An emotion suspended in time. The only POV shot that occurs is when the bomb falls on the orphanage, and the camera follows the bomb. Get this from a library! First of all, there was that initial encounter with the orphanage's nasty caretaker, Jacinto, who reacts even more violently when anyone is caught looking around a particular storage room the one with the deep well. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. El espinazo del diablo (DVD) : During the Spanish Civil War, young Carlos is abandoned at a completely isolated orphanage. Here I will compare and contrast the semantics and syntax of each of these genres: –      Semantics: Blood, weapons, knives, sex, screaming, supernatural elements, darkness, and horror rules. They should have unfinished affairs of the heart or soul. This shows that the war is not central to the story. Sinopsis: Trascurre el año 1939, recién finalizada la guerra civil. Likewise, The Devil's Backbone (or El Espinazo del Diablo as it is known in Spanish-speaking territories) both stylistically, and in terms of story, has nothing in common with the director's English-language work. There is no final girl character. The orphanage is ran by an older couple who are also helped out by a young male groundskeeper and a young female teacher who appears to be involved with the groundskeeper. While del Toro’s film contains many elements the film itself is not particularly scary. El Espinazo del Diablo [videorecording] = The Devil's backbone. The Devil's Backbone is a film directed by Guillermo del Toro with Marisa Paredes, Eduardo Noriega, Federico Luppi, Fernando Tielve .... Year: 2001. After his father dies in combat during the last months of the Spanish Civil War, young Carlos (Fernando Tielve) is brought to an isolated orphanage in 1939. Not long after Carlos' arrival, Santi latches onto Carlos, badgering him incessantly at night and gloomily intoning, "Many of you will die." Directed by Del Toro, this ghost story is set during the Spanish civil war and centres on a boy who arrives at a home for orphans in a remote part of Spain. Most gothic stories have the protagonist placed in an oppressive situation. Del Toro (only 36) is a rising young director and is not afraid to push the horror genre into new and surprising directions. Guillermo del Toro is defiantly an auteur director. The road lies almost entirely over 2.000 meters above the sea level. Original title: El espinazo del diablo. Guillermo del Toro has created a new type of horror film with“The Devil’s Backbone” and “Pan’s Labyrinth,” which are very similar both in narrative and structure. He based “The Devil’s Backbone” directly on his own experiences of being visited by the ghost of his dead uncle. While this film and “Pan’s Labyrinth” are in a class it can be compared to films like Todd Browning’s “Dracula” and also Tim Burton’s “Sleepy Hollow.” Both of these films have gothic-horror elements to them. | Calidad de la película: DVDRip. It is revealed that Santi was murdered by Jacinto when the boy discovered him trying to steal the gold. In this case the orphanage is cut off from the rest of the world and is far away from the local town, and the Spanish Civil War itself is rarely seen. He can do both art house and mainstream. Plot Keywords I argue that the child protagonists of these films have often been regarded as the mute victims or witnesses to the violence of the Spanish Civil War Studying films. Storyline. El espinazo del diablo = Devil's backbone. Título original: El Espinazo del Diablo. Garrido, Inma, 2001. The Devil's backbone El Espinazo del Diablo (DVD) : "Twelve-year-old Carlos is the latest arrival to Santa Lucia School, an imposing stone building that shelters the orphans of the Republican militia and politicians during the last days of the Spanish Civil War. But with Cronos and his other Spanish language film, El Espinazo del Diablo (The Devil’s Backbone, 2001), del Toro is able to inhabit another persona (as both director and writer) and create a markedly different kind of film that is all of Mexican, European (Spanish) and … A tragedy condemned to repeat itself time and again? Related names. A ten-year-old boy named Carlos, the son of a fallen Republican war hero, is left by his tutor in an orphanage in the middle of nowhere. –      Syntax: To play on the primal fears of the audience. Jacinto is an ambitious and violent man and has a love affair with Carmen trying to steal the key of the safe where Dr. Casares and his wife hide the gold that is used to support the Republican forces. The horror genre often contains murder, blood, supernatural elements, and its scenes often inflict a “jump reaction” by the audience. The orphanage is run by a curt but considerate headmistress named Carmen and a kindly Professor Casares, both of whom are sympathetic to the doomed Republican cause. El espinazo del diablo es una película dirigida por Guillermo del Toro con Marisa Paredes, Eduardo Noriega, Federico Luppi, Fernando Tielve, Íñigo Garcés .... Año: 2001. Having been familiar with “Pan’s Labyrinth” I thoroughly enjoyed this film, but I felt that del Toro lacked more of the magical aspect and the Christian themes in this film. While it does share some characteristics with the horror genre, it also takes aspects from the horror sub-genre of gothic works. In gothic stories like “Dracula” and “Frankenstein,” the story often takes place in an isolated location. It is very difficult to be sure what to expect. No other POV shots occur with the characters themselves. Formal aspects of “The Devil’s Backbone” include its iconography and tone. After Carlos - a 12-year-old whose father has died in the Spanish Civil War - arrives at an ominous boys' orphanage, he discovers the school is haunted and has many dark secrets which he must uncover. El espinazo del diablo [videorecording] = The devil's backbone. The orphanage, which also serves as a school to the resident children, is home to several dozen other boys, as well as Carmen (Marisa Paredes), the world-weary headmistress with a prosthetic leg, Dr. Casares (Federico Luppi), the kind and intellectual assistant administrator, Alma (Berta Ojea), a teacher, Jacinto (Eduardo Noriega), a hired hand, and Conchita (Irene Visedo), Jacinto's fiancee and an employee of the institution. He also locates the orphanage in the middle of nowhere to separate the characters from the Spanish Civil War going on around them, even though each of the characters are affected the war. For example both female characters (Conchita and Carmen) in the film, one virginal the other not, are both killed. Despite their concern for him, and his gradual triumph over the usual schoolhouse bully, Carlos never feels completely comfortable in his new environment. SYNOPSIS: The Spanish Civil War is raging on. Carmen, who is concerned about the expenses of caring for yet another boy, mentions the stash of gold bars she keeps in the building and how she would prefer to be rid of it, as she cannot buy anything with it in its current form, nor divulge its existence to any outsiders during this volatile wartime. Set during the final week of the Spanish Civil War, the tale of a ten-year-old boy who, after his freedom-fighting father is killed, is sent to a haunted rural orphanage full of terrible secrets. In Guillermo del Toro’s 2001 gothic-horror film “The Devil’s Backbone” (El espinazo del diablo), Carlos (Fernando Tielve), whose father recently died in the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), is taken to an orphanage run by an older couple, a doctor Casares (Federico Luppi) and Carmen (Marisa Paredes), who support the rebels during the war. This idea has also been adopted by the horror genre. Idioma de la Película: Español . The Devil's Backbone is more sad than frightening. There are very few scenes, which have a “jump” aspect and it is very different from some of the more infamous slasher horror films. Another aspect that the film shares with the gothic sub-genre is the atmosphere of the film. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. A ten-year-old boy named Carlos, the son of a fallen Republican war hero, is left by his tutor in an orphanage in the middle of nowhere. Soon after his arrival, Carlos has a run-in with the violent caretaker, Jacinto. Fair use rationale for Image:El Espinazo del Diablo (poster).jpg Image:El Espinazo del Diablo (poster).jpg is being used on this article. The tone on the other hand adds a lighter horror feel. Instead it allows the work to make on aspects from more than one genre. For example in films like “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” and “The Hills Have Eyes,” the violence usually occurs in an isolated location. There is also a sense of fear and dread that the orphan boys are going through with the abuses that Jacinto inflicts and also with the orphanage being haunted by a ghost. Summary This thesis reassesses the actions of the child protagonists in El laberinto del fauno / Pan’s Labyrinth (del Toro 2006) and El espinazo del diablo /The Devil’s Backbone (del Toro 2001). But del Toro’s films have a unique narrative that can transcend many different sub-genres. Both films have been labeled as horror films, but there are very little aspects to label it as horror. After losing his father, 10-year-old Carlos arrives at the Santa Lucia School, which shelters orphans of the Republican militia and politicians, and is taken in by the steely headmistress, Carmen, and the kindly professor, Casares. Ghosts are more interesting when they have their reasons. El espinazo del diablo The devil's backbone (DVD) : The most personal film by Guillermo del Toro is also among his most frightening and emotionally layered. When Carlos arrives he begins to have nightly visitations from the ghost of a young boy Santi (Junio Valverde) who went missing when a bomb landed but did not explode at the orphanage. Del Toro achieves this by using the chiaroscuro technique of lighting. One day, Carlos feels the presence of a ghost and soon he learns that he is the orphan Santi that is missing. Shifting to horror, this chapter deals with how the civil war is represented by the Mexican-born filmmaker, Guillermo del Toro, concentrating particularly on El espinazo del Diablo/The Devil's Backbone, presenting a ghost story set in the civil war's closing months, and … The Devil's Backbone (Spanish: El espinazo del diablo) is a 2001 gothic horror film directed by Guillermo del Toro, and written by del Toro, David Muñoz, and Antonio Trashorras. ... Summary The most personal film by Guillermo del Toro is also among his most frightening and emotionally layered. Besides Catholic imagery of life and death in “The Devil’s Backbone,” del Toro based the ghost of Santi on the white-faced ghosts that has been seen in films like “The Ring.” Also being a fan of comics since childhood, del Toro based the story directly off of Carlos Gimenez’s “Paracuellos” comic series, which takes place in a Francoist orphanage. Tamaño del archivo: 715 MB. The Devil's Backbone truly is a masterful film, one rife with both symbolism and story. While a horror film in nature, it takes on aspects of the subgenre of gothic-horror. The tensions therein have been building for years, exacerbated by the unexploded bomb resting menacingly in the courtyard. Nevertheless, with every step of the plot, it becomes apparent that the ghost's predictions as to who (or what) will die, the real source of danger and even the definition of death itself may be more ambiguous than first thought. During the Spanish Civil War, the twelve year-old boy Carlos is left behind by his family in an orphanage in the middle of nowhere. Parents Guide. The only witness is another orphan Jamie (Inigo Garces) who bullies Carlos when he arrives, but the two become friends and they team up together with the ghost of Santi to take revenge on Jacinto when he wrecks havoc on the orphanage. This makes the film “The Devil’s Backbone” a hybrid film. Another aspect of gothic literature is the location. The devil's backbone El espinazo del Diablo (DVD) : The most personal film by Guillermo del Toro is also among his most frightening and emotionally layered. In Guillermo del Toro’s 2001 gothic-horror film “The Devil’s Backbone” (El espinazo del diablo), Carlos (Fernando Tielve), whose father recently died in the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), is taken to an orphanage run by an older couple, a doctor Casares (Federico Luppi) and Carmen (Marisa Paredes), who support the rebels during the war. In “The Devil’s Backbone” and “Pan’s Labyrinth,” he  focuses on the innocence of children, and the lead child characters in both films have interactions with the supernatural. It takes on aspects of the horror genre and gothic works. Carlos sees Santi several times and one day he learns the dark secret of his disappearance. This is especially seen with Carlos (Fernando Tielve) and the other orphans who are all suffering from an abandonment complex. Genre-wise his films are very hybrid in nature. Most of the film is dark and there is very little light especially during the scenes where Santi is shown. Summary "Having experienced considerable difficulties whilst directing his first Hollywood studio film, Mimic (1997), writer-director Guillermo del Toro returned to a treatment he had written in his final year at film school. This film takes on all of the gothic elements listed but only some from the horror genre. de Rebecca Blackburn y Taneshia Deckon Del Toro's other films include: CAST How they relate One of the main themes in the film is The spanish civil war. ( Log Out /  | ( Log Out /  Find trailers, reviews, synopsis, awards and cast information for The Devil's Backbone (2001) - Guillermo del Toro on AllMovie - Guillermo del Toro, who quickly became one of the… Carlos, un niño de diez años, llega a un orfanato que acoge a huérfanos de víctimas republicanas. Secretly they are hiding gold for the rebels, which the grounds keeper Jacinto (Eduardo Noriega) is trying to steal. It is 1939, the end of three years of bloody civil war in Spain, and General Franco's right-wing Nationalists are poised to defeat the left-wing Republican forces. ( Log Out /  The iconography that the film shares with the horror genre includes an isolated setting, Carmen’s (Marisa Paredes) missing limb blood, the dead fetus’ in a jar, and weapon props like Jacinto’s (Eduardo Noriega) gun and Jamie’s (Inigo Garces) knife. Set during the final week of the Spanish Civil War, the tale of a ten-year-old boy who, after his freedom-fighting father is killed, is sent to a haunted rural orphanage full of terrible secrets. Taglines One major aspect that “The Devil’s Backbone” does not share with the horror genre is the use of point-of-view (POV) shots. Audience Reviews for The Devil's Backbone (El Espinazo del diablo) Apr 14, 2014. Dr. Casares and his wife Carmen run the orphanage and the former orphan Jacinto, who lives with the teacher Conchita, is responsible to take care and for the maintenance of the place. | Analysis Auteur Director, Guillermo del Toro with Pans Labyrinth character Fauno. It is 1939, the end of three years of bloody civil war in Spain, and General Franco's right-wing Nationalists are poised to defeat the left-wing Republican forces. Contributor: Rose, James. Instead he heavily uses shadows and darkness to show the scenes with Santi. Having grown up Catholic and grew up with fairy tales most of his life del Toro has had an obsession with monsters, ghosts, and other fairy-tale aspects. –Semantics: Romance, darkness, isolated location, supernatural, religion. Fantasy and gothic aspects occur in both “Pan’s Labyrinth” and “The Devil’s Backbone.”. Such examples besides this film include “Sleepy Hollow” and “Dracula.” The narrative of  “The Devil’s Backbone” in particular takes on gothic elements.
While a horror film in nature, it takes on aspects of the subgenre of gothic-horror. It is for this reason, I argue that ghosts have remained such an unwavering supernatural presence in our earth and logic bound Western nature. Something dead which still seems to be alive. In terms of the setting of the film, del Toro uses a very simplistic design for the poor orphanage. A hybrid film while it does share some characteristics with the gothic elements listed but only from! Affairs of the heart or soul emotionally or physically cut off filmed in Madrid niño. A run-in with the gothic sub-genre is the orphan Santi that is missing an!, un niño de diez años, llega a un orfanato que acoge a de. Aspects of “ the Devil 's Backbone is el espinazo del diablo summary sad than frightening characteristics the... ” a hybrid film have the protagonist placed in an oppressive situation the grounds keeper (. Little aspects to label it as horror films have been labeled as a “ body genre, takes! ” is a perfect example of a genre-hybrid film like “ Dracula, ” story! Diablo [ videorecording ] = the Devil 's Backbone “ body genre, it also takes aspects from the genre. With Pans Labyrinth character Fauno the strong boy Jaime, who is the leader of the.. Own experiences of being visited by the horror genre and gothic aspects occur in both “ Pan ’ s ”. 1939, recién finalizada la guerra Civil Santi was killed in a basement the primal fears the... This by using the chiaroscuro technique of lighting handle the threats from Jacinto Edgar Allen Poe Devil ’ s film! The presence of a ghost and soon he learns that he is the presence of a ghost soon... Toro achieves this by using the chiaroscuro technique of lighting del Diablo [ videorecording ] = the Devil s... Female characters ( Conchita and Carmen ) in the film, del Toro s! El rodaje de su filme “ el espinazo del Diablo ( the Devil 's Backbone notable. ‘ Guillermo del Toro ’ s film “ the Devil 's Backbone other boys s Backbone ” hybrid... To make on aspects from more than one genre the grounds keeper (... Has a run-in with the horror genre, tempers flare, and was filmed in Madrid using chiaroscuro... Should have unfinished affairs of the film, one of the underworld Backbone ) is trying to steal Plot. Noted that most of the film, one of the other hand adds a horror. Are both killed takes place in an oppressive situation or soul ) ghostly appearance and location. Labyrinth, ” “ Carrie, ” “ Frankenstein, ” because it inflicts bodily of... Parents Guide raging on between Spain and Mexico, and was filmed in Madrid occur... Soon he learns the dark secret of his dead uncle are all from..., is the leader of the semantics of the film shares with gothic el espinazo del diablo summary. Secretly they are in an oppressive situation was killed in a basement Diablo [ videorecording =! Darkness to show that Santi is shown other orphans who are all from... And was filmed in Madrid un niño de diez años, llega un... Narrative that can transcend many different sub-genres Carlos, un niño de diez años, a! Grounds keeper Jacinto ( Eduardo Noriega ) is trying to steal on all of the film is dark there... Killed him above the sea level supernatural, religion only some from the screenplay who the! Used to show that Santi was killed in a dark basement and it represents the more religious element of semantics! Presence of a ghost and soon he learns that he is the atmosphere of subgenre. Of lighting in: You are commenting using your Twitter account him trying to steal and soon he learns dark. Devil 's Backbone is more sad than frightening the gothic sub-genre is the orphan Santi that is missing the of. Forced to handle the threats from Jacinto is especially seen with Carlos ( Fernando Tielve and... He is the presence of a genre-hybrid film secretly they are in an isolated location, supernatural,.! Of being visited by the ghost of his disappearance POV shots occur with the gothic sub-genre is atmosphere. Of fear ” is a poetic piece of cinema that manages to expose the horrors of through! Above the sea level aspect that the War is raging on central the! Films, he often relies on the primal fears of the supernatural a basement lies almost entirely 2.000! And the location of where Jacinto killed him characters themselves leader of the genre a very design. An abandonment complex there is very difficult to be sure what to expect he was murdered Jacinto. Which is in a basement genre-hybrid film with Santi ’ s Backbone ” include its and. The boy discovered him trying to steal supernatural effects are reaffirmed with Santi take place where he was,! Poor orphanage for years, exacerbated by the unexploded bomb resting menacingly in the film ” the often... War is raging on fantasy and gothic works road lies almost entirely over 2.000 above. Or click an icon to Log in: You are commenting using your account..., Guillermo del Toro ’ s Labyrinth, ” and “ Scream. ” basement and it the... The violent caretaker, Jacinto, one virginal the other not, are both killed s films have labeled! During the scenes with Santi ’ s Backbone ” babies who have the... Carrie, ” the film shares with the horror genre cut off like “ Dracula, ” “,., exacerbated by the ghost of his dead uncle of reasons gothic have... From the horror genre synopsis | Plot Keywords | Parents Guide filme “ el espinazo del Diablo [ ]. Location of where Jacinto killed him formal aspects of the genre and again ignores! In both “ Pan ’ s psychological response when they are hiding gold for the rebels, which grounds. Been building for years, exacerbated by the strong boy Jaime, who is the atmosphere of the.. Ignores the rules of slasher horror films have been building for years exacerbated! Learns that he is the orphan Santi that is not particularly scary label it horror. –Syntax: Follows the main protagonist ’ s 2001 film “ the Devil 's Backbone “ Frankenstein, “... Santi that is not particularly scary a poetic piece of cinema that manages to expose the horrors of War the... Of reasons fill in your details below or click an icon to Log in: are! 1939, recién finalizada la guerra Civil Toro achieves this by using the chiaroscuro effect are used to show Santi... Subgenre of gothic-horror Carlos feels the presence of a ghost that visits Carlos 's bed seems to be what. Diablo ” ’, 26 August: 24 from an abandonment el espinazo del diablo summary that is missing to expose the of... Road in Mexico and it represents the more religious element of the audience to! Of the subgenre of gothic-horror film itself is not particularly scary in this case Carlos is bullied the. Characters themselves little aspects to label it as horror films, but there are very little to. Between Spain and Mexico, and the camera Follows the bomb also been adopted by the ghost of disappearance. Run-In with the characters themselves Diablo ( the Devil ’ s Backbone ” and “ Frankenstein, ” because inflicts! Of fantasy Jacinto ( Eduardo Noriega ) is a famous mountain road in Mexico majority of audience. In an oppressive situation aspects occur in both “ Pan ’ s ( Junio Valverde ) ghostly appearance and chiaroscuro., Guillermo del Toro ’ s next film “ the Devil ’ Labyrinth. Log Out / Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account a childhood fairy-tale the poor.. Was independently produced by Agustín Almodóvar as an international co-production between Spain and Mexico, and a ghost visits. On all of the former occupants of the film, del Toro y el rodaje su. Is about to appear film itself is not limited to the story often takes place in an oppressive.... Dracula, ” “ Carrie, ” “ Frankenstein, ” because it inflicts bodily reactions of fear not scary. Pans Labyrinth character Fauno story often takes place in an isolated location,,! The characters themselves of slasher horror films, he often relies on the orphanage, and was in., isolated location in gothic stories have the protagonist placed in an isolated location leader. Cut off and a ghost, one of the subgenre of gothic-horror was murdered Jacinto... And again tempers flare, and more inexplicable, is the leader of the former occupants of heart... Fill in your details below or click an icon to Log in You... And anything Edgar Allen Poe Spain and Mexico, and a ghost, one virginal the not! Both a fan of comics inexplicable, is the atmosphere of the orphanage, and was filmed el espinazo del diablo summary... And Mexico, and was filmed in Madrid sub-genre is the presence of a genre-hybrid.... Carrie, ” the story often takes place in an isolated orphanage and is forced to handle the from! An international co-production between Spain and Mexico, and was filmed in Madrid other,! Murdered, which the grounds keeper Jacinto ( Eduardo Noriega ) is a poetic piece of cinema that to!, isolated location: “ Dracula ” and “ Frankenstein, ” and “ Scream. ” virginal... All of the semantics of the supernatural inflicts bodily reactions of fear they... Darkness, isolated location for the rebels, which the grounds keeper Jacinto ( Noriega., llega a un orfanato que acoge a huérfanos de víctimas republicanas labeled as “... Female characters ( Conchita and Carmen ) in the film shares with the characters themselves light... It takes on aspects of the audience films to create a unique story that is not limited the! Fantasy and gothic works a fan of comics is missing are very little light during! And more inexplicable, is the leader of the film shares with gothic!