directed by Guillermo del Toro & Mark Gustafson
It took me quite some time to watch this film and I think I saw it one day before the Oscars ceremony… and I’m so glad I did because at least I knew who my real favourite in that category was. And the reason why I couldn’t really force myself to it was because some time before I watched Robert Zemeckis’ “Pinocchio” and… well… it hurt. I mean, as much as I admire Zemeckis, that was a really unnecessary production. Same old story, tiring and even cringy at certain points. So after that, I really didn’t want to go through the wooden boy drama again. But you know what? Guillermo del Toro did something spectacular with the well-known novel and painted it in his own style, with a pinch of mystery and even plot twists I totally didn’t expect. I believe everyone reading this post knows the story of Pinocchio, so I’ll just skip straight to telling you why admired this version so much. First, I had no idea that del Toro decided to go with stop-motion animation, so at the beginning I was positively shocked – if you’ve been reading my blog, you know I’m a big fan of this type of animation. Second, this film screams “I was made by del Toro” because it’s not adorable, it’s not cute – it’s beautiful but in a really disturbing way, which I personally loved. Is it a film for children? Well, depends. It’s not that drastic, but it’s not a shiny Disney production with catchy songs either. Besides, it is set in Fascist Italy, so we get some political background and messages, which can be understood only by older viewers. To me, that decision was great as it gave a lot of new quality to the story and made us reflect on the character of Pinocchio from a different perspective. Also, what does a boy who cannot die mean to the army? Expect such questions being asked in this film as well. Besides, I think this version has something that I missed in other versions myself, but I have to spoil it a bit so the next part is only for those who have seen it already. SPOILER coming: I believe that the end when Pinocchio returns to Gepetto is a real cherry on top. Why? Do you remember the ending in other versions? Pinocchio was turning into a human boy. However, in del Toro’s film Pinocchio stays the same. And isn’t that the point of this story? It’s a story that reminds us to stay who we are and love ourselves for who we are. Pinocchio was perfect from the beginning as a wooden boy and so shall he stay one. Damn, that’s what I’m talking about! I had tears in my eyes, but I guess they were caused by my feeling of satisfaction seeing such an ending. Thank you so much for finally making this story mean more than before. *END OF SPOILER* This animation is truly wonderful and I’m thrilled it was awarded. Not only I’m glad that Disney/Pixar was finally not a sure choice, but also incredibly proud that the Oscar went to a stop-motion animation, my beloved style. Please, let’s make more of those! At the end I may just share a funny fact – Cate Blanchett asked del Toro to give her a role in the film and he agreed, but the only character left was… Spazzatura, a wild monkey that makes only monkey noises. And guess what – she went for it. So each time you see that creepy money, remember it was dubbed by Cate Blanchett herself. Isn’t cinema just wonderful?
My rating: 8/10
S.
I have nothing to watch 