There was a time when horror movies were all about suspense and
mood. The goal was to terrify you with help from your imagination,
not blood and guts. Think "Psycho" and "Rosemary's Baby" and
"Halloween." Creative directing plus good storytelling equals plenty
of thrills and chills.
Director Guillermo del Toro's latest, "The Devil's Backbone," is a throwback to old-fashioned horror. While there are some gruesome effects, more importance is placed upon developing a solid story and atmosphere. The scares arise from these elements and del Toro shows himself to be an expert at building tension.
The setting is the last days of the Spanish Civil War (about 1939). Ten year-old Carlos (Fernando Tielve) arrives at the Santa Lucia School, his father having been killed in action and his mother long dead.
The all-male school houses orphans of the Republican militia and politicians as well as other abandoned children. Located in the middle of nowhere, it is run by an aged professor named Casares (Federico Luppi) and Carmen (Marisa Paredes), the stern headmistress.
Also on staff are Alma (Berta Ojea), a pretty young teacher, Conchita (Irene Visedo), the cook and Jacinto (Eduardo Noriega), the caretaker and a former student at Santa Lucia.
Immediately following his arrival, Carlos has problems. In addition to the cruel and brutish Jacinto, an older kid named Jaime (Inigo Garces) is constantly picking on him and trying to embarrass him in front of as many onlookers as possible.
And then there is the matter of the ghost Carlos keeps seeing. His name is Santi (Junio Valverde), and he was a student at the school who died late one night in a mysterious accident. How did he die? Who or what killed him? What does he want? Is he dangerous to Carlos?
While it doesn't contain a "Sixth Sense" twist or a shocker of an ending, "The Devil's Backbone" is an engrossing, suspenseful and tragic film. A strong sense of mystery and dread is maintained throughout and time is actually spent on developing characters and situations. This is not your average horror movie.
In addition to del Toro, cinematographer Guillermo Navarro ("Spy Kids" and "Jackie Brown") and sound man Miguel Rejas deserve mention. Navarro makes daylight scenes frightening with perfect lighting and knows how to utilize shadows and darkness to full effect. Combined with the superb sound job done by Rejas, there is plenty of suspense and ambience to spare.
{INSERT_RELATED}The desolate location of the school is fully utilized, the acting is strong all-around and there are many surprises along the way, especially towards the end. It's anything but conventional.
The pace is on the slow side, and the film definitely works more as a drama and mystery than ghost story. But "The Devil's Backbone" is a creepy movie that rewards a patient viewer. It will satisfy those looking for a good movie or a good horror flick. It is both of those things.
"The Devil's Backbone" opened Fri., Jan. 25 at Landmark's Oriental Theatre. Click here for showtimes.
