Guillermo del Toro does not want parents to believe that his adaptation of “Pinocchio” is a children’s film.
“When asked if it is appropriate for children, we respond, ‘It’s not intended for children, but they can watch it if their parents are present.’ “It’s not a babysitter movie, it’s a movie that will make youngsters ask questions,” the Oscar-winning director told Page Six earlier this week at the film’s New York premiere.
Since its creation in 1883 by Carlo Collodi, the Italian classic has been adapted numerous times, most notably by Walt Disney in 1940. Del Toro, 58, had always wanted to put his own touch on it.
The director of “Mimic” noted that his rendition of the puppet child, whose nose grows when he lies and who has always desired to be a real boy, is neither as gloomy as the original nor as sweet as the Disney adaption.
Del Toro asserts that his adaptation of “Pinocchio” is thematically appropriate.
“It was crucial to me that thematically, it could stand beside ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’ and ‘The Devil’s Backbone,’” he explained. It took us so long to create because, among other reasons, we wanted it to be thematically meaningful.
Del Toro added that the issues he intended to tackle were obedience, integrity, and being true to oneself, which is why he set the film in fascist Italy under the reign of Mussolini.
Del Toro’s Pinocchio takes place in Mussolini’s fascist Italy.
“Obedience to me is when you are told to obey something you don’t understand, whether on a religious or societal level. This is a grave error. According to him, disobedience with consciousness is always the origin of mind, soul, and self.
“When I was a devout Catholic, as opposed to a lapsed Catholic as I am now, I used to ponder where the human soul resides; it resides in the freedom of choice. Humanity is a choice,” Del Toro remarked.
The majority of people recognize Pinocchio from the 1940 Disney picture.
The exhibition “Guillermo del Toro: Crafting Pinocchio” at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City provides an intimate look into production art, props, and the various phases of puppet-making for the film.
»Guillermo del Toro asserts that his adaptation of “Pinocchio” is not a “babysitter movie.”«