The Devil's Backbone
Short description
Set in Spain in 1939, during the final days of the Civil War, The Devil's Backbone follows Carlos, a boy whose father fought and died on the Republican side. He is brought to Santa Lucía, a remote orphanage in the countryside run by the stern director Carmen and the aging doctor Casares. The building is crowded with children, and Carlos must find his place among them, including a hostile boy named Jaime. At the same time, he becomes aware of a presence in the orphanage, tied to a pupil who vanished some time before, and the adults around him are pursuing their own plans.
The film is Guillermo del Toro's third, following Mimic and preceding Blade II. He wrote the screenplay with Antonio Trashorras and David Muñoz, and the cast includes Marisa Paredes, Eduardo Noriega, Federico Luppi, Fernando Tielve, Íñigo Garcés and Irene Visedo. It was produced in Spain and Mexico for about five million dollars and took roughly seven million worldwide, modest returns for a release of this kind.
On IMDb it holds 7.3 from around 75,000 votes, and on TMDB 7.3 from about 1,400. A critics' rating of 7.7 from 121 reviews places it slightly above the audience scores, indicating solid but not unanimous approval.
What's left behind the scenes
- The plot was based on the popular comic book series by Spanish artist Carlos Giménez, "Paraquelos".
- Guillermo del Toro wrote the screenplay while still in college.
- The final shot of the film is a reference to the famous final shot of the classic Western "The Searchers" (1956).
- The design of the ghost Santi was inspired by the pale-faced ghosts from Japanese horror films like "The Ring".
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