This is an exquisitely crafted story and so refreshing to experience after reading the usual Hollywood scripts. I watched the film with the script in hand and they match pretty much exactly – there are only a few lines of dialogue that are different in the film from the script. It almost read like a transcript of the film. Since he is both the writer and director, del Toro has the luxury of writing very sparse action lines that you probably would not see in a spec script. Like this one: “Vidal sews his split cheek and then wraps a blood-stained bandage around it.” This scene takes about a minute of screen time. Since the script is not formatted to the Hollywood standard, it looks like it would have even less pages if done in the “correct” font and spacing. If you're used to reading Hollywood scripts and expecting act turns and moments to occur at certain points in the story, you'd have difficulties comparing this script to others not only because of the unusual formatting but mostly because of del Toro not following the standard popularized storytelling conventions. He has expressed his disdain for structured writing and most screenwriting books, and this film is a great example of what can be achieved when you don't follow a road map and instead build a story based on an author's argument. The great thing about that is that watching and reading Pan's Labyrinth, I found myself not caring when things happened in the story. That became of little or no importance. It is why and how it happened that mattered.

This is an extraordinary script, one of the bests I've read (it was one of my favorite films already). Apart from Lord of the Rings, The Matrix or Nolan's Batmans, I haven't seen much great live-action fantasy lately, being that all three are epics in their own way - a middle age epic, a sci-fi epic and two comics-epic. And then you have those awesome Kaufman pieces (Being John Malkovich and Eternal Sunshine). And coming out of this context, what's so fresh about Pan's Labyrinth is this claim for the classic fairytale elements (the fairies, the children, the mystic and somewhat horrifying creatures) put together with very well crafted horror movie tone and suspense (for which contributes the maneuvering of space in a "haunted place", which contrasts with the large maps of the aforementioned epics) and backdroped (and this is cardinal) against a political scenario. I did feel what Teddy writes about "how" and "why", being that the first results in incredibly original elements (set, characters, details, actions, scenes) and that the second results in a marvelous sense of fluidness and veracity (very important when a writer creates a new world you will decide whether to believe it or not). But then, aren't this two some crucial ways of thinking that must underlie every great script ? And from this I go into structure, by saying that even though he may have not sketched an outline or read McKee, this is very well structured and he couldn't avoid it anyhow for he is a great writer and that would be, at least, inherent to his way of thinking the story. A final note. Although this is a translated script, I'd like to evidence the amazing scene descriptions - simple, short, creating great atmosphere (ex: "tangled tapestry of moss and fog") and managing the leak of information, in each scene, with quite dexterity and dramatic sense (ex: page 6, when the car stops and Ofelia sees the Celtic stone and the Insect).

Teddy, you make some good points. First off, we must acknowledge right up front that this is a script written by a writer-director, so as you note, he has lots of latitude with style and format. That example you noted -- Vidal sewing his split cheek -- is an especially good one. Depending on what transpires in a scene, we -- as writers -- might not have that liberty, may have to go into more detail. While the script may not seemed to have fallen into line with "standard popularized storytelling conventions," I actually found 9 out of my 10 major Plotline points. I'll detail those in tomorrow's discussion. Furthermore there is - at least to my eyes - three acts. And while setting aside the supposed 12 stages of The Hero's Journey, if you look at the broader idea of a hero going on a journey, leaving the ordinary world and going into the extraordinary world, it's pretty easy to make the argument the story has that going on, too. But I'm like you: It's one of those stories that as you watch the movie, it's easy to let all that go and enter the story universe as participant, engrossed in Ofelia and Vidal's respective journeys. I like your articulation and perhaps it's a good way of describing a great film: Not caring when things happen, but why and how.

Diogo said, what’s so fresh about Pan’s Labyrinth is this claim for the classic fairytale elements (the fairies, the children, the mystic and somewhat horrifying creatures) put together with very well crafted horror movie tone and suspense (for which contributes the maneuvering of space in a “haunted place”, which contrasts with the large maps of the aforementioned epics) and backdropped (and this is cardinal) against a political scenario. That is an excellent description of this script as that is first and foremost what caught my eye: the mixture of narrative elements. Where does one come up with the very idea of mixing an actual military war environment and fairy tales? In a way, it's almost as if del Toro is engaging in re-mythology, enveloping modernism (represented by soldiers, machines, weapons) in a mythic tale. And it works remarkably well. Also a good note about the scene description. As you've probably guessed by now, I'm a stickler for writers really focusing on SD. It's the part of a script most readers like to read least, preferring dialogue with its narrower margins, easier to read (honestly I know some industry folks who do not read scene description, or at least claim they don't). So it is in our best interests to make each word count in SD, and especially use strong verbs and vivid descriptors. And we see that throughout in del Toro's script, as you note.

Pan's Labyrinth is one of my favorite films of the last few years. Quite frankly, I was not sure how I would react to the script. I was concerned that the captivating imagery of the movie would not reach me i the same way on the page. Quite the opposite was true. I was captivated and entranced by the script. The descriptions of the fantasy sequences were incredibly simple and precise and yet they felt so clear and evocative. I was transported even more by the script than by the film. The balance between the fantasy story and the "realistic" elements was seamless. This makes me want to read Del Toro's other scripts immediately. I was also struck by the strong structure of this script. The conflicts were all delineated with directness in the early pages. The balance of the protagonist's want and need seemed clear to me - although there were many sub-plots. Each character carried so much dramatic tension. The economy of the script is startling. And, yes, I do agree that the writer-director was allowed to under-describe, under-justify certain visuals. A mere screenwriter would have to "cook" a number of areas in the SD. Although the advantages of a clean, easy, vivid and simple read with such great narrative power AND economy are great. Great read. I am looking forward to watching the film again, now. Anybody have those other Del Toro scripts. Isn't there one he has been trying to get into production at Universal?

Pan's Labyrinth is my favorite movie and I am inspired by that level of perfection. I'm not a fan of horror or creepy movies at all, but I love this one for its mix of the real and the fantastical, the cinematography (every shot is living and feels deliberate, rather than cutting away because you have to) and just how everything gelled. Reading the script was an interesting experience because the movie is so fresh in my mind and each line brought back the scene as I watched it. If anyone read this script before seeing the movie, it'd be interesting to hear your perspective.

Re: The Mixture of Narrative Elements That reminds me of something I read on Rossio's old Wordplay blog about great story concepts actually being TWO concepts (or more). In this case, we have 1) A coming-of-age tale about girl escaping into a dark fantasy world AND 2) A story of survival and rebellion in Franco's Spain. Alone, they're thin concepts that are execution-dependent (which fine, but good luck getting it sold/made). Together, they're fresh and irresistible. I realized that even a super high-concept film like Groundhog Day is actually two concepts. 1) Guy stuck in a time loop. 2) Bitter weatherman stuck in a small-town. It's the combination of those two elements that not only gives the story its appeal, but its shape and tone.

What a fantastic script this was. I enjoyed reading it almost as much as I enjoyed watching the film. Take out the scene headings and camera directions and it could almost double as a narrative poem. My only stray thought is that I can't help but wonder how much influence the translator had here... some of the language feels so "polished". Did Del Toro sign off on the translation? Does anyone have the script in the original Spanish? And umm... does anyone here read Spanish well enough to compare the two for us?

This script does a great job, I think, of knowing when to begin -- and end -- a scene. That is to say, the last and first possible moments, respectively. Two quick examples of this (though it applies to basically every scene): 1) Page 38. As Ofelia completes her first task (with the toad), we cut to the house where the guests are just about to have an important dinner. CARMEN: "Have you checked in her room?" By arriving to the scene as the guests arrive, we know Ofelia will be late/absent, creating tension -- as we all know how, er, important obedience and manners are to Vidal. And by arriving mid-conversation, you cut out any dull and unnecessary exposition (e.g. "Are the guests here?" "Yes, ma'am." "Ofelia! Where's Ofelia?" "I don't know, ma'am." "Have you checked..."), which would start an already exposition-heavy scene on a slow note. 2) Page 69. The Stutter/Torture scene. The way such a terrifying and brilliant scene ends on such a concise note -- a single word and line of action slug ("Pity." His arm is a blur as the hammer lands a terrible blow.") -- really underscores Vidal's casual brutality. We don't get a description of the victim, the wound, or the other man in the room. No wallowing in the other torture threats Vidal has made earlier in the scene (pliers, blade). Del Toro makes his point and moves on.

Guillermo del Toro wrote the subtitles himself, according to this article: http://www.contactmusic.com/news/labyrinth-director-wrote-his-own-subtitles_1021894

Thanks Teddy. Knowing he chose the English words himself makes it that much more impressive.

Just getting started on this but I have a couple of comments and questions: 1) formatting/font - I like it. No Country for Old Men was the same and a handful of others scripts I've read are similar. Is this just because it is a .pdf on the internet and someone typed it that way, or was this the author's intention? I know del Toro's SDs are brief anyway, but wouldn't these tight margins help a reader who doesn't like to move his/her eyeballs in traditional format? Is there anything really preventing us from writing this way? Sure adds white space. 2) Top of page 14, Ofelia has two lines of dialogue. Do you think that is an acceptable way to format that (with the two separate dialogue blocks)? Seems like a good way to create a beat without writing "beat" or, "the rafters whine at the wind" or something like that. 3) Page six, bottom - I just love how Ofelia is so excited about seeing the fairy and all her mom can do is hate on the muddy shoes. I mean, doesn't this just take you back? It's just perfect.

Some excellent observations which I'll come back to and pick up on tomorrow, but let me take these few minutes to point out some things that struck me in reading the script: I was struck by the choice of names: -- Vidal from the same root as "vital" or "life." As in he is the arbiter of life... or death. He has so much invested in the life of his son. -- Ofelia is from "ophellus" which means "help." Of course, the name hearkens Shakespeare's "Hamlet" in which it belongs to Hamlet's lover who eventually goes insane and drowns herself. Her name a portent of her death? -- Mercedes means "mercies." Provides understanding and tenderness to Ofelia. There is a line to Ofelia to avoid the labyrinth because "you could get lost." And indeed she does in the way of her psyche. But then if you get lost, you can also be found, which is the ultimate resolution to her character reunited with her father and mother in death. And then this: I was struck by how much of the story was comprised of Vidal twin subplots: His relationship to the birth of his son and his relationship to the rebel soldiers. I barely remembered that from the one time I saw the movie, almost all of my memories about Ofelia and her descent into the 'other' world. I'm curious if anyone else had a similar experience. I mean there is a section late in Act Two where Ofelia doesn't appear for at least 6 pages or more [I'll track down the specifics on that for tomorrow's discussion]. All in all, it is a wonderful script and is perhaps the paradigmatic screenplay that honors the value of white space on the page. Lives up to the mantra: "Minimum words, maximum impact."

I agree with Richard about this reading almost like a poem, although I was thinking with a few more lines it would be a great short story. That is how I read it. I saw the movie and remember being moved by the visuals but it was only once and then a while ago. It was almost as I were seeing it for the first time. This is my first del Toro script but I must say, I am in love with his writing style and hope to read many others.

More than being sucked into this magical and mystical world, what struck me most, was the genuine empathy I felt for every character; major & minor, human & non, good & evil. The result was that individual character motivations felt authentic and their corresponding actions seemed perfectly organic to the story.