War, 12-year-old Carlos arrives at a remote orphanage for children of left-wing families. Soon after arriving, Carlos discovers the orphanage is haunted by Santi, a dead boy who stalks the building’s dark hallways and seeks revenge for his tragic death…
The film has a very atmospheric feeling to it; you know something is going to happen to this orphanage and the people who run it, including the children, as the back story unfolds on how a tragic accident left a child dead and how greed can turn a man to do evil things for his own profit.
Ten-year-old Carlos (Fernando Tielve), who is the newest child to be left here, befriends a ghostly child, Santi. While trying to find out exactly what happened to Santi, Carlos frequently irritates Jacinto (Eduardo Noriega), who secretly knows what happened.
Jacinto and a few of his friends plan to steal the gold, which the headmistress, Carmen (Marisa Paredes) has hidden in a safe, but things soon spiral out of control to a tragic climax.
The minimal sets and the gothic style add a lot to the film; the special effects are subtle but very effective.
The visuals are also enhanced by a top-notch soundtrack courtesy of Javier Navarrete. The director has stated that this was his most personal film, and you can really see why.
A superb gothic and creepy horror suspense movie that demands your attention.
The new 4K remaster has a solid image, grainy at times, but very effective. During the darker sequences, there are plenty of dark scenes and facial expressions that were previously hard to see, now clear and watchable.
The Spanish language audio and the English subtitles are clear and very easy to follow.
Some great extras on this release are as follows –
NEW Introduction by director Guillermo del Toro
Audio commentary with Guillermo del Toro (Sony)
Audio commentary with Guillermo del Toro (Optimum)
Audio Commentary with Director Guillermo del Toro and Cinematographer Guillermo Navarro
Video Prologue (Intro by Guillermo del Toro)
Behind the Scenes
Of Ghosts and Fauns: Del Toro’s Spanish Civil War
Original EPK Featurette
“Qué es un Fantasma?” – The Making of The Devil’s Backbone
Deleted Scenes: With Optional Commentary
Sketch, Storyboard, Screen: Multi-Angle
Special Effects Featurettes
Director’s Notebook
Picture Gallery
Trailer
64-page booklet with new essays
2 posters of new artwork by Krishna Bala Shenoi
A great horror film with plenty of suspense from a master director.
FILM -8 PICTURE – 9 AUDIO – 9 EXTRAS – 9