Guillermo del Toro’s long-awaited stop-motion adaptation of the classic talePinocchiohas finally dropped on Netflix. Not only didDisney also release a remake ofPinocchiothis year, but over the years there have beenover twenty film adaptations ofThe Adventures of Pinocchio. The original book is clearly a popular piece of source material, but with each new incarnation, it makes one ask: why?Why and how is each version ofPinocchiodifferent, and what does it bring to the table that every prior version did not?Steven Spielberg’s 2001 filmA.I. Artificial Intelligencebrings the story (based on a short story byBrian Aldiss) into the realm of science fiction while Disney’s 2022Pinocchiostuck very close to the original animated version. It’s safe to say thatGuillermo del Toro’s Pinocchioprovides a style unique to the Mexican auteur, but what new meaning does it bring to the story that further warrants its existence? It’s refreshing to see a remake of a frequently-adapted story that takes liberties, and the significance of these liberties is paramount to understanding the heart of this film.
‘Pinocchio’ Criticizes Fascist Regimes
Guillermo del Toro takesCarlo Collodi’s story (originally published in 1883) and instead, sets his version ofPinocchioduring the uprising of the fascist takeover in the author’s native Italy. The fascist-era setting of this Italian fable sees the regime demand that Pinocchio (Gregory Mann) — and the people of the world, for that matter — remain puppet-like instead of a “real boy.“Ron Perlman’s Podesta represents the personification of the regime within the town, and finds himself concerned over Pinocchio’s nature as an “independent thinker.” The curse of Pinocchio and his limitations as a puppet mirror the curse of being a subject of oppressive regimes. This is nothing new for the films of Guillermo del Toro, having explored similar war-torn settings inThe Devil’s BackboneandPan’s Labyrinthrespectively. The former takes place in an isolated orphanage during the Spanish Civil War where an inert bomb stands erect in the courtyard having failed to explode. The latter takes place five years later during the Francoist period, when a girl must adjust to her new life as the stepdaughter of a cruel Falangist Captain. Both films view war through the innocent eyes of children, illustrating just how far men have veered from their innocence and purity of heart in order to oversee such monstrosity. Guillermo del Toro’s hatred of war is well-documented, and he uses this asPinocchio’s catalyst with the decision to have Geppetto’s son Carlo die as thoughtless collateral damage.
Pinocchio’s internal struggle between self-expression and fitting in comes to a head when Geppetto (David Bradley) yells, “I built you to be like Carlo. Why can’t you be more like Carlo?” But Pinocchio replies, “Because I’m not Carlo.“Pinocchiois a film about individuality in the face of a regime that demands uniformity. Afraid of burdening his father, Pinocchio runs away to perform for Mussolini (“I like puppets,” Mussolini claims, fittingly) and eventually serves the regime, hoping to make his father (and fatherland) proud.Christoph Waltz’s Volpe sums up the film’s views on the conflict when he commands, “I am the puppeteer, and you are the puppet. I am the master, and you are the slave […] You may not have strings, but I control you.” The lesson learned inPinocchiois by Geppetto, who is told byEwan McGregor’s Sebastian J. Cricket that Pinocchio “has much to learn, but he loves you. He loves you for what you are. Can’t you do the same for him?” — a message we can all take from the wooden boy with a heart of gold.
Religious Imagery in del Toro’s ‘Pinocchio’
As early asPinocchio’s first act, we are introduced to yet another wooden boy carved by Geppetto himself. He builds a beautiful crucifix for the church featured prominently in the town, drawing a comparison between Pinocchio and the other famous boy brought to life by a higher power. When Geppetto builds Pinocchio, the puppet is visited by a being that resembles a biblically accurate angel (as opposed to the harp-playing robed human with a halo) with six wings covered in eyes. The angel’s visit to bring life to Pinocchio mirrors the biblical tale of Gabriel’s visit to Mary, implying the possibility that del Toro’s decision to releasePinocchioat Christmastime was intended for reasons beyond its family film appeal.
Sebastian J. Cricket plays the role of Pinocchio’s guide and conscience in del Toro’s adaptation much like Jiminy Cricket did in Disney’s. As well as the initials J.C., this character has always been an allegory for religious guidance, and in this instance, literally carried within Pinocchio’s heart. This kind of religious allegory is nothing new in del Toro’s films, featured prominently in many of his works, namelyCronos. It’s important to note that in spite of his upbringing within a Roman Catholic family and country,del Toro himself is an atheist, but just as with monster movies and classic gothic literature, del Toro has always seen beauty and value in the extraordinary whether or not he interprets them as gospel.
RELATED:‘Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio’ Excels Because It Embraces Its Creepiness
These two main themes of war and religion inPinocchioare tied together by an early moment of confusion for the titular character. Pinocchio is confronted with the realization that the carved crucifix made by Geppetto is being worshiped in the church, but when the townspeople discover Pinocchio, they treat him as a monster. Pinocchio mulls this over, and his introspective question holds a mirror up to such regimes as the fascist movement. If they admire the wooden carving on the crucifix for breaking the mold and defying the laws of man, why don’t they admire Pinocchio for doing the same? In the film’s final act, Pinocchio’s fate is in question, and Geppetto, having now learned his lesson, confesses, “I was trying to make you someone you were not. So, don’t be Carlo or anyone else. Be exactly who you are. I love you exactly as you are.”
