Guillermo del Toro creates a horror film that has stood the test of time since its release in 1993. The director's point of view on horror translated to the screen as he displays his beliefs about monsters and what true horror is. Thematically, this is seen by the fact that Jesús, the protagonist is the monster, yet he is the man who loves most deeply in the story. While, De la Guardia and Angel are human, but truly the monsters as they pursue eternal life, money and power.
Mr. del Toro uses simple, yet incredibly effective set decoration to compose subtly impactful compositions. One example is when Jesús goes to the roof to look for Aurora who has hidden the cronos. We see him about to enter the room where she plays, and the door is covered with chipped red paint and there is a red couch the the right of frame as a sheet with a lighter tone than either of the previously mentioned objects blows behind him. The cronos wants blood, Aurora knows it, Jesús knows it. del Toro creates a slow moment before Jesús crosses the threshold into retrieve the cronos to signify the price that he is paying.
We also see del Toro's use of framing upon Jesús after he has plummeted off a cliff at the hands of Angel. The camera is upside down and slowly rotates into a natural position as Jesús dies. The camera move shows how life will be turned upside down from here on out for Jesús.
What del Toro makes use creatively is the practical lighting, the neon green glow sticks that Aurora uses in her bed and at the factory when she follows her grandfather; the christmas tree lights, and the lighting from the De la Guardia factory sign. All of them represent how this horror is being imposed upon the normalcy of life as the lighting stays contained and doesn't show itself as being stage. del Toro's film has become a classic not because it has the most gore or scares people to a great degree, but instead because there is so much love involved in the story. We see that by inverting the stereotypical monster, del Toro is able to achieve a delicate tightrope walk of drama and horror.
