Review: Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio

With a recent surge in Pinocchio adaptations across the past few years, it is fair to say that the Pinocchio market is quickly becoming oversaturated with content, culminating with the most derivative work of all in Disney’s Pinocchio (2022). Therefore, when Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio (2022) premiered at the BFI’s London Film Festival, it came with a massive relief to see an adaptation that was not only creatively driven with a sense of passion and love from the director, but one that deviates from the mould in a creatively brilliant way.

The film very effectively talks about the issues facing the dynamics between a father and son, in many ways relevant to not only the setting but also the modern world

To talk about Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio is to talk about, arguably, its strongest element – that being its thematic exploration of the ideas of individuality and identity; in an omnipresent sense this film explores these ideas in every facet of its existence. Set to the backdrop of fascist Italy in the 1930s, the idea of being a puppet and breaking free of oppressive control is something that fits incredibly naturally, with the existence of normal people in this regime as metaphorical puppets acting as a parallel to Pinocchio, an actual puppet. This idea of expressing freedom and forcing thought onto others links well to the idea of the film being “about imperfect fathers and imperfect sons”.

Through its exploration of fatherhood, including the expectations of a father, the film very effectively talks about the issues facing the dynamics between a father and son, in many ways relevant to not only the setting but also the modern world. The tight cohesiveness of these ideas and how they are presented makes Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio a film that not only manages to be well woven in terms of story and content, but a film that is engaging and moving for its audience.

The animation of Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio is in no way short of phenomenal. Bringing beautifully crafted 3D printed models to life through stop motion, the film completely oozes a sense of charm and passion. With over 1000 days of animation time dedicated to creating the film, the effort put in shines through in its utterly beautiful aesthetics. The level of respect that is seen in this film to the medium of animation is something that cannot be overlooked.

The models that were created for the film are filled with details and purposeful imperfections that make them more alive and real when in motion. This is compounded with expert design in place for these characters with conscious decisions being made to exemplify certain traits and elements. The best example of this is with Pinocchio, who is designed as to be very asymmetrical, with one ear and nails sticking out of his back, both done to convey him not only being an ‘imperfect son’ in-line with the theme of parenthood but also to show how he is different to the world around him and not another puppet.

@Louis Wright

Bradley’s expressiveness as Geppetto is something that cannot be understated

With an unexpectedly star-studded cast, Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio is filled with memorable performances that show incredible depths of range and emotion. The voice actor’s performance of Pinocchio lends a sense of nuance and perspective necessary for the character to work as well as he does. Geppetto (David Bradley) is another performance that must be commended, as Bradley’s expressiveness as Geppetto is something that cannot be understated and provides a sense of life to the character that is not seen in other adaptations of the Pinocchio story, therefore making him more interesting as a character. Finally, the Wood Sprite (Tilda Swinton) – this adaptation’s interpretation of the fairy that brings Pinocchio life, is an appropriately eerie and yet reassuring performance, perfectly encapsulating this version of the character.

Verdict:

Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio is a breath of fresh air in terms of creative passion and quality, with a sense of respect to the medium of animation that is rarely seen in the modern day. The crew of the film, much like the Wood Sprite, have breathed life into Pinocchio; creating an experience that is endlessly enjoyable and artistically brilliant. Through its merits, this film is a fantastic deviation from other Pinocchio-themed slop that we have received in recent times and gives hope to the creative vision of classic adaptations going forward.