The Devil's Backbone

The Devil's Backbone is a 2001 gothic horror film directed by Guillermo del Toro, and written by del Toro, David Muñoz, and Antonio Trashorras. Set in Spain, 1939, during the final year of the Spanish Civil War, the film follows a boy who is left in an orphanage operated by Republican loyalists and haunted by the ghost of a recently-deceased boy. It stars Marisa Paredes, Eduardo Noriega, Federico Luppi, Irene Visedo, Fernando Tielve, and Íñigo Garcés. Released in Spain by Warner Sogefilms on 20 April 2001, the film received highly positive reviews from critics. Plot Casares, a doctor, and his friend's wife Carmen operate a small orphanage in a remote part of Spain during the Spanish Civil War. Helping the couple are Jacinto, the groundskeeper, and his fiancée Conchita, a teacher. Casares and Carmen support the Republican loyalists, and are hiding a large cache of gold being used to back the Republican treasury; the orphanage has also been subject to attacks from Francisco Franco's troops, and an inert bomb sits in the courtyard. One day, an orphan named Carlos arrives with Ayala and Domínguez, two loyalists. Casares and Carmen take Carlos in, and he soon strikes up a friendship with Jaime, the orphanage bully, as well as Galvez and Owl. However, Carlos soon begins having visions of a mysterious entity, and hears stories about a child named Santi who went missing on the day the bomb was dropped in the courtyard. On his first night at the orphanage, Carlos is dared by Jaime to sneak to the kitchen for water after curfew, and Carlos counters by daring Jaime to go with him. The boys reach the kitchen, but Jaime hurries out after filling his pitcher, leaving Carlos alone. Carlos hears a whisper telling him that "many of you will die." Frightened, Carlos rushes outside, but is caught by Jacinto. The next morning, Casares asks who snuck out after curfew but Carlos claims he went alone. This, as well as Carlos saving Jaime from falling in a cistern, earns him Jaime's friendship. Jacinto knows of the gold hidden at the orphanage, and uses his affair with Carmen as an opportunity to take her keys and search for the treasure. That night, the boys hear strange noises and Carlos decides to investigate. He sneaks out, and encounters a pale figure of a young boy with a bleeding wound on his head, which causes him to run back into the building.