C.S. Lewis once wrote, "A children's story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children's story in the slightest."
This quote applies to all stories for children since the value of a story is not tied to the age of the people who read it. Guillermo del Toro evoked a similar sentiment during his acceptance speech for "Pinocchio" when he said, "animation is cinema."
In a year stacked with possible best-animated features such as "Puss in Boots Last Wish" and "Turning Red," respectively, and two other Pinocchio adaptations released in 2022, del Toro's adaptation has captured the minds of audiences and critics alike. This is partly due to the film's reimagining of a classic tale for a modern era.
To understand del Toro's vision for Pinocchio, one has to look back at his earlier films, specifically "The Devil's Backbone" and "Pan's Labyrinth." The films followed young protagonists in magical realist interpretations of Francisco Franco's Spain, often blending horror, folktale and humor into the story. The results are fantastic, often overlapping with reality in a way that only exacerbates the characters' conflicts, like a ghost haunting a school or monsters lurking in the woods.
"Pinocchio" continues this tradition, retelling the story in the context of Mussolini's Italy in the 1930s, with themes of magic and fascism often interlocking to create layers of complexity to the story. This is most evident in the first time the town interacts with Pinocchio.
Pinocchio's first appearance is played for horror as he crawls from the shadow, the personification of a person made of pine. The potential for his capabilities as a wooden puppet attracts the eyes of fascist officials and ringleaders alike looking to exploit the puppet.
One of these characters is Podestà, a former merchant turned soldier. His interest in Pinocchio peaks once he sees that Pinocchio is immortal and his deaths only result in him spending small periods in death before coming back to life. The potential of Pinocchio's magical abilities becomes a source of interest for Podestà and a subject of envy for his son, Candlewick.
Pinocchio's inability to die becomes a conflict since it never solves any of his issues except escaping further conflict. The role of immortality becomes another lens through which we can interpret the world presented. Instead of following a new character for each section of the narrative, we are given several lives through the wandering eyes of Pinocchio.
Through this multi-faceted lens, del Toro makes "Pinocchio" his own. Through his direction, "Pinocchio" takes on a new complexity. Instead of the story of a puppet's desire to become a boy, we are given layers of metaphor and symbol. There are discussions to be had on its relation to religious imagery, politics and folklore as it's reimagined through the film.
This multiplicity of themes asks viewers to rewatch and re-engage with the story. Similar to del Toro's earlier works, more than one viewing is needed to pull apart the separate themes at play within the work. Instead, the film is a tableau of histories, cultures and ideas that are forefronted in an animated feature.
Though children may see this film as that one "film they watched too young," there is a certain power to distilling complex questions of nationalism, life and faith into a kid's feature. In time, repeated viewings of the feature will slowly tease out the ideas and show why "Pinocchio" is not animation; it's cinema.
Benjamin Ervin is a senior studying English literature and writing at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Want to talk more about it? Let Benjamin know by emailing him be425014@ohio.edu.
