The works of Disney have been an integral part of children’s lives since the 1930s to this day. Targeting children audiences, Walt Disney Productions left many long-lasting impressions from creating Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in 1937 to the present day Encanto.
After the massive success of Snow White, Disney made Pinocchio which became one of the greatest films to be ever made by them.
The film’s protagonist Pinocchio is a wooden puppet made by an Italian wood sculptor named Geppetto.
Listening to the prayers of Geppetto, Blue Fairy promised Pinocchio to become a living human boy if he proved himself brave, truthful and unselfish. As a father figure, Geppetto lets Pinocchio traverse his way into society.
But as a naive boy, Pinocchio is unable to distinguish between right and wrong even though having Jiminy Cricket as his ‘conscience.’
Hence, he falls into the wrong hands of con-artist duo Honest John and Gideon the Cat who exploit his naivety two times.
First, trapped by an evil puppet master and second, by an evil coachman who turns delinquent children into donkeys for sale. Pinocchio learns from his mistakes and goes back to his father to be the good boy to find his home empty.
After a message sent by the Blue Fairy, he and his conscience cricket delve into a journey unknown to find Geppetto. But the journey does not go smoothly, as his father is trapped inside a humongous whale named Monstro, whose name is feared by all water beings.
Pinnochio saves his father from the belly of the whale but sacrifices himself to save him when Monstro tries to kill them. However, as he proves his bravery and selflessness, Blue Fairy revives him as a living human boy, thus restoring joy in the Geppetto household.
Pinocchio is a children’s tale of a puppet going through his character development to prove himself worthy.
Naive and clueless at first, he gets himself in trouble and learns from his mistakes which is quite admirable. His selfless sacrifice to save everyone he loves, leaves a lasting impression on young minds.
Although the movie had villains with dark stories, Disney took a more lenient way of showing them than in the original novel by Italian author Carlo Collodi.
In Disney movies, villains are always shown defeated or redeemed themselves of their past. But in Pinocchio, the villains got away with all their wrongdoings, and they didn’t even face any obstacles.
Pinocchio is always shown to be a survivor while encountering them, not coming back to teach them a lesson like other heroes. The certainty of the cruel villains makes them terrifying if people think about it.
Pinocchio was a pivotal event for the animation industry which saw more effects and technological developments to make the movie more realistic and captivating.
The movie is considered a national treasure by US National Film Registry, and the lessons from the movie will be treasured by people of all ages forever as a classic masterpiece.
Even after 8 decades of theatrical release, Pinocchio remains a fan favourite, a special one for the tender minds.
