WARNING! This article contains spoilers for Guillermo Del Toro’s PinocchioGuillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio is dedicated to someone else, and it helps shape the movie’s meaning. The Oscar-winning director revisits the fantasy genre with the classic character of Pinocchio, a genre he’s very familiar with. This time, though, he uses animation as his medium and creates a movie that is gorgeous visually and full of depth in the way it tells Pinocchio’s story.
Despite it being a PG-rated animated movie, Guillermo Del Toro is not in the business of treating children as if they aren’t smart. He tells a meaningful story for children and adults alike. This is seen through every aspect of Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio, such as the setting, which uses Mussolini’s Italy as a backdrop. More importantly, Guillermo Del Toro has dedicated the film to his parents, which helps to tell the audience one of the movie’s most important themes.
Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio Is Really About Parenthood
Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio is dedicated to his mother and father, which proves that the movie is really about parenthood. Years after Gepetto lost his son Carlo, he meets Pinocchio but does not immediately accept him into his life. Throughout the movie, he grows to love Pinocchio and really cares for him. It’s a display of character that is common, where mistakes are made and nobody is perfect, but family is still family. It’s summarized very well in the idea that Sebastian J. Cricket presents, whose name is changed in Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio from Disney’s Jiminy, when he mentions that he wrote about imperfect sons and imperfect fathers.
There’s a recurring conversation about how one should do their best and that’s all anyone could ask. Gepetto initially wants Pinocchio to be well-behaved like Carlo, but Pinocchio is not Carlo. When Gepetto realizes this, he accepts Pinocchio for who he is and gives him the kind of unconditional love that Pinocchio gave to him. It’s a relationship between an imperfect son and an imperfect father, and it’s full of love. Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio causes viewers to look at their own familial relationships, all the way to the bittersweet ending, emphasizing that people should love their family despite imperfections.
Why del Toro’s True Pinocchio Meaning Is So Sad
The ending of Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio is a huge tearjerker. The audience finally gets to see Gepetto and Pinocchio happy together, only for Gepetto to die and for Pinocchio to have to start life without him. It is bittersweet because of the uplifting messages and the love that Pinocchio had for Gepetto, but loss makes people appreciate their family. It’s a reminder that despite family being imperfect, there always comes a day when someone has to live a life without a family member around anymore. This reminder tells the audience to show forgiveness, put aside imperfections, and appreciate family while they’re still around.
The theme of parenthood in Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio is just one of many ways the movie connects with the audience. It’s one of the best animated movies in years, and certainly one of the best movies available on Netflix. Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio will have audiences talking, crying, and connecting with each other because of the universality of this animated gem.
