A good adaptation doesn't always mean blindly following the source material. Sometimes, creating the right atmosphere becomes a much more complex task. 2022 officially became the year of Pinocchio, as we were treated to three films at once, among which there was a clear favorite. That's the one we'll take a look at.

Synopsis

During World War I, the woodcarver Geppetto (David Bradley) lost his beloved son Carlo. Many years later, fate decided to give him a chance to escape his loneliness when a Wood Sprite (Tilda Swinton) brings Geppetto's unfinished puppet Pinocchio (Gregory Mann) to life, while also convincing the eloquent cricket Sebastian J. Cricket (Ewan McGregor) to take on the responsibility of raising the wooden boy.

But the characters still have to earn their happiness – Pinocchio will come face to face with the temptations of fame, a terrible war, and even Death itself, to understand the fragility of life and become a real boy.

A Dark Fairy Tale

We already mentioned that if you grew up on the classic Disney film 'Pinocchio' (whose remake also came out in 2022) or on Alexei Tolstoy's fairy tale 'Buratino', the level of darkness in Carlo Collodi's original story might come as a surprise.

Roman Kovalev

Garrone's 'Pinocchio' – An Old Fairy Tale Retold with Impressive Grotesquerie

How organically does the grotesque vision of the director of 'Dogman' fit into the classic fairy tale by Carlo Collodi, 'The Adventures of Pinocchio'?

Open material

Yes, there's a whole scene where Pinocchio, who has turned into a donkey, is nearly drowned so his hide can be used for a drum, but fish eat the flesh off the puppet's wooden frame alive, returning him to his former appearance.

It's all the more interesting how Hollywood filmmakers try to craft an innocent story from the original (though there have been decent attempts at more serious and even grotesque stories, of course).

And then Guillermo comes along and shows everyone how it's done. Moreover, he achieves this effect by embedding many of his own thoughts and experiences within the wrapper of a fairy tale.

Pinocchio in Fascist Italy

Perhaps the boldest move was changing the time period in which the story takes place. Thus, in this interpretation, Pinocchio performs before Benito Mussolini himself, voiced by Tom Kenny (the actor who voices SpongeBob), and Pleasure Island becomes a military camp for fascist youth.

Such a daring move allows del Toro to express his anti-war views, which have been evident in his work for decades, while keeping the film's tone constantly charged.

Geppetto's Story

Another surprising discovery in the new 'Pinocchio' is the story of the old man Geppetto, who undergoes perhaps the main character arc. Because in this story, it's not so much about Pinocchio's change (who is finally shown in a negative light without fear), but rather the grieving father's perception of losing his son.

We see a very tragic, real-life situation where a parent, having lost one child, is not ready to invest emotional energy in a second one, where the surviving child becomes guilty in the father's eyes for not being like the deceased. This remarkable shift in focus makes the Disney film, which completely ignored this aspect, cringe with shame.

Del Toro once again plays with the idea of death. How unoriginal, you might say. And I would even agree with you. But how well the discussions about life and death are woven into the story of a wooden puppet.

To be honest, it's a pity this theme wasn't fully explored, even though it started so promisingly. In my opinion, our 'An Ordinary Miracle' examines this theme a bit more interestingly and subtly, but I don't want to blame 'Pinocchio' for it either.

Not Without Its Flaws

At first, I wanted to mention that 'Pinocchio' isn't very suitable for younger audiences, but that's very subjective. Just be prepared that you'll have to explain to your kids who the Duce was and what Italy's role was in World War II.

So let's talk about more interesting flaws. The film sacrifices several vivid negative characters, merging them into one Count Volpe (Christoph Waltz). And as interesting as his voice and animation are, he turns out to be a fairly banal and even slightly boring villain.

Fun fact – his monkey companion is voiced by Cate Blanchett. I would never have thought of that.

Some life lessons, for whose questionable presentation I criticized the Disney remake, are also present here – and they are still bad lessons.

Oh, and the songs. Haven't I mentioned that 'Pinocchio' is a bit of a musical? Well, the songs here are surprisingly unmemorable and make no impression – unlike the musical score itself.

Conclusion

Despite all the above, 'Pinocchio' unequivocally (at least in my eyes) becomes the best animated film not only of 2022 but of the last couple of years. Eerie yet incredibly beautiful stop-motion animation, multiplied by outstanding character designs, a great atmosphere, and a touching story, results in a very, very good product that is definitely recommended for viewing.