Rating: 
Summary: STYLISH SPANISH GOTHIC...
Review: Well directed by Guillermo Del Toro, this is a stylish, Spanish gothic film with remarkable performances by the entire cast. The entire film takes place during the Spanish Civil War of the 1930s in a remote, ramshackle school in the middle of nowhere that houses boys who have been displaced by the war. Many of them are orphans. An unexploded bomb, courtesy of the fascists, lies half buried in the courtyard of the school, a stark reminder of what is happening beyond the boundaries of this isolated spot.One such boy, Carlos (Fernando Tielve), who is unaware that his father was killed in the war, is brought to the school by his tutor and left in the care and custody of its one legged headmistress, Carmen (Marisa Paredes). A Leftist, she is a passionate woman who has been funding the Left in its losing battle against the fascists. Cesares (Federico Luppi), one of the professors at the school, is a kindly, older man who befriends the bereft and bewildered Carlos. He is also an incurable romantic, in love with and devoted to Carmen, yet too much of a gentleman to consummate his passion for her. She. too, however, has a secret passion, and it is not him. As the new kid on the block, Carlos attracts the attention of the school bully, Jaime (Inigo Garces), but manages to hold his own against the bigger and older boy. It is just as well, as there is something else going on at the school that demands both their attention. It seems that Santi (Junio Valverde), a boy who has been classified as missing, is eerily making his presence felt. Moreover, the school handyman, Jacinto (Eduardo Noriega), the handsome "prince without a kingdom" much like the devil himself, appears to be up to no good, while Conchita (Irene Visedo), the school's young housekeeper, has set her cap for him. Amidst the war, the haunting, and the destructive violence of Jacinto, Carlos unexpectedly comes of age. Jaime, who is part of Carlos' rite of passage, matures into a natural leader. What they must face together will ultimately bind them in friendship. This is a complex, multi-layered film, dealing with themes of anger, betrayal, greed, love, and hate, all of which are played out and lead to the stunning climactic ending. Marisa Paredes gives a rich, three dimensional performance, as Carmen, a woman who is tired by the ongoing civil war and who finds herself questioning the leftist cause, the very cause that she financially supports, while harboring a secret passion. Federico Luppi imbues his character, Cesares, with a depth of emotion that simmers just below the surface, as well as with an old-fashioned grace that is touching. Eduardo Noriego, as Jacinto, gives an emotional portrayal of evil, yet manages to infuse a certain poignancy in his character. The children all give very good performances. This deftly directed, well acted film is worth watching. The DVD offers a widescreen version of the film with first rate audio and visuals. Along with a commentary by the director and the cinematographer, it offers an interesting featurette on the making of the film from the point of view of the director, Guillermo Del Toro. This is a DVD well worth having.
Rating: 
Summary: Classic Cinema
Review: In The Devil's Backbone, Guillermo del Toro delivers on of the best suspense/horror films ever made, right along side The Excorcist. American audiences that haven't been fully exposed to this masterpiece are really missing out. The story involves a group of Spanish children who are taught and housed in an old villa, during the Spanish civil war. With war coming ever closer, and internal intrigue reaching a fever pitch, the main character, a young Republican orphan, is haunted by the apparition of a young boy. The movie is dark and chilling, with some really breathtaking scenes. The characters are interesting, with their own demons and problems. All this adds to the climax, which is amazing. The best part of the Devil's Backbone is the aura and backround. This movie is one of the best shot pieces I have ever seen. A wonderful score plays along nicely, adding to the somber and dark mood of the film. The editor deserves an award. The set is old Spanish, a crumbling edifice that mirrors the ponderous horror of the picture. Del Toro is certainly a director to watch.
Rating:
Summary: Mystery resolved in a smart way
Review: Even though the setting of the film is a little bit bizarre, I think that the story works really well. It is only at the end that everything begins to make sense, but I like the way in which the mistery is solved. The cast is wonderful, featuring Eduardo Noriega and Marisa Paredes, among others. The children are quite good, too. Slow at some points, but nice in general.
Rating:
Summary: Ghost story that is scary, stylish and intelligent
Review: "What is a ghost? A tragedy condemned to repeat itself time and again? An instant of pain perhaps. Somthing dead which still seems to be alive. An emotion suspended in time. Like a blurred photograph. Like an insect taped in amber".
It is this rumination which opens THE DEVIL'S BACKBONE, a ghost story set during the Spanish Civil War directed by Guillermero Del Toro (Mimic, Blade 2) and presented by Pedro Almodovar.
Carlitos is an orphaned 12 year old who is sent to a boarding school that shelters orphans during the last days of the war.
One unwelcome occupant is the ghost of a murdered boy, called "The One Who Sighs" by the other pupils. Carlitos is unlucky enough to come face to face with the hideously disfigured apparition one night where as a dare, the other boys send him downstairs to get some water; but for some reason he ends up in the slug infested basement; where "The One Who Sighs" dwells in a pool conveniently located there.
The movie gets its title from the name given to the deformed spine of dead foetuses, which is preserved in alcohol by an ecentric teacher. The alcohol is then sold in town and touted as a "cure all" remedy...BR>THE DEVIL'S BACKBONE is a horror thriller that takes its time getting started, but once it does it makes Hollywood's regular crop of horrors look anemic. Scary, stylish and twisty (in addition to twisted) THE DEVIL'S BACKBONE doesn't undermine the viewer's intelligence either. This is a must see for horror fans and film buffs.
Extra features on the DVD include a doco about the making of the movie, trailers, storyboard comparisons and commentaries by Del Toro and the cinematographer.
Rating:
Summary: A movie with real impact...
Review: If you have seen the trailers for The Devil's Backbone, and you were intrigued enough to see the movie, you won't be disappointed. The trailer only scratches the surface of the film's context and message, which is unusual in that it doesn't give away the film's most important moments (like many of today's movie trailers out of mainstream Hollywood.) The many themes presented in the movie (war, love, loss, greed, death and revenge) are visited upon us in very subtle ways. It is hard to describe how the filmmakers have done it, without giving away the plot's clincher. The story unfolds slowly at first, drawing a very somber picture of life during the Spanish Civil War in a remote orphanage. On a technical level, the special effects serve to heighten the emotional and psychological tension as the story progresses. This is a ghost story in more than one way: not only that of a child who appears from the beyond, but also of the metaphorical ghost of war that hangs over not only the orphans, but of all those who are struggling to survive through it. There is a great sense of despair and deprivation that is felt throughout all the characters' actions and emotions. This is not a particularly violent war film physically, but more one psychologically that IMPACTS you very deeply after you have had time to think it through. Marisa Paredes' performance is far and away one of the most compelling this year. It would be nice to see her get some recognition state-side for her contributions to the cinema. Overall, the entire cast is excellent and the production as well as the screenplay are first-rate. VERY highly recommended!!
Rating:
Summary: dont miss !
Review: I like this freakishly good ghost story/mystery because it glides along so smooth.One of the very few movies with children as stars that doesnt annoy.It has excellent acting, cool effects,and gloomy dread.dont pass it up folks,its got the goods.
Rating:
Summary: Sleepless
Review: After watching this amazing film, I found it impossible to sleep. The special effects were simple, and superb. Not only the riveting cinematography, which completely captivated me, and what goes down in my book as the most petrifying ghost ever, but the story - it was moving, and political, and moral, and utterly enthralling. Truly a sublime film.
Rating:
Summary: Do yourself a favor....watch this movie.........
Review: This is one of the best movies I have seen in the last few years, and it really deserves more attention than it ever received when originally released. Because it is a foreign film, some are probably turned off by the language difference, but if you can get beyond that (which isn't hard to do at all) you will be rewarded with a great film, made by a great storyteller. A fabulous combination of horror and melodrama, with incredible acting by everyone involved - it is a pleasure to watch such a fine story unfold, a rich and rewarding experience for any film buff, or lover of ghost tales. Guillermo Del Toro has crafted an incredibly original take on a ghost story, that is unique and original, told with a great visual style and with great visual confidence. Please, do yourself a favor and find a way to watch this movie......buy it, rent it, borrow it...you will be happy you did. This is great storytelling.....isn't that what it's all about?
Rating:
Summary: Old Fashoned Horror for the Thinking Person
Review: This is not your typical mindless, hollywood affair. "El Espinazo del Diablo" is great for those of us who yearn for a film exempt of all the Hollywood must have's (absolute good vs. absolute evil, teenage party slaughters, weak scripts, annoying kids who save the day, trying to come up with a "surprise ending" to make for the lack of plot, etc.) Devil's Backbone is set during the Spanish civil war, in a rather isolated boy's academy. One of the newcomers stumbles across the ghost of a child who was murdered there, the rest is for you to find out. Everything about this film is top notch.
Rating:
Summary: Touches the heart while chilling the spine
Review: THE DEVIL'S BACKBONE [El Espinazo del Diablo] (Spain 2001): During the Spanish Civil War, a young orphan boy (Fernando Tielve) is sent to an isolated boarding school where he encounters the ghost of a murdered child (Junio Valverde) who warns him of impending disaster... A masterpiece. Filmed in Spain by writer-director Guillermo del Toro following his unhappy Hollywood debut (MIMIC), this spellbinding melodrama works both as an examination of the political turmoil which characterized the Spanish Civil War, and as a simple ghost story in which a tragic spirit seeks vengeance for a terrible crime. Employing restless camerawork and atmospheric set designs to their best advantage, del Toro visualizes his own script (co-written with Antonio Trashorras and David Munoz) as the story of a vulnerable child cast adrift in a strange new world, where he must contend not only with everyday problems (such as the school bully, Inigo Garces, whose motives are rather more complex than they first appear), but also his frequent encounters with the unhappy ghost, some of which are genuinely unsettling (watch out for the heart-stopping sequence in which Tielve is besieged in a closet by the enraged phantom). Production values are first-class throughout, ranging from Cesar Maccaron's evocative art direction and Salvador Mayolas' ultra-creepy sound design, through to Luis de la Madrid's crisp editing skills and Javier Navarrete's unforgettable music score. Visual effects and makeup designs are also superb, though deliberately underplayed for maximum emotional effect. The cast is toplined by Spanish movie veterans Marisa Paredes (a favorite of Pedro Almodovar) and Federico Luppi (CRONOS), and there are impressive turns by Irene Visedo as a young woman whose loyalties are divided by circumstances, and rising star Eduardo Noriega (the Spanish equivalent of Brad Pitt) as Visedo's boyfriend, an orphan-turned-caretaker whose volatile nature leads to a dramatic conclusion, with appalling consequences for everyone around him. Tielve is magnificent as the wide-eyed innocent around whom the entire narrative revolves, and Garces is every bit his equal as the bully who reclaims his dignity during a climactic showdown with the forces of evil. Released around the same time as THE OTHERS (Los Otros, 2001) - another Spanish ghost story, filmed in English as a vehicle for Nicole Kidman - THE DEVIL'S BACKBONE was consigned to Art-house distribution by virtue of its status as a subtitled movie and suffered a comparative loss at the US box-office, though del Toro's magical fever dream is unquestionably the better of the two films. The movie runs 107m 21s on Columbia TriStar's region 1 DVD (not including the Columbia Classics logo at beginning and end, which wasn't part of the original film), and the image - less vivid and colorful than DVD versions from other countries, but still impressive - is letterboxed at 1.85:1, anamorphically enhanced. Released theatrically in Dolby Digital, the film's all-important soundtrack is reproduced in Dolby 5.1, and is deeply immersive throughout. Extras include a trailer and brief 'Making-of' featurette, and a terrific commentary from del Toro and cinematographer Guillermo Navarro. The film itself is presented in Spanish, with optional English subtitles, though closed captions have not been included.
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