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The Devil’s Backbone ~ Film Review
Sometimes horror has the ability to transcend its own genre and blur lines. The Devil’s Backbone did just that by combining horror with gothic tendencies. The question is whether or not this transition is accessible to typical horror fans. The film revolves around an orphanage in an abandoned part of Spain during the Spanish Civil War. The protagonist, Carlos (Fernando Tielve), arrives at the site after his father is killed in the war. While befriending the school bully and others, Carlos begins to see a ghost at the orphanage, which results in the unraveling of a crime that took place before his arrival.
So what makes this film gothic horror? For one, there is a large amount of romance in the film. The relationships between the orphanage teachers are romantic at large and include tons of triangles and awkward situations. Not only that, but the teachers themselves, especially Casares (Federico Luppi), are passionate beings that remind us of an Edgar Allen Poe or Anne Rice character.
The key to gothic horror, at least for us, is the balance between horror and romance. Was there enough horror in this film to make it worth watching for horror film buffs? The answer is yes and no. There are only a couple of instances where the viewer genuinely feels a significant suspense level, but the setting itself and overall atmosphere adds some spice to the pie. This film is much more about the…
