Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio
Guillermo del Toro cuts the strings on the classic Carlo Collodi novel
David Bradley and Gregory Mann bring real heart to the story of a little wooden boy in Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio.
After losing his son to a bombing in The Great War, Geppetto (David Bradley) loses his zest for life. Once a revered woodworker in his Italian village, Geppetto now spends his days drinking and mourning his life with his child. During one of his binges, Geppetto chops down the tree that grows over his son’s grave (much to the annoyance of the cricket (Ewan McGregor) living in it) and carves a wooden boy from the trunk.
The result is Pinocchio (Gregory Mann), a wooden puppet who is enchanted by the spirits of the forest to come to life. Geppetto is understandably wary of the walking, talking wooden puppet when he sobers up in the morning, but he grows to find the boy endearing.
Though Geppetto finds the boy endearing, the rest of the village isn’t so sure. The deeply religious people at first think he’s a demon. But the local fascists, who are loyal to the newly in power Mussolini, see potential in a wooden boy. Government representative Podesta (Ron Perlman) is especially interested in the boy’s capabilities in a battle scenario.
Fearful of losing another child and frustrated at Pinocchio’s oblivious behavior, Geppetto does his best to turn his new wooden son into a real boy. Only, Pinocchio doesn’t want to be a real boy, he just wants to be Geppetto’s son.
When Pinocchio is presented with an opportunity that will allow him to prove himself to Geppetto, he leaps at it. But all that glitters isn’t gold, and soon Pinocchio finds himself missing his father and his old life.
In the battle of the two Pinocchios, Disney lost badly. Instead of a hammy Tom Hanks performance and a CGI wooden boy with flat demonic eyes, co-directors Guillermo del Toro and Mark Gustafson embrace the darker elements of the story. This is a movie that might scare little ones, with battle scenes and implied violence, so keep that in mind when screening this with the family. Though the themes of the movie aren’t as friendly to general audiences, this approach manages to bring out the sweetness and beauty of the tale.
Think of this as baby’s first Pan’s Labyrinth.
The movie is a stunning example of how to update a fairytale or children’s story for a modern audience. Unlike Disney’s Pinocchio which framed the titular puppet as some sort of naïve, angelic creature; Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio captures the benign chaos of childhood. This Pinocchio is endlessly curious, grabbing items and asking about them only to abandon them for a new shiny object seconds later. He is a cacophony of questions and destruction, which is both endearing and infuriating for Geppetto as he tries to keep up with his new ward. It’s easy to be charmed by Pinocchio’s verve, but also easy to understand why Geppetto just needs a minute of quiet. When Geppetto succumbs to frustration, it’s devastating for Pinocchio, but also a moment every parent will likely find familiar.
The other interesting change del Toro insisted upon when adapting the Carlo Collodi novel was that Pinocchio’s goal should never be to become a real boy. Instead of dangling humanity over Pinocchio as a prize to be won by good behavior, del Toro looks at it with a skeptical eye. The humans in this version are little more than puppets, for religion or a fascist government, why should Pinocchio aspire to be like them? Pinocchio’s goal is to be accepted by his father for who he is. It’s a surprisingly sophisticated message for a kids’ movie.
Beyond turning the story of Pinocchio on its head, del Toro spent time developing a beautiful and unique style for the stop-motion movie. Partnering with stop-motion animation director Mark Gustafson to develop the look and the feel of the film, each frame looks textured and beautiful. Even the grain of the wood is tangible on screen. Gustafson and del Toro craft a world that is fantastical but emotionally realistic.
The combination of brilliant voice acting and a fresh take on a familiar plot creates one of the best and most emotionally resonant films of the year. Gustafson and del Toro have a real affinity for outsiders, giving even the most fringe characters a moment of dignity and triumph. This version of the story may be a bit too dark and layered for small children, but pre-teens and up should find this story of a wooden boy who helps bring humanity to the people around him beautiful.
Verdict: Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio is a gorgeously rendered darker take on the classic novel.
Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio is rated PG and is available on Netflix December 9.
