SPOILER ALERT: This entry is filled with spoilers of Cronos, Devil's Backbone and Pan's Labyrinth.
Guillermo del Toro is an extraordinary film-maker. He has given a new dimension to horror/fantasy genre. Films like Pan's Labyrinth and Hell Boy have not only been hailed by the critics, but have been immensely popular with the general public as well. Del Toro's genius lies in the fact that in this era of torture porn when extreme violence and gore is equated with horror, he knows that true horror comes not from the supernatural, but from humans. Also, only human's have the true power to counter the evil. His movies have a strong, beating heart which makes the audience truly care for the characters and their fate. That, to me, is one of the acid tests for a good film. When I start to care about the characters, I know that it's a good film.
A very interesting thing about his films is that inspite of being a horror/fantasy film, the duality of good-evil doesn't rest with the supernatural elements. Human beings are the evil ones and the supernatural elements are almost always rather benign. Also, the force of good is represented by human characters. Before I go any further, let me mention the films I am considering here. I am talking about Cronos, Devil's Backbone and Pan's Labyrinth. Am not counting Hell Boy here as it's a comic book adaptation and thus the story is not his own. I have not seen any of his other films.
Another strong element in these films is the power of innocence, specifically the innocence of children. We often see things through the eyes of the child and thus, we are forced to adopt the same black & white outlook towards the world. We see things not as cynics but rather with wonder. We believe in the power of good and know that good would triumph in the end, no matter how hopeless it looks. As children, we are forced to confront the adult notions we have built about supernatural and question what we fear. It's not the vampire in Cronos whom we should be afraid of, he is our loveable grandfather! The scary ghost in Devil's Backbone is only a helpless child, crying out to people to help him. The fearsome looking faun in Pan's Labyrinth is really a friend, trying to help us reach our goal.
The evil comes from politics and power. Men with too much power and the endless lust for more create horrors beyond any that a supernatural can dream of! The fight ultimately lies between humans, with the supernatural playing the part of a benign force, helping good. War, especially the Spanish civil war seems to be something Del Toro strongly associates evil with. Both Devil's Backbone and Pan's Labyrinth are set around it.
Finally, the end in these films are always tragic but hopeful. This is consistent with the viewpoint of a child, which we assume while watching these films. Inspite of the great tragedies that happen in the end of these 3 films, there is always a ray of hope. The vampire in Cronos is able to rest with his granddaughter, who loves him. The girl in Pan's Labyrinth finds her magic kingdom where she is the princess, even though in this world she is actually dead. Even after the death of so many innocent characters in Devil's Backbone, the remaining orphans make their way out to the town, while the ghost of the doctor watches them from the orphanage with the gun in his hand, ready to protect the children if need be.
