The Devil's Backbone

In Guillermo del Toro's 'The Devil's Backbone,' a series of unfortunate events take shape inside a small orphanage for boys, exposing them to the cruel realities of the world and forcing them into adulthood far sooner than they're prepared for. Already having to deal with issues of abandonment, the boys are also burdened with the knowledge of the brutality some people are capable of inflicting upon others. This seems particularly true of Jaime (Íñigo Garcés), a kid expressing his anger and frustration with the world in his bullying of others, namely the new kid Carlos (Fernando Tielve). Written by del Toro, Antonio Trashorras, and David Muñoz, the plot is essentially a tale of the corruption of innocence, of a harsh world infecting the purity of a child, turning him into an uncaring cynic.

At first, it doesn't seem like Jacinto (Eduardo Noriega), the groundskeeper, is much more than the story's antagonist, your standard villain whose devious scheming pushes the narrative forward. When talking to a crooked-looking pair of day laborers, Jacinto reveals his plans of robbing the school of a small cache of gold bricks, making him appear the wicked evildoer indeed. However, his role is quite significant when he later divulges to the pretty Conchita (Irene Visedo) his hatred for the orphanage because it's where he grew up. His dreams, as a little boy, of someday being a successful man became one of having enough wealth to buy the property in order to tear it down. All of this is disclosed fairly early into the film, and it's certainly very telling.

Jacinto is an unpleasant individual. A brutish and callous bully the boys rightfully fear, the man is full of unresolved anger and resentment, which he lets out in a sadistically malicious attitude towards the kids. It won't be until the third act that we learn a bit more about Jacinto — a very brief moment of humanity when he discovers a box of childhood pictures, like souvenirs of a period of his own lost innocence. It's in light of this we too discover a thoughtful, penetrating design to del Toro's ghostly tale. In effect, Jacinto is one of Carlos and Jaime's possible futures since the upbringing of three appear very similar. This takes on greater significance when the two boys work together in a battle against those odds, a bold rejection to the world's greed and cruelty not destroying their spirits.

Del Toro sets this beautiful but subtly complex plot against the backdrop of the Spanish Civil War in its final year when sadly, the fascist right-wing dictator Francisco Franco was destined to rule for the next four decades. The idea of innocence lost suddenly expands into other facets of the film, as the inhabitants of this nearly-abandoned orphanage are made to battle amongst themselves. While the relatively young Jacinto is driven by greed and wealth, the older couple operating the school tries to remain vigilant to their ideals and the pursuit of caring for these unfortunate children. Carmen (Marisa Paredes) is the main administrator worn thin by the endless struggle to keep the orphanage functioning, but the Dr. Casares (Federico Luppi) persists as the hopeful idealist wanting to set the boys on their proper path into adulthood.

And lest I forget to mention it, mainly because I'm carried away by the plot's more profound and astute implications, 'The Devil's Backbone' is on its surface an excellent ghost story surrounding the mysterious death of one orphan boy named Santi (Junio Valverde). It's a creepily atmospheric tale told in the traditional style of the Gothic horror, a literary off-shoot of the Romantic genre where audiences take enjoyment in being immersed in dread and terror over cheap, sudden jump scares. Del Toro delights in the visually dramatic and disturbing environments, an approach that harkens back to classic Hammer Films, Jack Clayton's 'The Innocents' and Lewis Allen's 'The Uninvited.' The final reveal comes as little surprise, but that's beside the point in this brilliant supernatural film that expresses a far deeper concern and is quickly growing as a favorite horror classic.

The Blu-ray: Vital Disc Stats

This Blu-ray edition of 'The Devil's Backbone' comes courtesy of The Criterion Collection (spine #666) on a Region A locked, BD50 disc and housed in their standard clear keepcase. Accompanying the disc is a foldout pamphlet with an insightful essay entitled "The Past is never dead" by author and film critic Mark Kermode. There are no trailers or promos before being greeted by the distributor's normal menu options.