Pinocchio (1940)

Must See Movie...

A Masterpiece!

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

This is the third animated classic Disney film I watched this month. I am right about to tackle the Aladdin trilogy soon. And may even tack on the Lion King trilogy if I am not too burnt out on classic Disney animation by then. Anyhow, Pinocchio is an absolute gem. One of the heavyweights Disney built his empire on and an absolute masterpiece.

PINOCCHIO is the most complex animated feature I have ever watched. It is a very adult movie under cover of a child's movie. Dialogue is of the highest quality and it has a message about the pitfalls of trusting bad company, mendacity, and a few other sins, and how the reverse, courage and nobility of spirit, can make all the difference, with the symbolism of Pinocchio becoming a "real boy" by the movie's end.Direction has not been more assured in any movie, animated or otherwise. Photography is to die for, absolutely exquisite. The detail is astonishing, beginning with all the clocks in the introduction, and the outstanding scene of Pinocchio coming up to the fish bowl but with the glass distortion he might as well have been in front of one of those mirrors at fairs, where you alternately become tall, short, or fat. The attention to detail is beyond compare but the finest item of all is the animation, which remains peerless today, all the CGI and other computer-related technology progresses notwithstanding. It is a work of genius, without a shot or a second to spare, the nearest thing to perfection, blending humor with deeply frightening sequences such as Pleasure Island, Monstro, and the climax, with Pinocchio dead but about to be resuscitated because he earned it. In the process, it has been a road trip in which a wooden toy has become a full human being.I have watched Pinocchio more times than I can recall, and every time I do so, there is a new detail, a new beautiful scene to be savored, and it reminds of how lucky I am to be able to see it while most of mankind has never set eyes on it, and probably does not even know of its existence. 10/10

While "Pinocchio" might not be as challenging for children as other animated movies, it does have some great lessons to teach them. It's more of a cautionary tale than anything, about choices and the consequences of those choices. It starts off pretty innocent, just a carpenter wanting a son, but about 40 minutes in the movie takes a complete 180 tone-wise. The movie goes from lighthearted to creepy in an instant. I want to say the last time I saw this was when I was 5, and the only thing that stuck with me all these years was Lampwick getting turned into a donkey. Is that scene still creepy to me now, yes, but I'm pretty sure it's supposed to be. Scenes like that, Stromboli locking Pinocchio in a cage, the Coachman sending children to salt mines, and the Monstro chase during the climax can all be pretty scary for a kid. But much like "Watership Down", I think the goal of scenes like these were to teach the viewer something, not solely to scare them. It all circles back to consequences of your actions, and that is one of, if not THE most important lesson a child can be taught. The movie doesn't sugarcoat things too much, aside from it being animated, the movie's rather dark. I definitely recommend you show this to your children, but wait till they're about 8 or so. Not so young that the scarier moments will scar them, but old enough to understand the movie's message.

Pinocchio is a puppet who, magically, came to life, but it needs the help of Jiminy Cricket to avoid doing bad things. This is one of the most famous earlier films from Disney Studios, inspired by the Italian fable of Carlo Collodi and adapted by Ted. Sears. The direction was in charge of Norman Ferguson's team.This is an important piece of culture, more than just an animated film. Even today, Pinocchio's lies are part of the collective popular imagination, and its not rare to see it applied in other contexts, such as in the protests against government or one of its ministers. Its also not uncommon to hear comparisons between Jiminy Cricket and anyone notable for responsibility and seriousness. The script of this film doesn't portray faithfully the tale of Collodi, but recreates it and rewrites it, giving it a much more didactic and educational aspect. That makes this movie a very good help for parents in their task, always thorny, of educate.The work of the voices is very good and drawings, made the old fashioned way, show us some of the most interesting scenes of the early films of this iconic studio. The use of color was done intelligently. The songs are excellent, some of them have become unmistakable. Pinocchio is, today as it was for decades, one of the compelling films of childhood of many grandparents, parents, children and grandchildren, passing from generation to generation.