Guillermo del Toro is part of a wave of Mexican filmmakers that have made an indelible mark upon American cinema in recent years. Along with Alejandro González Iñárritu, Alfonso Curan and Pedro Almodovar, del Toro has attained a remarkable level of critical and box office success in an environment not exactly conducive to international filmmaking. Unlike his compatriots, however, del Toro has steered away from making art house films about his native Mexico, and instead has focused on directing good old-fashioned horror movies.
Born in Guadalajara, Mexico, del Toro was struck by the horror genre at a very young age: he remembers being terrified at 2 years-old by the Mutant episode from the original sci-fi/horror series "The Outer Limits" (ABC, 1963-65). After seeing green ants on the walls and monsters in the closet, del Toro made a pact to devote his life to the monsters if they would let him into the bedroom without harm. Apparently the monsters agreed to terms and del Toro spent his formative years making monster movies with a Super-8 camera, action figures and a bottle of ketchup. Del Toro graduated to 16 and 35 mm shorts, and eventually attended Dick Smiths Advanced Makeup Course, where he learned the ins and outs of special effects makeup.
Del Toro spent a better part of the 1980's and early 1990's working as a special effects makeup artist, though he did get an early jump in filmmaking by producing "Dona Herlinda Y Su Hijo" (a.k.a. Dona Herlinda and Her Son, 1984). Del Toro broke away from Smith and formed his own company, the now-defunct Necropia, in the early 80's. Meanwhile, del Toro directed numerous episodes of Mexican television programs, including the horror anthology "Hora Marcada" (1986). Del Toro also taught film workshops and co-founded Film Studies Center and the Mexican Film Festival, both of which reside in his home city of Guadalajara. It was during this period, however, that del Toro began thinking about his first feature film.
Del Toro began shooting Cronos (1992) in February of 1992 in his native Mexico. A highly original telling of the classic vampire tale, Cronos swept Mexicos Ariel Awards with nine wins, including Best Picture. Mexico also made the movie their official entry for Best Foreign Language Film at the Academy Awards in 1993. The film also made the festival rounds, winning the critics prize at Cannes while being shown at Sundance and the San Francisco International Film Festival. But most significantly, Cronos marked the first collaboration between del Toro and actor Ron Perlman (Quest for Fire and Beauty and the Beast), an alliance that would prove fruitful in later movies.
As is typically the case with successful independent filmmakers, del Toro got a shot to direct his first Hollywood movie. The result was Mimic (1997), another foray into the horror genre that turned out to be much different than what del Toro originally wanted. Starring Mira Sorvino as one of two scientists that genetically engineers cockroaches only to have the experiments come back to haunt them with a vengeance, the movie left del Toro unhappy due to constant studio pressures. But it was a learning experience, one that would assist the director in Hollywood confrontations to come. Meanwhile, del Toro returned to the independent side and directed the critically acclaimed period piece The Devils Backbone (2001), an ambitious take on the fabled ghost story. Set during the last days of the Spanish Civil War, The Devils Backbone told a mournful tale of ghosts haunting a school shelter for orphans and abandoned children. Hailed for its ominous mood and fine performances, the film reconfirmed del Toros artistic prowess.
Confident in his ability to take on Hollywood, del Toro jumped back into the lions den and directed the vampire action-thriller, Blade II (2002), starring Wesley Snipes, Kris Kristofferson and Perlman. Del Toro had more control over the final product, which resulted in a better movie, happier filmmaker and more box office dollars. Del Toro teamed up again with Perlman to make Hellboy (2004), another in a then-trendy wave of comic book adaptations churned out by Hollywood. As longtime fan of the Dark Horse comic book series written and illustrated by Mike Mignola, Del Toro did battle with studios executives once again, mainly over who to cast as the title character. The director insisted on Perlman from the very beginning; the studio demanded a more bankable name. This time del Toro got his way and Perlman was cast to star as the spawn of Hell who is raised from the flaming depths by Nazis at the end of World War II, only to be captured and reared by the benevolent Professor Bruttenholm (played by John Hurt). Although the comic book itself is often short on story and the movie occasionally followed suit, del Toro delivered on mood and characterwith many scenes looking like Mignola's comic book panels come to lifeand his decision to cast Perlman was the coup de grace. With the success of Hellboy, del Toro managed to separate himself from his fellow directors-in-arms to become a truly international filmmaker.
Touching upon the time and place covered in The Devils Backbone, del Toro directed the powerful and haunting Pans Labyrinth (2006), a stark fantasy set during post-civil war Spain about a lonely young girl (Ivana Baquero) who escapes her violent surroundings and her ruthless, authoritarian step father (Sergi López), an officer in Francos Civil Guard, by creating a fairy tale world filled with fantastical creatures. Summoned by an ancient faun, the girl learns that she is a princess and sets about solving a series of tasks where she must come to terms with the fascism and violence of the outside world, and the equally disturbing underworld of her own creation. As he has done since directing television, del Toro turned to fellow directors and best friends Alfonso Cuaron and Alejandro González Iñárritu for artistic guidance and supporta favor del Toro has reciprocated with his filmmaking compatriots. All three had a banner year in 2006Cuarons Children of Men and González Iñárritus Babel were more often than not mentioned in the same breath as del Toros film in an effort to underscore the importance of their increasing influence on filmmaking. Meanwhile, all three films were granted numerous awards and nominations, with Pans Labyrinth earning five Academy Award nods, including Best Cinematography, Best Original Screenplay and Best Foreign Language Film.
Copyright © Baseline 2007.