This is a comparison of The Ring’s ghost emerging from a TV on all fours to Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio. Even with Pinocchio’s cheery voice and disposition, it’s unsettling. This is an apt descriptor for del Toro’s film.
In taking the original tale and setting it during Mussolini’s reign, the creators allowed this story to explore the harsher realities of the world. Geppetto loses his first son Carlo to a bomb during The Great War. Years later when Pinocchio comes around, the town Podestà plays an important role. This time, the puppet master is a fallen aristocrat while pleasure island is exchanged for a stint in a training camp for young soldiers.
This version of Pinocchio confronts the challenges of being an outcast in a biased society. Where most adaptations turn Pinocchio into a role model for children’s behaviour, this one uses him to dismantle the society of the adults around him. In Del Toro and Mark Gustafson’s Pinocchio, disobedience can be a virtue. ..
It’s not all bad though. Pinocchio’s mischievousness and innocence leads to antics that make you laugh and poignant moments that make you ruefully smile. These sweet, heartfelt scenes offer a perfect balance to the story’s darker themes. And what’s more, Pinocchio’s path doesn’t just push him towards becoming a real boy, it leads him to find himself — his own true spirit.
The story is beautifully told through the intricate stop motion animation. Every character feels incredibly real and Pinocchio himself is an enchanting figure of wood. The giant dogfish is appropriately gruesome while, in contrast, all the scenes around the ocean are simply mesmerizing. ..
The cast does a wonderful job, aided by crisp and meaningful dialogues. If there’s one drawback, it’s the songs. They flow well with the rest of the film but just aren’t particularly memorable. Overall, the movie is a perfect mix of eeriness and warmth.
The recent churning out of remakes and reboots is usually attributed to nostalgia, but the creators of Pinocchio show us just how much potential truly lies in such movies. Even with two other Pinocchio remakes out in 2022, Del Toro and Gustafson’s version remains the most memorable of the year.
The film took a nuanced and relevant stance on identity, fatherhood, grief, loss, war, control, mortality and the importance of loved ones. It is relevant to us and our times.
In Pinocchio, the story’s protagonist is a puppet who is made to look like a real boy. When he is finally found by the townspeople, they discover that he is actually a dummy made of cloth and wax. In order to save his life, Pinocchio must learn to be himself and not be afraid of the new things that life throws his way.
