I wasn’t sure exactly where to talk about this but I guess this is the best sub for it. Essentially, I have noticed that the manner in which Del Toro conducts violent acts on screen is rather unique if even unorthodox. I’ll give examples of what I mean and then talk about my theory for why this is.

I should mention I’ve only seen Cronos, The Devils Backbone, Pans Labyrinth, Crimson Peak and Shape of Water.

Cronos -the Cronos device’s means to inject the serum by clamping down and the stinger being forced into the user. -Angel has his nose bashed in a number of times. -the embalming sequence -Jesus’ chest is pierced by glass and his skin starts to peel off.

The Devils Backbone

-Santi’s death via a cracked skull -Jacinto murdering Conchita with a very subtle knife to the stomach. -the stabbing of Jacinto in the armpit and then in the forearm.

Pan’s Labyrinth Likely has the best evidence for the type of violence I’m talking about -The murder of the rabbit hunter’s son by Captain Vidal with a glass bottle -amputation if the man -the torture of the man with the speech impediment. -Mercedes slicing open Vidal’s mouth -The way in which Ofelia is murdered, without thought, falls into the same argument that I will make at the end here. -Vidal is killed with a gunshot under the eye.

Crimson Peak -Lucille’s father is murdered by smashing his face into the sink. -When Lucille stabs Thomas she stabs him below the left eye. And when he comes back it is very reminiscent of Shanti in The Devils Backbone with that part cracked open.

Shape of Water -Strickland loses his fingers and they gradually rot throughout the course of the film. Then he pulls them off in one of the most disgusting scenes in cinematic history. -The KGB agent is shot by his comrades in the cheek and Strickland pulls him around with his finger in the bullet hole.

Now, before I begin, many of these instances of extreme violence already have a contextual meaning in the plot of the story. Strickland’s fingers decaying juxtaposes the Amphibian man’s ability to heal. And Shanti’s cracked head has been said to be like a porcelain doll’s face symbolizing the destruction of innocence. But I believe that the basis for these acts is rooted in Del Toro wanting to re-sensitize audiences to violence

Think about it like this, you watch any r-rated action movie, chances are you’re gonna see people shot. From my own observations, there are only a handful of possibilities of where you can get shot (or stabbed) and those are square in the forehead, to the left or right of the chest, the stomach, and occasionally the upper thigh. We have seen people die in these ways so many times that it doesn’t mean anything anymore.

Contrast this with the Del Toro approach, nearly every meaningful instance of violence is done in an unorthodox manner. People get shot all over the place and I think it makes it seem far more personal. They aren’t just nameless soldiers with targets on their forehead or chest. So when someone gets shot in the cheek or has their mouth sliced open it really makes you feel something and you can’t help but wince.

This approach to violence isn’t totally uncommon (I think of the baptism scene in The Godfather) but I think Del Toro is very consistent with his entire filmography in this regard. Let me know if I’ve missed anything and I’ll add it in.