The Devil's Backbone

Plot

It is 1939, the end of three years of bloody civil war in Spain, and General Franco's right-wing Nationalists are poised to defeat the left-wing Republican forces…

Release Year: 2001

Rating: 7.5/10 (23,965 voted)

Critic's Score: 77/100

Director:
Guillermo del Toro

Stars: Marisa Paredes, Eduardo Noriega, Federico Luppi

Storyline
It is 1939, the end of three years of bloody civil war in Spain, and General Franco's right-wing Nationalists are poised to defeat the left-wing Republican forces. A ten-year-old boy named Carlos, the son of a fallen Republican war hero, is left by his tutor in an orphanage in the middle of nowhere. The orphanage is run by a curt but considerate headmistress named Carmen and a kindly Professor Casares, both of whom are sympathetic to the doomed Republican cause. Despite their concern for him, and his gradual triumph over the usual schoolhouse bully, Carlos never feels completely comfortable in his new environment. First of all, there was that initial encounter with the orphanage's nasty caretaker, Jacinto, who reacts even more violently when anyone is caught looking around a particular storage room the one with the deep well. Second, and more inexplicable, is the presence of a ghost…

Writers: Guillermo del Toro, Antonio Trashorras

Cast:

Marisa Paredes
–

Carmen

Eduardo Noriega
–

Jacinto

Federico Luppi
–

Dr. Casares

Fernando Tielve
–

Carlos

Íñigo Garcés
–

Jaime

Irene Visedo
–

Conchita

José Manuel Lorenzo
–

Marcelo

Francisco Maestre
–

El Puerco

(as Paco Maestre)

Junio Valverde
–

Santi

Berta Ojea
–

Alma

Adrián Lamana
–

Gálvez

Daniel Esparza
–

Marcos

Miguel Ortiz
–

Juan Carlos Vellido
–

Javier Bódalo
–

Búho

(as Javier González Madrigal)

Taglines:
The living will always be more dangerous than the dead.

Release Date: 20 April 2001

Filming Locations: Madrid, Spain

Box Office Details

Budget: $4,500,000

(estimated)

Opening Weekend: $34,963
(USA)
(25 November 2001)
(4 Screens)

Gross: $754,749
(USA)
(5 May 2002)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min
 |
Australia: 108 min

Did You Know?

Trivia:

Guillermo del Toro has said that this is his favorite movie of his own (2003).

Quotes:

[first lines]

[voice over narration]

Casares:
What is a ghost? A tragedy condemned to repeat itself time and again? An instant of pain, perhaps. Something dead which still seems to be alive. An emotion suspended in time. Like a blurred photograph. Like an insect trapped in amber.

User Review

A Beautiful, Bloody Ghost Story

Rating: 10/10


The year is 1939. The Spanish Civil War is nearing its bloody end. Ten
year old Carlos, the orphaned son of a slain Republican, is left by his
tutor at an isolated orphanage for boys. The school is destitute,
barely able to provide enough food for the children, but headmistress
Carmen and Dr. Casares do the best they can. Carlos accepts his fate
bravely, but there are still school bullies to contend with, an
unexploded bomb sitting in the courtyard as a constant reminder of the
war which still rages, and an abusive caretaker named Jacinto who has
his own secret agenda. As if that were not enough, a ghost begins
stalking Carlos, the ghost of a boy named Santi whose demise is
shrouded in mystery and who solemnly warns Carlos that many will soon
die. As the war begins closing in on the orphanage, violence erupts
within and Santi's prediction comes sadly true. But the worst has not
yet happened. The abandoned boys must band together if they hope to
survive, and the dead will aid their cause if they are to be avenged.

This is a beautiful movie, absolutely gorgeous from start to finish.
The dusty, isolated landscape is a ghost itself and the constant threat
of violence – from the war, to the bullies and, of course, from the
traitorous Jacinto – gives this film an unrelenting atmosphere of
tension and dread. The acting is superb, from the children as well as
the adults. Federico Luppi as Dr. Casares is superb, providing us with
a true hero, a gentleman of class and compassion. Eduardo Noriega is
perfectly cast as the despicable Jacinto, making you despise him more
and more as the film progresses. This is not just a ghost story, though
the figure of Santi is central and key to everything that happens. It
is a tale of love and honor as well as horror and ruin. It is a coming
of age story and an adult drama. It also manages to be scary as hell
when it wants to be.

Guillermo del Toro has made a masterpiece with "The Devils Backbone."
Ten stars for this hauntingly lovely epic.