Pinocchio
1940 · Directed by Hamilton Luske, Ben Sharpsteen, Jack Kinney, Bill Roberts, T. Hee, Norman Ferguson, Wilfred Jackson
Original language: English
- animation
- family
- fantasy
The story
When the gentle woodcarver Geppetto builds a marionette to be his substitute son, a benevolent fairy brings the toy to life. The puppet, named Pinocchio, is not yet a human boy. He must earn the right to be real by proving that he is brave, truthful, and unselfish.
What it’s like
Hand-painted watercolour backgrounds give Disney's 1940 Pinocchio the soft, storybook look of an illuminated book: warm amber lamplight in Geppetto's cluttered Tuscan workshop, pale dawn over a sleepy village, and deep blue-black night skies pricked with stars when Monstro's sea churns. The animation is hand-drawn cel work with fluid, slightly bouncy character movement, and the restored prints carry a gentle grain that suits a dreamy afternoon. The score, dominated by the chiming "When You Wish Upon a Star" and lilting Italian-flavoured orchestral passages, sounds delicate and nostalgic, with sudden orchestral swells during the more frightening sequences. Vibe: wistful, old-fashioned, lightly whimsical, the kind of film that suits a rainy Sunday or a comfort rewatch with children. Pacing is episodic and unhurried, with a steady rhythm of temptation and correction, and the emotional arc follows a naive puppet learning to be honest and kind while a loving father waits. Intensity is mild but not toothless: a child is kidnapped and sold into forced labour, a whale-swallowing sequence has peril and a dark, smoky villain, and a few characters meet frightening ends. Gentle overall, with fear rather than gore. For families and for adults who want a tender, moral fable with classic animation.
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