Pan's Labyrinth

The Perfect Expression of a Mythical Landscape

[This review is part of my 31 Days of Halloween series.]

When I first reviwed the movie version of Pan's Labyrinth, I suggested that it was an intrinsic part of the over all "feel" of the film to listen to the Spanish language (and, of course, read the subtitles if you didn't understand Spanish). I suggested that, as in ceremony of ritual magick, the vocal sound itself was an incantation, summoning powers the popular culture has pushed into the background & attempted its' best to hide. This CD confirms that impression.

Even the titles of the selections sound more substanial in Spanish:

Long, Long Time Ago (Hace mucho, mucho tiempo)
Rose, Dragon (La rosa y el dragon)
A Book of Blood (El libro de sangre)
etc.

This CD manifests on the symphonic level. It weaves a tale of mystery, myth, passion, blood & achievment of The Great Work.

The Lullaby sings it all.

Calling forth Pan--the forces of nature that in our ignorance we have rejected & oppressed.

Calling forth Pan--the latent powers of nature to heal what we have done. October 2, 2008

Alan Cooke New Zealand

Alina - Arvo Pärt

Having seen the movie & thinking it was a little different to what i expected it has continued to fasinate me & i eventually watched it again some months later. It is a good film but not the "good fairy type" as parts of the movie are quite diturbing.
The music continued to play in my head for months & i enventually came upon the CD of the movie music by Navarrette. It is now rated in my top 5 of my music collection. If you like this work you should also listen to work by Arvo Part (Lamentate & Alina) Gorecki (symphoney no 3 "symphony of sorrowful songs) & John Tavener's (Protecting Veil) Navarette may have even borrowed a lttle piano work from Arvo Part ?
I cannot find any other work by Navarrette & would be interested if anyone else has uncovered his work.
All these composers are best played on high quality systems in a quiet room without any other interference or distractions - all haunting good pieces of work. July 14, 2008

Exquisite!

After falling in love with the theme song to Guillermo del Toro's masterpiece, I had to have it! Javier Navarrete's opening lullaby is nothing short of haunting. As an avid collector of soundtracks, Pan's Labyrinth will remain at the top of the pile in my study. FABULOUS! May 28, 2008

great ost!

if you've watched the movie you should get the ost! (while you're at it, get the music box from newline as well!)

March 20, 2008

Pan's Labyrinnth

The movie was very moving even though I don't understand Spanish and had to rely on the English interpretation. It showed deep emotions of a little child and what can happen during the upheavals of a country under a horrific dictatorship. The music was one of the reasons that I bought the sound track. Music can affect me terribly and deeply. This is one sound track that did so along with the movie part. I could watch this over and over and always be brought to tears and anger when the scenes were appropriate. September 30, 2007

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