The Orphanage

This film was, it must be said, a let-down. It never really reached the heights it’s been said to reach, and whilst it has a notable lack of anything but terror, this isn’t enough to make it the horror classic it’s been said to be.

Laura (Ruada) and Carlos (Cayo) move with their adoptive son Simon to the orphanage where Laura grew up. Simon’s imaginary friends begin to trouble the two, and when bizarre things begin to happen, their suspicions are aroused. Simon then disappears, and the mysteries deepen, with Laura’s past life at the orphanage beginning to appear far more significant to her son’s disappearance than she first thought possible. With supernatural goings-on and the disturbing findings that Laura continues to make, it becomes apparent that the orphanage holds many secrets, some of which may lead Laura to discovering the truth behind Simon’s disappearance.

Belen Ruada is the undisputed centre of the film; as the mother Laura, she is the audience’s guide and conduit to what’s going on in the orphanage, and the actress is convincing in her role, creating a sense of damage and desire to seek the truth that spurs the movie onward through the mystery. Princip, as Laura’s (Ruada) adopted son, shows again that child actors can be relied upon if they’re good enough. HIs performance mixes that of a precocious child with a sense of finality – the boy has a terminal illness, but takes it better and with more maturity than many adults could muster. Fernando Cayo, as Carlos, the adoptive father of Simon (Princip), is a wet blanket however – the cynic to Ruada’s believer, he does nothing other than appear when needed and moan about what he feels is the right approach – his only positive is his position as opposition to his wife’s beliefs, and other than that the character (not so much the actor) is superfluous.

Geraldine Chaplin plays a psychic who agrees to traverse the orphanage to seek the spirits that reside within, and who may know of Simon’s location. Her appearance and performance in this one scene contribute towards its horror and tension – and as such, she cannot go without mention, as the character witnesses some incredibly disturbing discoveries and experiences some truly bizarre moments – without the actress being so effective, this scene would be nothing. The mysterious Beninga (played by Montserrat Carulla) is the archetypal, disturbing old woman, and she looks disturbing enough without her actions – the actress looks like a corpse, and the skeletons in her closet are far more horrific
Apart from the clairvoyant man who assists the family with a search of their home for a presence, and the young children, there aren’t any other male co-stars, and those that are present only really represent those on the outside of the goings-on – no-one is involved intricately, and so they do their job of being outside characters adequately enough.

Juan Antonio Baya’s first feature film, assisted with the capable hands of Guillermo Del Toro, is well-shot, excellently scored and employs practical scares to great effect. His work in this movie is indicative of the strength of Spanish language horror at this time; lo-tech, old-fashioned horror that manages to remain with the viewer afterward. It’s just a shame that he doesn’t coax more scares out of the film – it’s interesting to imagine how good it could have been, a shame in retrospect. Baya employs close-ups to great effect throughout, and (particularly in regards to Princip) elicits great performances out of his actors. I’m sure that on the strength of this film he could get an incredibly good Hollywood movie, and I hope that his vision (a far more old-fashioned one than that of those such as Spielberg) is recognised accordingly.

The dialogue throughout is really just indicative of the narrative; there’s nothing that stands out as particularly significant, and in a film with such a plot, the less talking the better quite honestly – get back to the scares, don’t talk them up. The music is effective, chilling horror film standard – and unlike soundtracks in many other movies, it helps sustain the tension and has a place in the movie. There’s the very bare minimum of CGI on display, and quite rightly too – there’s not really any need for it in a film like this. Effects aside, the landscape and area around which the narrative is played out is amazing, and utilised to full effect – just watch the scenes involving the beach and caves, and you’ll see what I mean. The horror movie staple shots of someone standing where they shouldn’t be are used to great effect the whole way through – and with a child it’s always that much more disturbing!

I really do wish the film had lived up to its potential – it’s a shame to be writing a review that doesn’t shower praise on the film. Its plus points are significant, no doubt, but at the end of it all, you’re left feeling somewhat robbed.
6/10