Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio (2022)

The story of Pinocchio is and has always been a fairly dark tale. Like most people of my generation my primary experience with the story has been Disney's version, a film that disturbed me as a child, and that I still struggle with enjoying as an adult. But the story of Pinocchio has always been a hurdle for me, not just the famous Disney take. There are many adaptations and many variations to this tale about a man who makes a puppet who was brought to life and wants to be a "real boy". Maybe there is something about needing to be seen as a "real boy" that has always got under my skin, and not in a good way. 

Famed director del Toro, who has a strong predilection for horror, has leaned into the disturbing nature of this story for his gorgeous stop motion film based on the Italian legend. He still aims his movie at all ages and manages to do so without speaking down to any of his audience. He focuses on the loss at the beginning of the story quite heavily and he ties it all back into the ending. Death is a recurring theme and is examined both in seriousness as well as with some black humour. 

Del Toro sticks to the episodic nature of the story, picking and choosing adventures for our boy puppet protagonist to experience and many of the common themes of this story are there; lessons about lying, learning about who will try to exploit you for their own gain, and learning about who will sacrifice themselves for your benefit. But del Toro also uses the story to highlight other themes I have never seen as part of this story. He sets his version in fascist Italy and explores the puppet metaphor for the nature of totalitarian ideology. In this way it is Pinocchio's DISobedience which makes him a hero, and the realness of his boyhood (his authentic humanity) comes from his defiance. In this film, instead of learning to be a good boy, Pinocchio's success comes from his desire and willingness to break the rules. This changes a lot about the story in ways that I truly appreciated. It also brought to my attention some of the reasons the oft told story rarely resonates for me. 

There is a celebration of uniqueness in this tale. Geppetto learns he has to love his child exactly as he is and not attempt to make him anything else. As a parent this is something I can relate to intensely, and as any parent knows this is both the easiest and hardest thing in the world. And, as per the darkness of this version, there is also a need to learn about the fleeting nature of life and love, and how much it enriches our experience of loving someone knowing that it will not last. This is a powerful and difficult lesson and one the film handles deftly. 

Stop motion animation is one of my favourite cinematic art forms and this film is a truly beautiful example of it. Shadowmachine (Robot Chicken) and The Jim Henson Company (well... you know) were the animation studios behind this and their work here is extraordinary. From the character designs to the created world to the absolutely beautiful visuals, Pinocchio is a lovely film to watch. 

So for the first time I gained a new appreciation for aspects of the story Pinocchio I hadn't had before. I'm not sure the film won me over to rewatching it over and over again, but it may be the interpretation of Pinocchio I appreciated the most. 

Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio

Starring:  Gregory Mann, Ewan McGregor, David Bradley, Christoph Waltz, Tilda Swinton, Ron Perlman, Finn Wolfhard, Cate Blanchett, John Turturro, Tim Blake Nelson

Directors: Guillermo del Toro, Mark Gustafson

Writers: Guillermo del Toro, Patrick McHale