Cheap The Devil's Backbone (DVD) (Marisa Paredes, Eduardo Noriega (II)) (Guillermo del Toro) Price

Related Products

Customer Reviews of The Devil's Backbone

It's 1939 in a Spain convulsed by civil war. Carlos (Fernando Tielve) is the son of a Republican fighter abandoned into tha care of a remote orphanage that specializes in harboring the sons of Repuplican warriors. Indeed, the governess of the place, Carmen (Marisa Paredes), states that when the Nationalists arrive, they'll find "Reds taking care of Reds". Carmen, the one-legged widow of a communist stalwart, is helped by the kindly Professor Casares (Federico Luppi). Upon his arrival, young Carlos must deal with the dominant male among the orphans, Jaime (Íñigo Garcés), the bad-tempered handyman, Jacinto (Eduardo Noriega), the ghost of a dead boy, Santi (Junio Valverde), and the imposing hulk of a rusted bomb imbedded nose-down in the dirt of the courtyard. The point is made early on that the munition has been defused, but Jaime tells Carlos that one can hear its heart still "ticking". Additional atmosphere is provided by the gold ingots which may or may not be concealed in a hidden wall safe, the deformed fetuses which the Professor keeps in jars of very old (and tasty) rum, and the over-sized slugs which migrate to the edge of a murky pool (which contains only-God-knows what) in a ruined basement.

Every one of the characters in THE DEVIL'S BACKBONE is effectively played, though most of them remained curiously detached from this viewer's sympathies. Professor Casares, an amateur poet, was, in my mind, the one best scripted to evoke some degree of emotional attachment and goodwill. Perhaps the film's finest scene was the last dialog between Casares and Carmen. Tielve earns admiration as the plucky Carlos, who must first cope with his abandonment, then bad food, Jaime's bullying, a terror-filled hazing of sorts, an unfortunate bed location, the pesky attentions of the phantasm, and finally worse. The tension is effectively heightened by the ominous presence of The Bomb, which represented, I think, the contextual concept of destruction and death waiting to happen. While it's certainly macabre, I didn't find the film as creepy as, say, THE OTHERS (Nicole Kidman, 2001). Perhaps it's the difference beween English Gothic and Spanish Gothic. But THE DEVIL"S BACKBONE is certainly worth seeing as a change of pace to the mindless thrillers that are over-represented in the video outlets.

An elegant ghost story
Instead of ghost story, a better term for this film would be Gothic drama. While a ghost does figure in the tale, the emphasis is on the interplay of the characters. Set in an isolated orphaned boys' school in a remote part of Spain during the Spanish Civil War, it tells of Carlos, a new student in the school who has been abandoned there by his tutor who cannot pay to continue keeping him. And it tells of Santi, another boy, and of the headmistress, the doctor, and the school's caretaker.

In the center of the school's courtyard stands an unexploded bomb, half-buried in the earth, that was dropped by a Fascist plane some time ago and never went off. It's a fitting Bunuelian symbol for the events that have led up to the current scenario. The one-legged headmistress, played by Almodovar regular Marisa Paredes, has a secret passion that is not revealed until most of the story has unfolded. The young caretaker, 25, committed a dark deed that is also brought out well into the film.

This is a classic confrontation of good vs. evil, but to believe, based on that, that this is a simplistic film would not do it justice. The unfolding of the story is superb; the pacing is perfect; the acting is excellent. Amenabar regular Eduardo Noriega plays the caretaker Jacinto who destroys whatever he touches. Federico Luppi--previously seen in Del Toro's first film Cronos and John Sayles' Men With Guns--is the elderly doctor whose desire to uphold the school is stronger than he knows. And the actors who play the boys are all well cast and contribute greatly to the film's success.

After the weak, Hollywood-based Mimic, it's gratifying to see Guillermo Del Toro return to his Hispanic roots with this film. It's his best yet. But on the horizon, in 2002, is his Blade 2, with Wesley Snipes. One never knows....Nevertheless, if you want to see a strong and unusual drama with elements of the supernatural, this is a great film.

nicely done
though some other amazon.com reviews put forth that this is a horror movie, that's not really the case--for the mere presence of a head-wound-gushing ghost and a gaggle of superstitious children does not a horror movie make. i'd say this is really more of a mystery--though that's not entirely accurate either, as the movie goes ahead and spills the beans about who the "bad guy" is early enough that you spend 2/3 of the movie just hoping everyone avoids him (as opposed to figuring out who he is). but TDB is definitely suspenseful, and filled with very well-drawn, well-played characters who are both complex and convincing.

there's a certain formula to a good ghost story, and that formula is a simple one: (a). spooky ghost (b). tries to communicate in order to (c). illuminate the circumstances surrounding his/her death and possibly (d). achieve vengeance and/or (e). protect others from the same squicky fate. it's a good formula, and TDB follows it with an astounding level of expertise.

for some reason, it seems that this is a set up that's easy to screw up; but when the formula is followed well, you end up with all the best elements of horror, suspense, mystery and even romance--all seasoned with a delightfully creepy paranormal ambience. this is most definitely the case with The Devil's Backbone. it is successfully spooky in parts, suspenseful throughout, and deeply romantic; yes, in accordance with the cliche, there's something for everyone.