FemaleFirst.co.uk: DVD: The Devil's Backbone [DVD] [2001]

The Devil's Backbone [DVD] [2001]
enlarge	Director: Guillermo del Toro Actors: Marisa Paredes, Eduardo Noriega, Federico Luppi, Fernando Tielve, Íñigo Garcés Studio: Optimum Home Entertainment Category: DVD List Price: ~~£19.99~~ Buy New: £3.99 as of 24/11/2009 17:44 GMT details You Save: £16.00 (80%) New (19) Used (9) Collectible (1) from £3.02 Seller: halfpricedvds Rating: 31 reviews Sales Rank: 3880 Format: PAL, Widescreen Languages: English (Subtitled), Spanish (Original Language) Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over Region: 2 Discs: 1 Number Of Discs: 1 Running Time: 103 Minutes Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2 Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6 EAN: 5060034570172 ASIN: B00006420D Theatrical Release Date: 2001 Release Date: March 25, 2002 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days


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Editorial Reviews: Amazon.co.uk Review As Guillermo Del Toro films go IThe Devil's Backbone/I is a defining moment in his career, breaching the gap between International Art House and mainstream Hollywood success, it being his last film before IBlade 2/I. Based within an orphanage during the Spanish Civil War of the 1930s, the film is driven by its characters and, just like his previous films (ICronos/I and IMimic/I), it draws on the supernatural to outline and re-define exactly what it is that drives them. p Although Del Toro insists that this is not a film about the Civil War, by trapping and threatening its inhabitants the orphanage inevitably becomes a mirror for the events outside. These four walls become a place of protection for boys who have been orphaned during the war, a place for them to lead a relatively normal existence full of school life, bullying and adventure. Their main source of the latter being Santi, a young ghost who haunts the halls looking for revenge for his recent murder. Yet the pivotal character who evokes real fear in the children is not the spirit, but the greedy, selfish Jacinto (Eduardo Noriega), a former orphan, whose experiences have left him with deep emotional scars. With a strong cast and even stronger imagery (created by cinematographer Guillermo Navarro) Del Toro whips up a hauntingly effective film about love, life and the afterlife.p BOn the DVD:/B entering the extras literally through the keyhole, there are several opportunities to obtain a deeper understanding of this disturbing film. A "Behind the Scenes" featurette includes the cast's own character profiles and interpretation of the story, as well as Del Toro explaining his thoughts about the film and how he achieved some shots. Two of the sequences#151;"Aerial Bombardment" and "The Ghost"--can be seen in further technical detail, with film footage and computer animation combined to make a whole scene. A selection of storyboards can also be viewed which run alongside the soundtrack to the scene, with the option to intercut between storyboard and finished film. A theatrical trailer, a picture gallery and written biographies are standard. The film and additional features are in Spanish with English subtitles and menu. With Dolby 5:1 sound and a widescreen picture, the film not only looks and sounds, but also feels fantastically chilling. --INikki Disney/I

Customer Reviews: Showing reviews 1-5 of 31 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Next » a good old fashioned ghost story, and so much more besides May 27, 2007 Mr. Rwj Nixon 22 out of 22 found this review helpful Sometimes it is a genuine joy to see a good old fashioned genre done so well that it takes your breath away, and so I am proud to present for your consideration The Devils Backbone, as effective and full blooded a ghost story as you are ever likely to see. br / Written and directed by Guillermo Del Toro, the mastermind behind such fantastic pieces of cinema as Cronos and Pans Labyrinth, as well as the slightly disappointing super-hero movies Blade 2 and Hellboy (hey, even the best of us can make a mistake), the film centres around Carlos (Fernando Tielve). The year is 1939 and the Spanish Civil War is coming to its bloody end. Carlos is brought to an isolated orphanage by his tutor and guardian where he is left, unaware that his father, a Republican, has been slain in the war. Carlos accepts his fate, but life is anything but simple for him, in spite of the presence of the kindly Dr Casares (Federico Luppi), as young Carlos must contend with bullying from some of the other boys and the attentions of the sadistic caretaker Jacinto (Eduardo Noriega). But these tribulations are as nothing when Carlos becomes the focus of attention for a ghost that haunts the orphanage, the ghost of a fellow orphan Santi, who disappeared (or died) in mysterious circumstances, and appears to Carlos to warn him that "many will die". As the war closes in on the orphanage and much of Santi's warning comes to pass, the orphans must band together to fight the real evil that threatens them. br / This is both a superb ghost story, a riveting drama and a coming of age tale all rolled into one, and the isolated location of the orphanage coupled with the impending threat of violence, from the war, from the bullies, from Jacinto or from the ghostly warnings of Santi, give the film an almost unbearable sense of tension and dread. And when true horror is visited upon the orphanage and the boys must band together, the film becomes a morality tale as well as a study of what people are capable of in the most dire of circumstances (shades of Lord of the Flies methinks). br / The film is never less than beautiful to look at, and Del Toro uses an economy of direction, avoiding showy special effects and letting the story do all the work for him, pulling a series of superb performances from his cast, in particular Federico Luppi as Dr Casares, a kind and dignified man who promises never to abandon the boys, and remains true to his word throughout the film, and Eduardo Noriega as Jacinto, a terrific study of sadistic bullying and greed, as well as abandonment and loss. This film is easily the equal of anything Del Toro has done previously, and something of a companion piece to his following movie, the justly celebrated Pans Labyrinth. By turns beautiful, atmospheric and when it wants to be, scary as hell. br / Devilishly Brilliant Superbly Shot Masterpiece June 24, 2002 Dylan Thomas (United Kingdom) 23 out of 25 found this review helpful A beautifully shot film contrasting the bright white landscapes surrounding the orphanage with the foreboding almost gothic corridors and rooms inside. Superbly acted by both adults AND children alike (Del Torro obviously knows how to select his actors and get their best performances) and very well produced. If you know anyone adverse to watching subtitled/foreign films then this is the one that will break them because the story and subject matter simply overcome the language barrier. A truely gripping piece of cinema that begins with one simple(?!) question What is a ghost?... By the end of this film you will be asking yourself that same question over and over. Spain shows holywood a thing or two about horrors December 10, 2003 Mr. Tr Adams (UK) 20 out of 23 found this review helpful This isn't a very well known horror/suspense film and it's in Spanish with subtitles. I am a fan of horror, I enjoyed The Ring, The Thing, The Others etc. but there is more atmospherebrin this film than any of them. Its not gory or particularly scary but there is a chill factor to it. If you haven't seen this film don't let the Spanish subtitles put you off, it is fantastic. A Heartbreaking movie of Staggering Genius. March 27, 2002 Samuel Daram (samueldaram@hotmail.com) (Herts, U.K) 9 out of 10 found this review helpful What is a ghost ? , asks the narrator in the opening scene of my favourite film of 2001. And the answer i got in the cinema at the end broke my heart. Now, i am glad to be able to watch it again on DVD.br br The story is so powerful and absorbing that i forget that it is told in the Spanish language. This is one its many strengths. Pure cinema at its majestic beauty.br This is more than just a haunting ghost story. I adore every aspect of this masterpiece from the unforgettable characters and setting (Spain in the civil war riven 1930s) to the masterful storytelling style.p Thank you Mr Guillermo del Toro for this gift of a magnificent movie. With this one, i feel i am watching the ascendancy of a unique directorial Great. I don't have any knowledge of Spanish. But i am telling everyone i meet to watch this movie. Its themes of death, ghosts, wars, love and loss are too relevant now. We need this story. Saying anymore about the Devil's Backbone would be to rob you of the pleasure in discovering the many heartbreaking moments for yourself. Not even the Devil would do that. Powerful and eerie drama January 8, 2004 P. Sanders (Belfast) 26 out of 31 found this review helpful At one point near the end of this film, the corrupt Jacinto (Eduardo Noriega) discusses murdering a group of boys in an orphanage in order to escape with stolen gold. Who'll miss them? he asks - "a drop in the ocean". For me this line encapsulates "The Devil's Backbone" more than any other (even more than the much-discussed question of "What is a ghost?"). This film is about a small group of desperate people swept up in a war larger than they can imagine. To the viewer, events in this film are shattering, but at the end we know they are just a drop in the ocean of the Spanish Civil War. What will happen to the survivors after the film ends? There are no guarantees as to their safety.pBriefly - the plot. A boy Carlos is left by his guardian to stay at an orphanage run by left-wing sympathisers. Outside the war looms closer, the fascists gaining ground every day. Carlos must deals with bullying, loneliness and the violent threats of caretaker Jacinto. As if this wasn't enough, he must discover the truth about the mysterious figure haunting the orphanage at night. A voice that tells him, "Many of you will die..."pGuillermo del Toro's intimate and tender film is undoubtedly a ghost story - but don't come to it expecting a standard Hollywood-style horror flick. Although the ghost-seeking-revenge plotline in itself is probably the most traditional element of the film, it is just one part of a rich, deep and troubling look at one of Spain's most brutal periods. And "the one who sighs" himself is a truly original ghost - half child, half skeleton, releasing blood into the air as though floating through water. But like all the characters in the movie, even the villains, he earns our sympathy.pThe cast are superb, including the children. Noriega applies the same brooding menace he has previously brought to films like "Open Your Eyes" and "Tesis". Jacinto is monstrous, moving like an animal determined to survive at any cost. There is also sadness there as we learn about his lonely childhood - the "prince without a kingdom". Federico Luppi as Casares and Marisa Paredes as Carmen are also strong, particularly their last scene together in the movie. The characters are afraid but dignified, Casares refusing to openly admit his love for his colleague.pFor the most part "The Devil's Backbone" takes its time, setting the scene, opening mysteries and letting the characters develop. But as events spiral out of control the tension rises to a shocking climax two thirds in that will leave you gasping. I first saw this film in the cinema, and at this point the audience went absolutely quiet. This paves the way for the sad and desperate final act, as the children must save themselves and help "the one who sighs" gain his revenge.pThis film is amazing and intensely moving, both tragic and beautiful. Showing reviews 1-5 of 31 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Next »

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