While the original tale focuses on Pinocchio learning to obey to become a "real boy," del Toro’s version argues that disobedience is a virtue in the face of mindless fascism.
Instead of a "Pleasure Island" of vices, Pinocchio is sent to a fascist military training camp , highlighting the horrifying ways authority figures can exploit innocence. Key Themes and Emotional Heart Pinocchio di Guillermo del Toro
The story begins with Geppetto, a grieving woodcarver who loses his son Carlo during WWI. He creates Pinocchio in a drunken fit of sorrow, and much of the film is about Geppetto learning to love Pinocchio for who he is, rather than as a replacement for his lost son. While the original tale focuses on Pinocchio learning
At its core, the film is a "spiritual journey" about the relationship between a father and son. He creates Pinocchio in a drunken fit of
The rise of Benito Mussolini serves as a backdrop, turning the traditional theme of obedience on its head.
Unlike the sanitized versions many are familiar with, del Toro sets his story in .