Warning: this post contains spoilers for Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio
Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio tells a unique story, in part due to the film’s setting and connection to real history. Adapted from the 1883 novel by Carlo Collodi, del Toro, the award-winning director, tells a familiar tale weaved with fresh and dark elements that provide an update to the beloved tale. By adding in figures and moments from history, Netflix’s Pinocchio brings realism to its story leading to the movie's Golden Globe win and Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature.
The stop-motion animation may be hopeful and bright, but it explores a period of time when despair was settling in and fascism was on the rise in Europe. Del Toro’s Pinocchio is primarily set during the interwar years. This time period is well-known in history, though it is less explored than the eras of World War I and World War II, both of which are the subject of numerous films. Though Pinocchio begins during World War I, it doesn't linger in that time period.
Pinocchio's Timeline & World War History Explained
The stop-motion Pinocchio takes place over a number of years. The film begins during World War I, circa 1917/1918, in which Carlo, Geppetto's son, is killed when a rocket is dropped on the church in their small village. Though it’s unclear how many years pass after that, Pinocchio’s main story is set in the intervening years, likely in the late 1920s or early 1930s. Del Toro’s Pinocchio glosses over the events of World War II, choosing to wrap the story before it ends. However, the animated musical follows Pinocchio’s story for years after World War II is over, offering glimpses into what becomes of him and his loved ones.
Pinocchio primarily takes place during the interwar years, and World War history is thus the backbone of its story. The presence of Benito Mussolini, then the Prime Minister of Italy and the leader of the National Fascist Party, creates a setting for Pinocchio where danger and the threat of violence is all around. Pinocchio taking place during Mussolini’s reign in Italy, paired with the continued rise of fascism, showcases how the title character is pushed to follow a father figure with a specific ideology, as well as the fear, tensions, and pain that can arise during a war period.
Why Mussolini Is In GDT's Version Of Pinocchio
While the animated film could have shown the tensions brewing in the years between World Wars without including Mussolini, the fascist leader is in Guillermo del Toro’s version of Pinocchio because he was Italy’s father figure at the time. Pinocchio is all about the relationship between a father and a son, but there are levels of it. There is Geppetto and Pinocchio’s relationship, which is juxtaposed with the Podestà’s relationship with his son, Candlewick, and similarly, the Podestà’s relationship to Mussolini, a man he looks up to and aims to please.
What’s more, Mussolini’s presence in Pinocchio not only explores the extent of fascism during the interwar years, but the issues that arise when following a leader, or a father figure, so blindly and absolutely. Mussolini represents the worst-case scenario of living for others’ ideals and ideologies, and of what obedience without thought can do to others, including Pinocchio and the stop-motion animation's supporting characters. Whereas previous versions of Pinocchio have centered obedience as being good, del Toro's Pinocchio suggests disobedience is also good, especially in the face of fascism and separating oneself from a parent's expectations to live as oneself.
Pinocchio's Real-World Connections Made It An Award-Worthy Adaptation
Guillermo del Toro has often incorporated real-world elements into his fantasy movies, and Pinocchio's representation of Italian history is far from gimmicky. Like Pan's Labyrinth, which deals with a similar time period, del Toro grounds the fantastical story in themes that elevated it beyond most animated films. Pinocchio is a story that has been told countless times, but Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio finds a way to make it resonate on a different level by exploring it in a different setting than the other adaptations of Pinocchio. The result is a powerful retelling with a timeless message which has earned del Toro and his team extensive praise, including a Golden Globe win and Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature.