El Orfanto (The Orphanage) (2007) Review

El Orfanto (The Orphanage) (2007), Spain, J. A. Bayona
3.5/5

This spanish horror is presented and produced by Guillermo del Toro (Pan's Labyrinth) is a good horror film. An excellent genre piece with beautiful cinematography, acting and most importantly in a horror, the musical score. The writing is good, and unlike Hollywood films it lacks the annoying expositional dialogue and instead sets ups the Checkov's guns and red herrings subtly within the composition of the film frames. The pacing is also excellent, building tension and a number of red herring moments in the first act. For those that know the horror genre mechanics well the plot isn't that hard to predict. Although it isn't that scary, the mood created by the acting, musical score and excellent camera moves and editing is definitely unsettling. The low sweeping shots of corridors that re-occur throughout the film are great and a nod to The Shining (1980).

 

The Orphanage (El Orfanto) (2007)

The Shining (1980)

What I enjoyed most about The Orphanage was the mechanics of the film built into the visual style. These little clues throughout the film mimic the games played by Simon (Roger Princep) and his mother Laura (Belen Rueda). It is also interesting and complex thematically, in particular the elements referencing Peter Pan. Overall it is a solid horror genre piece. 

Beautiful cinematography 

***The rest of this review contains SPOILERS***

There are a number of recurring images and symbols throughout the film. Most obviously is the scarecrow image which is the focal point in the opening sequence of the children playing at the orphanage. This relates to the scarecrow sack mask worn by Tomas, the deformed orphan child that was hidden in the orphanage. The game at the very opening of the film played by the children is beautifully reflected when Laura re-creates the game towards the end of the film.

Tomas wearing his scarecrow sack mask

Laura re-enacting the children's game

The Peter Pan elements are worked in well, with Simon asking Laura to read the story to him early on in the film, and it is tied to the final scenes where Laura commits suicide and joins the ghosts of the orphans and Simon, mimicking Wendy as she grows older while Peter Pan remains young, this is explicitly referenced in the dialogue of the film by the children. That scene is strangely sentimental coupled with the discovery of Simon's deceased body and the suicide of Laura and I think it would have been much better,  if the film to have ended with her suicide. Instead the sequence is semi-delusion, and semi-fantasy and without the reference to Peter Pan it would have been totally unnecessary. Even the imagery and composition resemble Peter Pan with the open window. Another image that re-occurs in the film, where the ghosts of the children shatter the pane of glass in the window in the children's room. 

The images used throughout the 'games' played with Simon, Laura and the children were interesting, particularly the use of children's dolls. Children and children's dolls are staple symbols in the horror film genre. The continuance of the mother/ child theme particular to horror films, is explored well and interesting with multiple parallels. Such added elements, that Laura herself was an orphan and thus adopted Simon, another orphan further connects the two characters, more interestingly than merely re-creating the mother/ child dynamic which has been done to death. Those who have seen the American film Orphan (2009) will notice many similar elements, but The Orphanage is far superior to the tacky and poorly written Orphan. The elaborate games of the children with Simon and Laura are intriguing, leading to many places throughout the large manor house that is the orphanage. Another interesting element included is that Simon has HIV creating a parallel with Tomas's physical impairments and making the survival of him after his disappearance highly unlikely. Overall, the film is more complex than the average horror film and the clues placed throughout the film are a delight to match up. So while, the film has all the cheesy horror ingredients i.e the country manor house, the strange child, a cave by the beach, ghosts, a medium etc etc, the high production value and the commitment of the performances coupled with eery and heart jolting musical score make this film a treat to watch. It may perhaps scare those of weaker stomaches as it is more eery and creepy than the average slasher horror, but overall not that scary.