![the devils backbone the devils backbone](https://wheresthejump.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/the-devils-backbone-4.jpg)
Del Toro doesn't just talk about Backbone – he talks about the medium of film as a whole, and shares his thoughts on other filmmakers.Īnyone who has listened to one of del Toro's Blu-ray commentary tracks knows how well-versed in the language of film he is, and here in the pages of The Devil's Backbone is even more of his staggering knowledge and insight. This book is like an entire journey through film school condensed into 160 pages. It is an all-encompassing look at a remarkable film, but it's more than that.
![the devils backbone the devils backbone](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_tsKCzG5E1Xk/TK_p9Gef5gI/AAAAAAAAARU/34cT5hlJXzg/s1600/thedevilsbackbonepic.jpg)
The film's very soul is laid bare through a book-length interview with del Toro himself, interspersed with interviews from various members of the cast and crew. In Matt Zoller Seitz and Simon Abrams ' wonderful new book, del Toro's comeback film is explored from every angle – pre-production, production, and beyond. These elements are all at play in the cast of characters that populate The Devil's Backbone, and through them, del Toro weaves a haunting, hypnotic, heartbreaking tale.
#THE DEVILS BACKBONE FULL#
Instead, there are just people, full of conflicts, and neurosis, and hopes, and dreams, and hatreds. Characters are never one-dimensional in a del Toro film – there are no real heroes or villains. On its surface, The Devil's Backbone is a ghost story – the tale of a lonely boy who comes to an orphanage and finds a ghost. But Devil's Backbone is still very much its own unique beast. Instead, the film's compliment each other, like mirror images. It might be easy for some to think of Backbone as a test-run for Labyrinth, but that would be doing a disservice to the former. The Devil's Backbone would be the first of two films del Toro would set against the backdrop of the Spanish Civil War, the second being Pan's Labyrinth. Released in 2001, it was a firm reminder that the budding genius many people had sensed watching Cronos was still alive and well, and that Mimic hadn't sapped del Toro of his powers. The filmmaker was down, but not out.ĭel Toro would reclaim his artistic integrity (and peace of mind) with the Spanish language gothic melodrama The Devil's Backbone.
![the devils backbone the devils backbone](https://zuts.files.wordpress.com/2013/10/the-devils-backbone-santi.jpg)
It made sense that Hollywood would come calling, but del Toro's jump into the "mainstream" was fraught with production woes, meddling producers, and a finished product that left much to be desired. del Toro had burst onto the scene with his haunting, unique, inventive twist on vampire mythology, Cronos. In 1997, Mexican filmmaker Guillermo del Toro went Hollywood with the horror film Mimic.