The Devil's Backbone is an incredibly emotional film to watch due to the children in the middle of a war zone, the unrequited love between the adults, and the horror of fascism and hate. Saint Lucia's has been attacked, leaving a supposedly disarmed bomb lodged in its center. The bomb represents the danger of war, ever present and looming over them. The children at the orphanage don't have anything and immediately become jealous of Carlos with his comic books and privileged background even though they are now in the same position. One of the most heartbreaking things about this movie is that Carlos is never told his father died. His tutor drops him off without a word and he's dropped into a place where he isn't exactly welcome. Through bonding experiences, teasing each other, and shared fear, Carlos becomes friends with the boys, especially Jaime, a boy known for being a bully. Jaime and the other boys are understandably spiky and distrustful considering their situation losing everything including families, living in such a vulnerable position, and the trauma they have experienced.
The adults of Saint Lucia's have their own microcosm of drama amidst the war. Steely Carmen and kind Casares align with the Republican loyalists against fascism and the Nationalists. They hold a cache of gold bars to fund their causes, information kept from everyone else. Casares and Carmen love each other but don't really speak about it besides whispering to each other through their bedroom walls. Carmen is a harsh, no nonsense older woman who cares for the children and makes the hard decisions. She gets her physical needs met with Jacinto, a source of deep shame and self loathing. Jacinto is in a relationship with Conchita, a sweet woman who teaches the children. His relationship with Carmen is purely manipulative to steal the gold from her. As the film goes on, Jacinto becomes the main villain, driven by greed and the drive to be more than he started. He grew up as an orphan just like Carlos and Jaime and he feels like a failure for not leaving and making something of himself. At his core, shame and machismo drive his every action without thinking about those who supported and cared about him for most of his life.
The supernaturally elements are incredibly well done. The ghost starts out as a mere rumor that is perhaps the boys trying to scare each other. Casares dismisses it as hearing Carmen and Jacinto's lovemaking, in a comical scene. In actuality, he is Santi, another orphan who suffered a tragic end. He warns the other children of danger, shows the real risk of death, reveals the crime of his own death, and guides the others. As in most Guillermo del Toro movies, the supernatural elements are not where the horror lies, but within humans and their violent acts. The effects hold up exceptionally well for film made in 2001 due to del Toro's decision to combine CGI with practical effects. This method serves him well especially in movies like Crimson Peak and The Shape of Water.
The Devil's Backbone unifies reality and fantasy elements to make a compelling story. It devastated me emotionally and become one of my favorite del Toro movies. It has children squarely in harms way but also has them uniting and fighting for themselves against great odds. Del Toro never underestimates children and shows both their vulnerability and their power. American films don't often show them in this way, opting for fake precociousness or infantilizing them. This film seems to be lesser known and I would highly recommend you give it a chance.
My rating: 5/5 fishmuffins
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