El director: Guillermo del Toro
Guillermo del Toro: Biographical Overview
- Born on October 9, 1964, in Guadalajara, Mexico.
- Began experimenting with his father's Super 8 camera at the age of 8, shooting action figures and other toys.
- Studied in the Instituto de Ciencias in Guadalajara.
- Spent 10 years as a make-up designer, and formed his own company, Necropia, in the early 1980s.
- Current occupation: Film director, screenwriter, producer, and novelist.
Career and Filmography
- Directed his first film, "Cronos", a unique horror film, in 1993.
- Achieved international recognition in 2001 with "The Devil's Backbone".
- Other well-known movies include "Hellboy" (2004), "Hellboy II: The Golden Army" (2008), "Pacific Rim" (2013), "Crimson Peak" (2015).
- Won Academy Awards for Best Director and Best Picture for "The Shape of Water" in 2017.
Directorial Style and Themes
- Known for his visually rich films often set in fantasy worlds or featuring elements of magical realism.
- Often employs creatures and monsters to explore issues of morality and identity.
- Regularly uses colour themes to support storytelling.
- Often interweaves Spanish history into his narratives, using the past as a way of commenting on the present.
Relation to 'El laberinto del fauno'
- Both directed and wrote "El laberinto del fauno" released in 2006.
- Set in Spain 1944, the historical reality of the post-Civil War period provides a backdrop to the film's magical elements.
- Explores mature and complex themes such as oppression, fear, and innocence through a child's perspective.
- Introduced the labyrinth as a central motif, symbolising life's complex and convoluted journey.
- Del Toro’s meticulous attention to detail in set and costume designs conveyed the dual world of fantasy and reality.