Movie Review: The Devil's Backbone (2001)

The Devil's Backbone (2001) co-written and directed by Guillermo del Toro

Carlos (Fernando Tielve) is dropped off at a remote orphanage during the Spanish Civil War. His dad has died in the war and his tutor can't take care of him anymore. Also in the car are a pair of revolutionaries who get some hidden gold from Carmen (Marisa Paredes), the headmistress of the school. Her dead husband was a revolutionary and she's lost a leg but not her devotion to the cause. Meanwhile, Carlos makes friends with the other orphans, who tease him a bit. Then the tutor drops Carlos's bag and drives off, leaving the bewildered and distraught Carlos chasing after him. The headmaster of the school, Doctor Casares (Frederico Luppi), brings Carlos back inside, talking to him about his comic book, an adaptation of The Count of Monte Cristo. Inside the orphanage, a lot of problems are bubbling under the surface. In the middle of the courtyard is an unexploded bomb that has been defused. The handyman Jacinto (Eduardo Noriega) is a bit rough with the kids, has an affair with Carmen, and is trying to steal the gold stash. And, in the pre-credits sequence, viewers see that a boy has been killed at the school. His ghost is still hanging around, scaring the kids.

The story unfolds beautifully as Carlos has more experiences with the ghost and Jacinto tries to get the gold and Casares pines for a relationship with Carmen. The complicated interactions and the threat of the war coming to the orphanage make the story fascinating and unpredictable. As usual, del Toro has a splendid eye for visual storytelling. The ghost is spooky but not very gory and not at all malevolent, though the people in the story are frightened of him. The orphanage has a lot of atmosphere. The color palette is very precise and very evocative. The movie is both delightful to watch and delightful to think about.

Highly recommended.

The movie is discussed on A Good Story Is Hard to Find podcast #223 and features me as a guest commentator. Thanks for a fun opportunity, Scott and Julie!

Also, if you want a little history on the Spanish Civil War, check out my review of The Last Crusade. I forgot to mention it on the podcast!