I am in love with Pinocchio. This movie is a visual masterpiece. The craftsmanship that is shown throughout this film is stunning. I seriously love this movie so much I have a hard time organizing what I want to say...there's just too much.
I know many a person who casts Pinocchio aside due to the dark nature of the plot or because they consider it boring. In fact, I just finished talking to my roommate about how she doesn't like Pinocchio because when she was a child she thought it was boring. I myself have distinct memories of falling asleep in my grandma's living room while watching Pinocchio because I found it so mind-numbingly lame.
As a result, I don't consider Pinocchio to be a movie that was actually made for children. I don't know when it was officially decided that animation was a medium made for the little ones but whoever came to that conclusion and passed it on to the rest of humanity should be severely reprimanded. For example, take the new movie Wreck-It-Ralph. That movie takes place in an arcade. What ten year old child really knows and understands the culture of the arcade? Do they know who Sonic the Hedgehog is? Or how awesome Mario Kart was? I think I can safely say that child doesn't exist. So is Wreck-It-Ralph really geared exclusively to the 12 and under crowd?
Getting back to the point....Pinocchio is better suited to a more mature audience than a younger one. It makes better sense to someone who has been a child and is not busy being a child. You are more empathetic towards the characters and their struggles. I look at the character of Pinocchio and he acts like a 5 year old boy...a nuance an actual 5 year old would never be able to pick up on. He asks ten million questions that all start with the word "Why," he's naive and easily influenced and often forgets lessons he just learned. He is eager to please, hopeful, loving, etc. When he makes mistakes it's due to a lack of understanding, not maliciousness. In fact, he reminds me of my nephew when he was five.
When I look at Pinocchio I relate to his journey because I remember learning important life lessons as a child. Albeit mine weren't as dramatic (I don't recall ever being faced with the threat of becoming a donkey). A child doesn't relate to that journey because they're currently learning those lessons.
Speaking of life lessons; I love how starkly obvious the differences in morals between 2013 and 1940 are when watching Pinocchio. Things like: excessive smoking and drinking will turn you into a jackass, respect your elders, don't lie, go to school, etc. I mean, we still believe in those things these days but you won't ever find a modern movie that will so obviously spell it out for you. A lot of them will actually spell out the opposite instead.
A few other miscellaneous thoughts:
Jiminy Cricket might be the worst conscience ever. He often abandons Pinocchio at the first sign of trouble. When Pinocchio resolves to free his father from Monstro the Whale he tries to talk him out of it instead of condoning him for finally doing the right thing even if it's hard. When the Blue Fairy comes to save Pinocchio from Stromboli he does tell Pinocchio that he should tell the truth but when the fairy asks Pinocchio where his conscience was Jiminy tells him to "leave me outta this!" a bit of a contradiction, wouldn't you say? Also, he's quite the lecher.
The Blue Fairy is the most awesome fairy in Disney history by a long shot. She is beautiful, graceful, kind, merciful, and compassionate. Far from those bratty, bumbling, and idiotic fairies Disney produced in later years.
and finally...
HOLY EYE CANDY BATMAN! This movie is gorgeous! The immaculate detail in the backgrounds of this movie are to die for. Shot after shot I am just blown away by the amount of time and effort was put into this masterpiece. The tender care and thoughtful craftsmanship is evident from start to finish.
Oh, and for those who think this movie is dark, you should try reading the original story. The Brother's Grimm have nothing on Carlo Collodi.
P.S. I had the hardest time ever trying to form into words how awesome I think this movie is. Thank heavens for Brain Sibley who summed up my feelings pretty neatly. Read his blog. It's awesome. Link
I so enjoy reading your analyses of these! I always liked Pinocchio growing up, but I was a sucker for pretty looking things back then, too. Even if a kid can't relate to the content in the same way an adult would, there are certainly enough strange and interesting things in it to catch some children's attention. I particularly liked the pretty puppets in I've got no strings, and I thought he was very brave when he tied the rock to his tail and dove into the sea. I was terrified of Stromboli and the donkey drivers, and I loved the blue fairy and Jiminy Cricket. I think it hits people differently at different times in life, but I think it can work for peoples of any age, a mark of good family entertainment that is often lacking today.
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