Following the release of their first animated movie Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the Walt Disney studio decided to produce a second full-length animated feature, resulting in the creation of Pinocchio. The film was released in 1940 and was inspired by Carlo Collodi’s popular children’s book, The Adventures of Pinocchio. Similar to the company’s previous movie, the story of Pinocchio was implemented with Walt Disney and his staff’s imaginative interpretations of the original story, providing a fresh, whimsical take on Collodi’s work. Since Pinocchio carries the same ambition as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs by being a visual retelling of a classic tale, let’s analyze Disney’s second film and see if it consists of similar fantastical elements that are found in its predecessor.
Analysis
At the start of the movie, we are introduced to one of the film’s protagonists, Jiminy Cricket. Throughout the course of the film, one of Jiminy’s primary purposes is to serve as a guide for the audience, informing them on how the story begins and occasionally addressing them at different points in the film by making direct eye contact through the screen, causing us to feel like we play an active part in the movie. I find Jiminy Cricket’s character to be very charming due to his welcoming personality and his ability to be a friendly conversationalist. Jiminy’s amiable demeanor makes him an ideal communicator for the audience because his good nature compels viewers to trust him. It is this trustworthiness that allows us to give Jiminy our undivided attention as he leads us to Geppetto’s house, where the beginning of the story takes place.
Upon arriving at Geppetto’s house, we are given some insight into who he is as a character by observing his collection of wood carvings. Geppetto’s home is covered in his wooden creations, each one having its own unique design demonstrating his inventiveness and artistic talent. When we eventually see Geppetto on screen, we notice that he is also a kindhearted man who genuinely cares for his loved ones which is shown through his familial relationships with his pets, Figaro and Cleo, and the affection he carries for his puppet Pinocchio. Even though Pinocchio does not receive the gift of life at the start of the film and is considered to be an inanimate object, Geppetto has grown attached to the puppet to the point where he wishes Pinocchio could become a real boy so Geppetto can care for him as a doting father. The combination of Geppetto’s immense love for Pinocchio and the happiness he has given others through his creations causes the Blue Fairy to appear and makes the woodcarver’s desire partially come true by granting Pinocchio the ability to become sentient.
When the Blue Fairy prompts Pinocchio to awaken, he displays an innocence that is often found in young children. He is very curious about the world and wants to understand how it functions, however, he needs more life experience to develop good morals and discern the difference between right and wrong. This dilemma requires Pinocchio to have someone act as his mentor who will assist in his endeavors to become brave, truthful, and unselfish, the essential character traits the puppet must possess to make Geppetto’s wish come true. After witnessing Pinocchio’s transformation and becoming entranced by the Blue Fairy’s ethereal beauty, Jiminy Cricket volunteers to take on the role of the wooden boy’s conscience, vowing to ensure Pinocchio will learn to exhibit proper behavior and make wise decisions. Although Jiminy chooses to help Pinocchio due to his infatuation with the Blue Fairy, he treats his new occupation very seriously and tries his best to educate Pinocchio on the importance of being a good person in the coming days.
During his first full day of being alive, Pinocchio shows an eagerness to learn about everything he sees. This inquisitiveness demonstrates the puppet’s desire to learn new things which is very endearing to watch. Unfortunately, Pinocchio’s insatiable curiosity also shows his tendency to be ignorant due to the lack of knowledge he possesses from being less than a day old. This weakness causes Pinocchio to be easy to manipulate and two of the movie’s villains, Honest John and Gideon, are able to take advantage of the puppet by convincing him to ditch school in favor of becoming an actor so they can sell him to earn some money. When Jiminy discovers that the con artists are attempting to dissuade Pinocchio from pursuing an education, he tries to advise the puppet by telling him he should continue on his way to school. He proceeds to tell Pinocchio that Honest John and Gideon want to tempt Pinocchio to seek an opportunity that would benefit them financially instead of following his father’s wishes for him to obtain academic knowledge. Jiminy’s efforts to dissuade Pinocchio from disobeying his father illustrate the dedication he has to his new position since he takes his time in instructing the wooden boy to choose school over show business, an example of deciding to do the right thing rather than being selfish and disobedient. The amount of care and patience Jiminy puts into his advice for Pinocchio is very commendable, which makes it even more devastating when Pinocchio decides to continue following Honest John and Gideon due to his overly trusting nature. It is Pinocchio’s gullibility that forces him to undergo a series of unintentional trials to see if he is worthy of becoming a real boy with the first test being to overcome the temptation to defy responsibilities instilled by your loved ones. Although Pinocchio failed this test he eventually learned from his mistake, motivating him to continue his pursuit of becoming human.
After Pinocchio becomes an actor for Stromboli, a popular puppeteer, he slowly begins to understand his new employer does not have his best interests at heart. Similar to Honest John and Gideon, Stromboli is greedy and when he realizes how valuable Pinocchio is for his business, he locks the wooden boy in a cage to prevent him from leaving. Pinocchio is surprised by Stromboli’s actions and he realizes there are consequences for his foolish decision. The severity of Pinocchio’s situation intensifies when Jiminy tries to rescue him and is unable to unlock the cage, solidifying the cricket’s advice to go to school as the choice that should have been made by the puppet earlier in the film.
Eventually, the Blue Fairy arrives and presents Pinocchio with a second test, which is to tell her the truth about why he became imprisoned. This inquiry makes Pinocchio feel like he needs to lie because he feels ashamed of the results of his choice and he is afraid the Blue Fairy will judge him for his thoughtlessness. Pinocchio’s fabrications are attempts to portray him in a more positive light, trying to play the role of a guiltless victim trapped in an unforeseen predicament, however, the Blue Fairy detects Pinocchio’s dishonesty through the rapid growth of his wooden nose, becoming longer and longer with each lie. This particular scene was one of my favorites in the movie because it demonstrates that there are physical drawbacks if Pinocchio does not succeed in being brave, truthful, and unselfish. By choosing to become an actor instead of going to school, he exhibited selfishness since he chose to do something that he deemed to be more exciting even if it meant he was disobeying his father. He also displayed fear and deceit when he interacted with the Blue Fairy because he was worried about telling her the reason why he was locked up so he tried to alter the truth causing him to tell her multiple lies. Luckily the Blue Fairy shows sympathy for Pinocchio and gives him another chance to show he is capable of becoming a real boy but she tells him this is the last time she can help the puppet. This information adds some tension for the remainder of the film’s story since Pinocchio will have to make more of an effort to prove he can grant Geppetto’s wish with the knowledge that he will have no more chances to start with a clean slate.
During Pinocchio and Jiminy’s journey home, Pinocchio is adamant about learning his lesson, telling Jiminy he only intends to be good from now on and go to school so he can become smart instead of pursuing an acting career. I found this scene to be very promising because Pinocchio’s strong resolve made me believe he genuinely wants to be better. However, while Pinocchio is determined to improve his behavior, it is imperative to remember that he is a child and children have the tendency to repeat their mistakes. As Pinocchio continues to follow Jiminy to Geppetto’s house, he is once again intercepted by Honest John and Gideon who try to present the puppet with another opportunity, the chance to go on vacation to Pleasure Island. Although Pinocchio proves he is trying to make more rational decisions by refusing to yield to the con artists’ schemes multiple times, in the end, they drag him away, forcing Pinocchio to go to Pleasure Island and undergo another major challenge.
When we are introduced to Pleasure Island, we notice that the location intends to promote overindulgence, specifically in activities that exhibit naughty habits such as roughhousing, vandalism, and smoking cigars. Once Pinocchio starts to partake in the island’s attractions he quickly develops an appreciation for the immoral behavior which is disheartening to watch, especially after hearing him say he was going to try harder to be responsible earlier in the film. Nevertheless, it is important to note that Pinocchio’s circumstances on Pleasure Island have a few significant differences compared to his time working for Stromboli. One of the main distinctions between these two incidents is that Pleasure Island is designed to provide Pinocchio with personal entertainment which differs from his career as Stromboli’s actor because he was expected to prioritize other people’s amusement, not his own. Another crucial difference is Pinocchio makes a friend while he is on Pleasure Island, a boy named Lampiwick who stays close to Pinocchio and encourages him to divulge in all the delights the island has to offer. With these two factors in mind, Pinocchio’s investment in Pleasure Island is still disappointing but not unexpected. Although he wants to make better choices, he has the mind of a young boy which causes him to be ignorant and easy to influence. When Lampwick advises Pinocchio to follow his example and indulge in Pleasure Island’s activities, the puppet does not question him at all since he is the first child Pinocchio interacts with, which compels him to mimic Lampwick’s actions. Unfortunately, their overconsumption of cigarettes and alcohol causes their bodies to be altered to resemble donkeys, a cruel punishment to reflect their idiotic decision to constantly ingest the island’s offerings with no hesitation.
With the realization that all of the boys sent to Pleasure Island are being transformed into donkeys, we are introduced to the intentions of the movie’s next villain, the Coachman. Out of all the film’s antagonists, the Coachman stood out to me the most because even though he is selfish like Honest John, Gideon, and Stromboli he is more conniving and heartless. His scheme to trick boys into visiting his secluded island so he can force them to change species is meant to teach them a lesson that troublesome boys who have fun through greediness and harassment will eventually have to be brutally disciplined for their stupidity. While I do believe misbehaving children need to learn the importance of being respectful, the Coachman’s methods are monstrous. Watching the donkeys’ tearful eyes and hearing their cries to be released was painful and the fact that the Coachman shows no remorse makes this section of the movie more disturbing to watch. You can tell they are terrified that their humanity has been stripped away from them and they are desperate to leave the island and return to their families. After witnessing the rest of the boys suffer from their tragic predicament, it was a relief that Jiminy was able to help Pinocchio escape from the island. While Pleasure Island was another instance where Pinocchio did not succeed in proving he was ready to become a real boy, it did reignite his determination to follow the Blue Fairy’s morals and he is ultimately able to exhibit them during the movie’s final conflict.
After Pinocchio and Jiminy finally return to Geppetto’s house, they are presented with a message that states Geppetto has been swallowed by a whale named Monstro which prompts Pinocchio to venture towards the sea to save his father. I found it very admirable that Pinocchio rushed to assist Geppetto. Up until he hears about his father’s disappearance, the puppet has been thrust into situations where he did not make the best choices. However, these experiences have given Pinocchio insight into displaying proper behavior since they all exhibited the consequences of going against the Blue Fairy’s conditions to become human. Now that his father is in danger due to his failure to return home, Pinocchio feels that he needs to rescue Geppetto regardless of how dangerous the journey will be to find Monstro, demonstrating the puppet’s ability to show selflessness. Pinocchio continues to display his compassion by not making Jiminy accompany him into the ocean. This interaction was touching to watch since Jiminy has always gone after Pinocchio to keep him out of trouble. Pinocchio attempting to say goodbye to Jiminy before diving into the sea can be interpreted as the puppet thanking the cricket for staying by his side and now that he has learned to make better decisions, he wishes to spare Jiminy from traveling through the vast ocean and potentially getting killed by Monstro. It was heartwarming to witness how much Pinocchio has grown as a character and equally moving to see Jiminy insist he is going to accompany Pinocchio, illustrating his unwavering dependability and the strength of their friendship. With their minds made up, Pinocchio and Jiminy plunge into the water and search for the last villain in the story.
As Pinocchio and Jiminy swim across the sea looking for Monstro, I find it fascinating that we can sense how terrifying the whale is before we even see him on screen. Every time any of the fish hear Monstro’s name, they hurriedly swim away, trying to put as much distance between them and the whale as possible. When we actually see Monstro, we can tell that he has an intimidating reputation due to his huge, dominating appearance. Even the insides of the whale are frightening since his massive size makes his stomach look cavernous, causing Geppetto’s prison to appear depressing and desolate. When Pinocchio is eventually swallowed by Monstro, he is able to finally reunite with Geppetto shedding some positivity to the family’s gloomy circumstances. After achieving his goal of finding his father, Pinocchio is determined to execute the next part of his plan, to escape Monstro and use Geppetto’s raft to sail towards dry land.
When Pinocchio attempts to escape Monstro, he displays an immense amount of bravery and resourcefulness in his plan to make a fire so Monstro sneezes. The plan is successful and leads to a suspenseful chase between Pinocchio’s family and Monstro. The whale is extremely agitated by the puppet’s scheme and he intends to brutally punish his victims for trying to break free. Monstro’s anger adds intensity to the chase because he intends to show no mercy if he catches Pinocchio or Geppetto, planning to devour them again with little hope of them leaving a second time. When Monstro catches up to Pinocchio and Geppetto and destroys their raft, Geppetto feels very worn out, leading Pinocchio to hold onto his father and desperately swim for shore, adding more tension to their already perilous situation. Luckily, Pinocchio was able to swim fast enough and save Geppetto, unfortunately, Pinocchio was unable to survive and drowned near the shore, sacrificing himself to ensure his father’s safety.
Pinocchio’s death was disheartening to see on screen, especially since we see how sad and distraught everyone is at seeing the puppet’s motionless form. Geppetto’s grief in particular is very hard to watch since he is aware that his son died because he wanted to save him. Fortunately, Pinocchio’s act of self-sacrifice was enough for him to fulfill the Blue Fairy’s requirements to become a real boy. Pinocchio’s decision to dive into the ocean and pursue Monstro to save his father required an immense amount of bravery. His willingness to prioritize his father’s well-being over his own is the most selfless thing he could have done. This last point is a bit of a stretch but since Pinocchio did not tell a single lie during his time in the ocean, he also exhibited truthfulness, showing that he has embodied all three of the necessary character traits to turn him into a real boy. Pinocchio’s resurrection is satisfying to see because not only does he come back to life, but he also makes Geppetto’s wish come true, creating a happy ending for the family and allowing the movie to come full circle.
Similar to Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Pinocchio also has several musical numbers that play a vital role in its story. For this reason, I thought it would be appropriate to once again include a separate section discussing each of the songs in the film.
Music
“When You Wish Upon a Star,” is my favorite song in the movie. It is a beautiful introduction to the film, providing a lovely message that will serve as one of the film’s primary lessons: if you are truly passionate about your dreams and you put your heart into them, they will eventually come true. The lyrics of the song are very fitting for Geppetto’s wish for Pinocchio to become a real boy since he feels so much love for the puppet, his wish is not seen as being over the top, instead, it is deemed worthy of being granted. Overall, an amazing start to the film’s music.
“Little Wooden Head” is a nice, simple song that exhibits Geppetto’s imaginative nature. Throughout the song, we get to observe his infatuation with Pinocchio and it is endearing to see that he gives the puppet his own personality by making him move in a playful and mischievous manner.
“Give a Little Whistle” is another pleasant and simple number. The lyrics are very charming and I always smile whenever I listen to them. It is also fun to watch Pinocchio and Jiminy interact. Even though they have just met, you can tell they already have a sweet and wholesome dynamic.
“Hi-Diddle-Dee-Dee” is very catchy and I really liked how Honest John tries to convince Pinocchio to become an actor by having the song lyrics describe several fancy and expensive items he can potentially obtain with a theatrical career. Since Honest John is a con artist desperate to acquire more money, I thought it was clever that he tries to motivate Pinocchio through lavish imagery that he would most likely also find to be enticing.
“I’ve Got No Strings” is a fun addition to the movie. It was very entertaining to watch Pinocchio dance while singing the song since he demonstrates his unique mobility as a puppet who can control his own movements without the aid of strings. I was also intrigued to see Pinocchio interact with other puppets during the song to emphasize how different he is from Stromboli’s wooden marionettes. Definitely one of the more amusing songs in the movie.
Now that we have covered all the songs in the film, let’s get to the final ratings and ranking of Pinocchio.
Rating
Characters: 9/10 🦗🦗🦗🦗🦗🦗🦗🦗🦗
All of the film’s main characters are unique and each of them left a lasting impression on me. Pinocchio’s childlike innocence and curiosity make him a very endearing character. Jiminy Cricket is also very charming due to his friendly and dependable nature as well as his undying loyalty for Pinocchio. Geppetto is a sweet and compassionate man who lovingly cares for Pinocchio, making their bond as father and son very believable. The Blue Fairy is another kindhearted character who is able to guide Pinocchio to make good choices so he can reach his goal of becoming human. Honest John, Gideon, Stromboli, the Coachman, and Monstro do a great job as the film’s antagonists, each of them exhibiting selfish and greedy character traits to emphasize their evil reputations. Even Gepeto’s pets, Figaro and Cleo have very distinct personalities with Figaro being caring and stubborn and Cleo being sweet and affectionate. Overall a well-rounded cast of characters, however, I think the movie could have potentially flowed a bit more smoothly if there weren’t so many characters to keep track of, hence my deduction of one point.
Story: 8/10 🦗🦗🦗🦗🦗🦗🦗🦗
I found the movie’s story to be very engaging and enjoyable. After watching Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, it was nice to watch a movie that has a more eventful storyline where we got to visit multiple locations and interact with a more diverse cast of characters. However, I do think the film may have been slightly too ambitious with its story since Pinocchio and Jiminy have to go on three separate adventures (Stromboli’s puppet show, Pleasure Island, and saving Geppetto from Monstro), causing the movie to feel a little excessive at times. This issue is the reason why I am taking away a few points but I still found the film’s story to be entertaining.
Music: 7/10 🦗🦗🦗🦗🦗🦗🦗
Similar to the songs in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, all of the songs in Pinocchio have a delightful and whimsical quality. Each of the film’s musical numbers has simple and sweet lyrics, making me smile every time I listen to them. I especially love “When You Wish Upon a Star” due to its beautiful encapsulation of the primary moral in the movie’s story. Unfortunately, the movie’s other songs are not as memorable for me as the songs in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs so I felt the need to give the music in Pinocchio a slightly lower rating.
Ranking
Time to conclude this post with my official ranking of Pinocchio. While I genuinely enjoyed watching this movie and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, I found Pinocchio to be slightly more entertaining so it takes the number one spot. I’ll see you all next time when I review Fantasia!
- Pinocchio
- Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs