How much do I love 1940’s Pinocchio? Enough to watch it a million times and write a blog about it, that’s how much. But really, the story of a little puppet learning right from wrong in an effort to become a real boy is a perfect film in my opinion. All the technical aspects of it are wonderful, how this was only the 2nd feature to be produced by the Studio is beyond me, they learned so much in such a little time. There is a sweeping shot of the mornings activities of Geppetto’s Village that is so beautifully shot you completely suspend belief that these are drawings and not a camera moving on a rig through a physical set. Every shot is so full of details; it takes multiple viewings to fully absorb Geppetto’s Workshop.
Pinocchio is such a great little protagonist. He’s so relatable, possibly due to his morally simplistic journey. He fails in doing right in effort to become a real boy. He lies to cover his tracks, but a simple lie grows until it’s as plain as the nose on your face. We’ve all had to learn such lessons. This makes his sacrifice to save his father from the jaws of Monstro the whale all the more powerful, supported by the heartbreaking image of his dead body in the water. This movie gets dark, friends. I still get nightmares from the scene where Lampwick transforms into a donkey after a night of debauchery on Pleasure Island. And I don’t even want to know what happens to the boys that can still speak after turning into jack asses (Cursing in a Disney movie!).
Our semi-narrator of the story, Jimminy Cricket, ends up being one of the greatest sidekicks of all time. Little did they know when they gave him the song When You Wish Upon a Star that it would become synonymous with the company itself. I love his little winks at the camera and his commentary to the clock figures. It’s great that this imperfect vagabond gets the role of Pinocchio’s conscience and learns along with him.
Now to be purely indulgent, I HAVE to talk about the Blue Fairy. She is, without a doubt, one of my favorite Disney Characters. She’s so beautiful and regal and radiant and graceful and elegant and stunning and exquisite.... you get the point. Just something about her always fascinated me. The way she was designed, the way that she carries herself and a perfect vocal performance makes my face light up brighter than the wishing star whenever she appears on the screen.
What could have been a disjointed, episodic mess, with a multitude of side characters, villains, and situations, the story is told seamlessly. Not one scene is wasted. Beautifully animated and designed with a tight, simple story, it’s no wonder that this film gets praise it deserves. Pinocchio goes down as one of the best animated movies ever made and one of my personal favorite movies of all time.
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