El laberinto del fauno (Pan's Labyrinth)

This film, originally produced in Spanish as El laberinto del fauno, is quite possibly one of the most well recognized cult classic del Toro films. The setting is 1944 in Falangist Spain where the protagonist -Ophelia-a young girl, fascinated with fairy-tales, is sent along with her pregnant mother to live with her new stepfather, a ruthless captain of the Spanish army in a remote outpost. Throughout the film violence not only escalates between freedom fighters in surrounding woods and the Spanish Soldiers but continues to grow within Ophelia’s new father. Within this chaos, Ophelia meets a fairy who leads to a Faun -Pan- who sends her on many quests. If Ophelia succeeds, she is told that she will be reunited with her real father - a kind fairy king whose daughter disappeared into the painful reality of the human world.

The conceptual focus lies on the power of fairy tales, fragility and war as well as the importance of disobedience.  

A page from Del Toro's notebook. Note, amongst other things, the similarity of the clothing and tree to Alice in Wonderland. 

Evolution of the Pale Man 

Pages from del Toro's notebook. 

Final version of the creature in the film .