Walt Disney's second major motion picture deviates greatly from his debut Snow White, ditching the princess-in-peril storyline for that of a wooden puppet whose quest to become a real boy sees him experience human weakness and wickedness. The film begins with the narrator, a cheerful be-suited cricket named Jiminy, encountering eccentric carpenter Gepetto and learning of his desire to have his marionette puppet become a real boy. After wishing upon a star, Gepetto is visited by a mysterious blue fairy who grants his wish, allowing Pinocchio to take on life, albeit still in wooden form. The fairy promises that, should Pinocchio prove himself brave, truthful and unselfish, she will grant the wish completely and turn him into a real boy. And so, with Jiminy Cricket as his conscience, Pinocchio sets off into the real world, determined to be the best human he can.
The film's animation style is strikingly inventive right from the get-go. From a POV shot of Jiminy Cricket hopping into Gepetto's workshop, to a weirdly-morphing Pinocchio as seen from inside a goldfish bowl, to the thrilling undersea chase as puppet and co. escape from the belly of a whale, it is clear that Disney Studios were out to stress their status as masters of animation.
Though while the animation may be strong, the film is not without its shortcomings. Pinocchio is so innocent and naive that it's actually quite distressing to see him tricked and exploited time and again, whether it be by the charmingly sly Honest John, the sinister puppeteer Stromboli or the downright terrifying Coachman, whose sadistic scheme to turn unruly boys into donkeys for labour is among Disney's most pitch black moments. The scene in which a tiny donkey in a sailor outfit pleads tearfully with the Coachman and his monstrous cronies only to find himself at the end of a lashing whip, seems straight out of a Brothers Grimm tale, and is clearly far too dark for even the hardiest child to endure. And that's before we encounter the aptly-named Monstro, an enormous, bloodthirsty whale intent on devouring every possible protagonist. Indeed, while many believe Bambi to be Disney's most melancholy tale, Pinocchio makes a strong case otherwise.
However, despite its many moments of bleakness, Pinocchio also contains some truly joyous sequences. Gepetto dancing with his beloved puppet as his collection of eccentric clocks chime, Pinocchio performing his first "no-strings-attached" puppet show and his ultimate transformation into a real boy remain timelessly charming. Of course the famous nose-growing scene is great as well, though surprisingly this feat only occurs once in the film. Meanwhile, the ever-fretting Jiminy Cricket and the mischievous Figaro the cat provide plenty of comic relief and the musical numbers are among the best Disney has produced - "When You Wish Upon A Star" remains the company's trademark fanfare as well as the best-known and most celebrated of the studio's songs.
Far too sad and scary to appeal to youngsters in the way later films such as Aladdin and The Lion King do, Pinocchio is nevertheless a charming watch, carrying the less-than-subtle but always important message to be truthful and selfless at all times. More crucially, however, the film introduces the quintessential Disney notion of dreams and self-belief, in that "when you wish upon a star, your dreams come true".
No comments:
Post a Comment