THE DEVIL'S BACKBONE
A film review by Mark R. Leeper
CAPSULE: During the Spanish Civil War young Carlos is sent to a dreary orphanage complete with an unexploded bomb in the courtyard, a murder mystery, and a restless spirit. His life may depend on his learning the secret of the phantom. This is a stylish ghost story and murder mystery, though the emphasis is on the murder mystery. The writer and director is the incomparable Guillermo del Toro. Rating: 8 (0 to 10), high +2 (-4 to +4)
The Golden Age of the Mexican horror film was during the 1950s and 1960s. During this period the Mexican film industry turned out horror films with more enthusiasm than budget or quality. Featured in the films were vampires, werewolves, Aztec mummies, and professional wrestlers. The latter were usually heroes. They may not have gotten theatrical release in this country but the films would occasionally be pressed into service for late night horror film programs. Beyond that they were not much seen in the US. The supply died in the late 1960s and for a long time there were no horror films from Mexico. In 1993 a quality Mexican horror film, CRONOS, directed by Guillermo del Toro, was released. It was good enough that it played here mostly in art houses. In 1997 del Toro released another film, MIMIC. Both are atmospheric and visually remarkable films. THE DEVIL'S BACKBONE is the third from del Toro, a stylish ghost story set in a boarding school near end of the Spanish Civil War.
The film opens with a bomb bay opening and a bomb being dropped. The bomb falls in a schoolyard, but does not explode. To this same school is brought Carlos (played by Fernando Tielve), a new student. Almost immediately on arrival Carlos sees a ghostly presence in a doorway and the sight will shape his life at the school. Carlos has a hard time adapting to the new school and winning the friendship of the other students. Bigger children bully him and the teachers unfairly discipline him. But more unusual and more disturbing is that he continues to see the ghostly presence. At night he will see a shadow of the specter by his bed. He soon finds out the ghost is called by the other children "the one who sighs." The ghost might be Santi is a fellow student who disappeared and was thought to be murdered. The students are all terrified of Santi, but Carlos a bit less than the others are. For this reason Santi seems more willing to appear to him. Carlos learns about the school staff through little clandestine nighttime spying trips. He learns particularly about Professor Casares (Federico Luppi of CRONOS), his wife Carmen (Marisa Paredes), and the handyman, the handsome Jacinto (Eduardo Noriega).
THE DEVIL'S BACKBONE is only partially a ghost story. It part it is a standard boarding school story with horrors coming as much from the school bully as from the ghost. Eventually Carlos will have to find how it was that Santi became a ghost. The script of this film was del Toro's school thesis. Taking place in wartime and with a killer in the story, one might think the film could easily enough horror without a ghost. Even if all the elements are not necessary for the story, they are fit together in a very nice way. Del Toro has a beautiful eye for color and landscape. So in spite of the fact that some of the horror effects not particularly unique and the ghost is not frightening for long, the sheer beauty of the film's production make this a pleasure to watch. Del Toro keeps the digital work to a minimum and when he uses it, he uses it well. This is not the original film that CRONOS was, but it does work.
Sadly Mexican horror died in the late 1960s before it could really get going. Guillermo del Toro has brought about a minor rebirth and is the only director keeping it alive. But he is just about the best Mexico has ever had and is one of the best horror directors making films today. I rate the Mexican/Spanish production THE DEVIL'S BACKBONE an 8 on the 0 to 10 scale and a high +2 on the -4 to +4 scale.
Mark R. Leeper
mleeper@optonline.net
Copyright 2001 Mark R. Leeper