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Writer's pictureLaura Slinger

Throwback: Pinocchio



Following the success of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, came the beautiful (and rather scary) Pinocchio. Disney movies may get better and better by the year, but since 1940 Pinocchio has been considered a pinnacle in animation and has gone down as a timeless classic. The creators of Pinocchio had limited technology available and still managed to find new techniques to elevate the animation industry. They managed to find ways to make their characters something more than just drawings on our screens, and made them appear to exist in a world of dimension. After the breakthrough of Snow White, Disney had to prove that they weren't a one hit wonder. One way they helped achieve this was through the use of the 'multiplane camera' an innovation by Disney that allowed drawings in three dimensions, making the camera appear to pass through foreground drawings. This story of a little puppet and his quest to become a real boy is a triumph in storytelling and is such a classic, it's hard to find someone who doesn't know the story of Pinocchio.


The story begins with a woodworker named Geppetto wishes on a falling star that the puppet he has just finished making will become a real boy. Low and behold during the night, his puppet Pinocchio comes alive thanks to the Blue Fairy granting Geppetto's wish. She entrusts Jiminy Cricket to look after Pinocchio and serve as the wooden boy's conscience. However the naive and trusting Pinocchio strays from the right path and falls into the hands of the wicked Honest John who leads him astray to the sinful Pleasure Island. Once Pinocchio tries to set things right and returns home he discovers that Geppetto is gone. Thanks to the Blue Fairy (again) he goes on a journey to find his father who got swallowed by Monstro the Whale whilst searching for his 'son'.


Pinocchio is then blind-sided by two con-artists who give him over to Stromboli, a vile puppetier. Pinocchio finds himself the star of the show as a puppet song-and-dance man. This causes Jiminy to leave him as he thinks Pinocchio doesn't need him anymore. Whilst trying to escape, Pinocchio is visited by the Blue Fairy who he tells a bunch of lies to (not cool man but still an iconic scene) causing his nose to grow. From here he winds up up Pleasure Island, an awful place where boys smoke, drink and play pool disguised as a fun theme park. The boys are eventually turned into mules for the salt mines due to the poisons of tobacco and their sins giving them large ears, hooves and snouts.


The movie does have profound depth to it, it focuses on Pinocchio learning about the world with an old and forgetful father figure. As well as this he has Jiminy Cricket who gets landed with the job as his conscience but is rather unqualified. What these characters do provide along with the Blue Fairy is a vision for what Pinocchio should strive to be.


It's not normally you would use the words 'Disney movie' and 'action scene' in the same sentence but the scene in Monstro's belly is a great action sequence. It is a cascade of visual imagination especially the visual effects of the water thrashing once Pinocchio and the group escape. Even before this scene when Pinocchio and Jiminy Cricket are in the ocean looking for Monstro and they encounter fish, underwater flowers and other creatures.


Now Pinocchio might not be my favourite Disney film, purely due to the rather dark aspects of it (i'm looking at you Pleasure Island!). However whenever I feel like watching a true Disney classic, I do turn to Pinocchio for a good sense of nostalgia. As an animation graduate, I truly appreciate the detail and imperfection of hand drawn animation. The thousands of individual drawings created for the movie by dozens of artists isn't around anymore, so it's important to appreciate the roots of animation.


Easter Eggs

So in the same sense of my Snow White review, easter eggs didn't really exist in the 1940's. However I have included little mistakes and errors that I spotted in the movie as well as a hidden Mickey!

#1 Missing umbrella

During the opening of the movie, we are introduced to our narrator, Jiminy Cricket. In the wide shot we can just see string beside him, however in the close up suddenly his umbrella appears.

#2 Changing hands

When Pinocchio is playing with a candle, his index finger on his left hand catches alight. When Geppetto puts it out however it changes to the right hand.

#3 Disappearing clothes

When Pinocchio gets himself in trouble with Stromboli, Jiminy gives him a hand by picking the lock. However before he starts he hangs his coat and hat on the outside of the lock. When he goes inside however they both disappear.

#4 The magic changing ball

As jiminy falls down the pool pocket, he falls down with a black 8-ball and a yellow 1-ball. However when its cuts the yellow ball is now a red 3-ball.


#5 Hidden Mickey

This hidden Mickey is a bit more obvious than the ones spotted in Snow White but some folk might not have spotted it! When Geppetto runs through his workshop trying to put out Pinocchio's finger that's on fire, he runs past a chair that is unmistakably shaped like everyone's favourite mouse.


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