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THE DEVIL'S BACKBONE - REVIEW

EL ESPINAZO DEL DIABLO ( Spanish,2001)

Director : Guillermo Del Toro

Cast : Fernando Tielve , Eduardo Noriega , Federico Luppi

This is essentially a horror movie , sans the blood and gore. This movie is a blend of horror and drama , and boy o boy , what a blend it turned out to be. Another movie from Europe , this time from Spain's acclaimed director , Del Toro.

The movie is about a young boy Carlos (Tielve) , who is made to live in an orphanage / school , meant for children whose parents are with the rebel groups during the Spanish Civil war. There he is assigned a bed , which belonged to a kid called Santi ,who disappeared many days ago. The movie focuses on Carlos trying to adjust to the new surroundings , and also his encounters with "the one who sighs" . What follows is a horror story with the War as a backdrop.

What could have easily been another run of the mill horror movie , has been cleverly made , using the political scenario as a driver for the story. The movie is not the conventional horror type and we don't get to see any blood being spilled , head being severed etc. Instead the horror element is brought out by the ubiquitous presence of the ghost character , who makes himself visible to Carlos at regular intervals.

You might have noticed from my reviews that I have an affinity for children based movies, and this one is no exception. "The Devil's Backbone" actually unfolds in a spooky manner with a voice over "What is a ghost ?" , but brilliantly transforms itself into a drama , with the spooks being an integral part. The movie will not scare you in the true sense of the word , buts keeps you guessing throughout the movie.

A few dark secrets are revealed in the later stages of the movie and you realize why some scenes which had appeared inconsequential in the earlier parts , actually form the most important part of the storyline. There are many other characters in the movie which are cleverly brought out in the story.

We have Carmen, the ageing Headmistress of the school , who has an affair with the young worker Jacinto (Noriega). The school's Doctor Casares( Luppi) is an ageing man , who has his eye on Carmen. The children are another refreshing aspect of the movie. A kid called Jaime comes across as the chief bully around , but we get to see different shades as the movie progresses.

The star of the movie however is the young Carlos. Not only does he have to adjust to the new place , but also has to put up with the usual problems like bullying etc , and on top of all this he has frequent encounters with the ghost. So, we get to see a rather diverse character , whose emotions are portrayed brilliantly by the young actor , Fernandi Tielve.

We don't really get to see the actual war happening , but the prospect of an attack looms large over the school , considering the volatile political situation in which the movie is based upon. It is more of a psychological thriller . The movie has been shot in a very minimal way , and the bulk of the story unfolds inside the school campus .

Characterization is another strong point of the movie. Jacinto definitely has a large role to play as you will realize towards the end . I was very impressed with the portrayal of Doctor Casares , especially his role as the father figure in the later sequences.

The screenplay is very good , and the story is well driven . Chills and thrills are not to be expected , but still falls under the mainstream Thriller/Horror genre. The story reveals itself a tad bit early , but the Director manages to keep you interested , despite you knowing what might happen along the way.

I will go with 3.5 out of 5 , for this one , which is brilliant , but not as good as the Director's "Pan's Labyrinth" , which I consider to be one of the best movies ever made. However , Guillermo Del Toro has not let me down this time , and I strongly recommend this movie .

VERDICT : Brilliant ( 3.5 / 5)