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.
CRITIQUE
My first impressions were I was going to hate this movie. The
marketing of this film makes it sound like it’s up there with The
Sixth Sense and The Others – both of which I found to be
quite overrated and non-enjoyable. Ghost stories made into films these
days have turned to the worse as there is always a clichéd background
story that must be solved. More and more I began to realize, however,
these kinds of films rip each other off. Movies like Poltergeist
and Amityville Horror aren't made anymore. Apparently there has
to be a Hitchcock twist to make a film seem more suspenseful and less
scary on the concept alone. I kind of had that impression when I
received this DVD and as I started watching the movie, but the further
I got into it I realized there is depth to the story.
Usually with a cliché movie like The Sixth Sense, The
Devil's Backbone balances the chills with the thrills, which kind
of balances each other out, not giving you the ultimate experience of
watching a ghost story unfold. With this movie there are more chills
but less thrills. In fact, there is more story telling present
throughout the movie without the corny “I see dead people” line. Of
course, you do see a Casper-like ghost on and off, but not very
much. Also, the movie plays off the characters and the surroundings
more, which happens to be a Civil War unfolding. And because this is a
Spanish movie, it’s more intriguing to watch. It’s refreshing to see
something familiar done differently.
I would say this is a Hitchcock kind of movie – there is a dark
setting, a suspenseful back story, curiosity, and obsession. But more
importantly, it’s a coming of age flick that’s more impressive than
recent flicks. The visuals in this movie also look top-notch and
impressive. Taking into consideration the things I've said, I feel
director Guillermo Del Toro is more talented than the overrated M.
Night Shyamalan.
THE VIDEO
Columbia presents The Devil's Backbone in 1:85:1 anamorphic
widescreen. Picture quality is top-notch. I mean, very-very
impressive. One of the best widescreen presentations I’ve seen in a
long time. Vivid colors seen with perfection.
THE AUDIO
Columbia presents The Devil's Backbone in only Spanish Dolby
Digital 5.1. There is no dubbed track so if you don’t understand
Spanish, you may have to just read the movie with the lovely
subtitles. Sound effects come across very well. Music is brilliantly
presented. No complaints at all.
THE EXTRAS
• Commentary by director Guillermo del Toro
• Brand-new director-supervised HD transfer
• Deleted scenes with optional director commentary
• Making-of documentary
• Director's thumbnail track
• Excerpts from director's notebook
• Conceptual art galleries
• Storyboard thumbnail comparisons
The commentary track is very interesting – as well as the "making
of". And if you’re interested in the visual aspect of the film, check
out the few galleries.
FINAL THOUGHTS
If you’re a fan of the genre, The Devil's Backbone is worth
checking out. It's not the greatest of films, but again, I was deeply
surprised that I actually enjoying it.
