Pinocchio is a famous literary character created by the Italian writer Carlo Lorenzini, better known under the pseudonym of Carlo Collodi. The novel was published for the first time in Florence in February 1883 and has become famous all over the world thanks above all to the 1940 film adaptation produced by Walt Disney.
The title of the children's novel is The adventures of Pinocchio. Story of a puppet and it is the character of Geppetto, creator and adoptive father of the puppet, who explains the choice of the proper name in the third chapter of the book:
'What name shall I give him?' she said to herself. 'I want to call him Pinocchio. This name will bring him good luck. I met a whole family of Pinocchios: Pinocchio the father, Pinocchia the mother and Pinocchio the boys, and they were all doing well. The richest of them begged.'
To be precise, Pinocchio is a marionette, or a wooden puppet that is maneuvered with strings, and not a puppet that is instead moved by an expert by inserting his hand inside. However, thanks to the magic contained in the book, Pinocchio is seen walking by himself, talking and even eating. We can therefore say with certainty that Pinocchio does not need any puppeteer or puppeteer to define himself as "alive".
The plot, as they say, is history: the poor old carpenter Geppetto carves a wooden puppet named Pinocchio to face loneliness. Pinocchio receives life as a gift from the Blue Fairy who, however, makes him a recommendation: he will be able to continue to remain a real child only if he proves to be "good, courageous and disinterested". Pinocchio, however, is a restless and stubborn child who lets himself be carried away by temptations, bad advice and the risks of the outside world, thus putting his life at risk and the possibility of continuing to live as if in the flesh. Thus begin the adventures of Pinocchio that will lead him to meet both precious characters such as Jiminy Cricket, but also disreputable ones such as Lampwick or even dangerous ones such as Mangiafuoco and the Cat and the Fox.
As of 1911, they exist many film and television versions of Pinocchio, both in animation and live action, made in different eras by various production companies.
Among the most recent are the valuable stop motion work by Guillermo Del Toro streaming on Netflix and signed by Robert Zemeckis available on Disney+, both releases in 2022.
While Del Toro's Pinocchio is dreamlike, raw and at times dark, Zemeckis' is a remake full of magic of the famous animated version, albeit with some differences between the Disney classic and the live-action with Tom Hanks. However, both films have the merit of having tried to rejuvenate what is an iconic character because, despite his 130 years, Pinocchio's story still has lessons to teach.
But going back in time, one of the most famous movies is the Disney animated version from 1940, simply titled Pinocchio, which made the character even more famous and helped spread it all over the world. Other animated versions of Pinocchio were then made by production houses in other countries, such as the Japanese version of 1972 entitled The Adventures of Pinocchio or the Italian one of the same year directed by Luigi Comencini with interpreters of the caliber of Nino Manfredi and Gina Lollobrigida.
The actors who have tried their hand at the role of puppet are several: Totò in a color Totò sketch in 1952, Mickey Rooney in a 1957 musical, Carmelo Bene in various theatrical, radio, record and television versions. Absolutely worth mentioning is also Roberto Benigni who wore both the clothes of Pinocchio and, later, those of Geppetto. There were also some women who played Pinocchio: Wieteke van Dort, Sandy Duncan, Soledad Silveyra and the mezzo-soprano Victoria Simmonds.
But let's go in order and discover some of the main productions dedicated to Pinocchio for the small and the big screen.
- 1911 - Pinocchio by Giulio Antamoro
- 1939 - Pinocchio - The golden key
- 1940 - Pinocchio by Walt Disney Productions
- 1947 - The Adventures of Pinocchio
- 1952 - Totò in colour
- 1959 - The Adventures of Pinocchio
- 1959 - The Adventures of Pinocchio
- 1971 - A puppet named Pinocchio
- 1972 - The New Adventures of Pinocchio
- 1972 - The Adventures of Pinocchio by Luigi Comencini
- 1976 - Baby Pinocchio
- 1987 - The dreams of Pinocchio
- 1992 - Pinocchio by Higuchi and Namba
- 1996/1999 - The extraordinary adventures of Pinocchio and The world is magic
- 2000 - Geppetto
- 2002 - Pinocchio by Roberto Benigni
- 2003 - Pinocchio The Great Musical
- 2009 - Pinocchio by Alberto Sironi
- 2012 - Pinocchio by Enzo D'Alò
- 2019 - Pinocchio by Matteo Garrone
- 2021 - Pinocchio and Friends
- 2022 - Pinocchio by Robert Zemeckis
- 2022 - Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio
Pinocchio, adventures of a wooden puppet: Original version with splendid period illustrations
1911 - Pinocchio by Giulio Antamoro
The 1911 film Pinocchio, directed by Giulio Antamoro, is based on the novel The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi. Obviously he was a silent and black and white film, but it is the first film adaptation of the book ever.
Ferdinand Guillaume, also known by his stage names Tontolini e Polidor, played the main character in a puppet costume despite being an adult actor.
Guillaume was one of the first great artists of the golden age of Italian silent cinema in the early years of the XNUMXth century and, in particular, one of the first protagonists of comics Slapstick (abbreviation of slapstick comedy): a sub-genre of comedy born with silent cinema and based on an elementary comedy that exploits body language for direct and effective gags.
Guillaume was therefore a forerunner, together with the French actor André Deed, of the American comic comedy and an inspiration for big names such as Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton and Fatty Arbuckle.
Among the other actors in the cast of the 1911 film Pinocchio we find Augusto Mastripietri in the role of Geppetto, Lea Giunchi in the role of the Fairy and Natalino Guillaume as Candlewick.
- Where to see the 1911 Pinocchio film: it has been uploaded in full version, restored and soundtracked by the MIC Lab, on the official channel Vimeo of the Italian Film Library Foundation
1939 - Pinocchio - The golden key
Two very important literary works, addressed to children, but which have become part of the national literary heritage recognized worldwide, are present both in the history of Italian and Russian literature: The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi and Zolotoj ključik, that is The Adventures of Puppet by Alexei Nikolaevich Tolstoy.
Although different in era, historical and social context, language, style and largely also in the plot, these two works have in common the fact that they tell the adventures of a wooden puppet that have enchanted generations of readers and have profoundly marked both the cultures of origin, and international literature: in the case of Pinocchio, that of the world, and in the case of the Tolstoyan puppet, that of the USSR and its satellites.
The film Pinocchio - The Golden Key (original title Золотой ключик) from 1939 is in fact a adaptation of Tolstoy's story directed by director Aleksandr Lukič Ptuško and in which the protagonist appears as an animated puppet with the voice of Ol'ga Šaganova-Obrazcova.
- Where to see the 1939 Pinocchio film: it is not currently available in streaming or on DVD
1940 - Pinocchio by Walt Disney Productions
Pinocchio is a 1940 animated film, based on the novel by Carlo Collodi and produced by Walt Disney Productions. It is the second Disney Classic and his goal was to replicate the success achieved three years earlier with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
However, the outbreak of World War II did not allow him to achieve the desired goal (at the same time, Walt Disney was already working on another ambitious project, Fantasia, released in the same year as Pinocchio). Although it was praised by critics and became the first animated film to win competitive Academy Awards (two awards for Best soundtrack and Best song for "A Star Falls") was initially a box office failure as the war shut down European and Asian markets.
This Pinocchio film was a revolution in animated effects. For the first time in fact, very realistic animations of vehicles, machinery and above all natural elements such as rain, lightning, snow, smoke, shadows and water were seen on the screen. Due to his significant achievements in animation techniques, he is often regarded Disney's technical masterpiece.
The voice of the protagonist was entrusted to Dickie Jones, a well-known child actor of American cinema. Other voice actors for Disney's 1940 film Pinocchio include Christian Rub as Geppetto, Evelyn Venable as the Blue Fairy, Frankie Darro as Candlewick and Charles Judels as Stromboli aka Fire Eater.
- Where to see the 1940 Pinocchio film: streaming with Disney+ subscription
- Subscribe now to Disney + for € 8,99 per month or for a full year for € 89,90
1947 - The Adventures of Pinocchio
The Adventures of Pinocchio is a 1947 film directed by Giannetto Guardone. This is the second Italian film version of Carlo Collodi's story, after Giulio Antamoro's Pinocchio of 1911.
For the first time Pinocchio was played by a child actor, Alessandro Tomei, in a puppet costume. Shot in Viareggio, the film also made use of the contribution of great actors of the time such as Augusto Contardi in the role of Geppetto, Mariella Lotti in that of the Fairy and Guglielmo Selvaggio as Lucignolo. In addition, Pietro Tommei and Angelo Taddeoli interpreted the Cat and the Fox, Erminio Spalla as the Fire Eater and Cristina Pagliarini as the Talking Cricket. Finally, in the part of the "green fisherman" there is a young and unrecognizable, due to the makeup, Vittorio Gassman.
- Where to see the 1947 Pinocchio film: streaming with subscription on Prime Video
- Access Prime Video with your Amazon Prime subscription
1952 - Totò in colour
It is one of first Italian feature films in colour, hence the title of Totò in color, in which the famous Neapolitan comedian proposes his version of Pinocchio "in puppet costume". Totò in color was, more generally, the second Italian feature film in color with actors after Mater Dei in 1950.
The color Totò film is directed by Steno (pseudonym of Stefano Vanzina) and is aanthology of the best known sketches of Totò's revue theater: The wagon read from Once upon a time in the world, The March of the Bersaglieri with which Totò loved to close his magazines, The conductor who had already been seen in the films Fermo con le mani! (1937) and in I pompieri di Viggiù (1949) and above all some of his most ingenious puppet performances including precisely his famous Pinocchio.
- Where to see the Totò film in colour: available on DVD
1959 - The Adventures of Pinocchio
In 1959 the first screenplay about Pinocchio for Italian television. The puppet was played by Carlo Chamby, directed by Enrico D'Alessandro and Cesare Emilio Gaslini who were also entrusted with filming, while the adaptation and theatrical staging were the work of Giana Anguissola.
The Adventures of Pinocchio was an Italian television show produced by Rai - Radiotelevisione Italiana, which aired from 8 January 1959 on what was then the National Programme. It was broadcast on Thursday afternoons and filmed at the Angelicum Theater in Milan.
- Where to see the 1959 Pinocchio films: at the moment it is not available in streaming or on DVD
1959 - The Adventures of Pinocchio
In 1959, the second Soviet product after that of 1939: The Adventures of Pinocchio (Russian: Приключения Буратино, transliterated: Priključenija Buratino) is an animated film directed by Ivan Ivanov-Vano and Dmitry Pavličenko and based on the novel by Aleksej Nikolaevich Tolstoy The little girl golden key or The Adventures of Puppet.
The Russian film made its debut in Italian cinemas years later, in 1969. In 1990, a second dubbing was created for the VHS edition. Subsequently, it was re-dubbed again and broadcast on Rai 3 in the series "Stories of my childhood", divided into three episodes and with a different soundtrack.
- Where to see the 1959 Pinocchio films: at the moment it is not available in streaming or on DVD
1971 - A puppet named Pinocchio
The 1971 Italian animated feature entitled A Puppet Called Pinocchio is considered the best-known work of the animator and director Giuliano Cenci, nicknamed the "Italian Walt Disney" for his talent in animation.
Through this film, Cenci wanted to create a version of Collodi's masterpiece as faithful as possible to the original. Inspired by the classic models of Attilio Mussino, the creation of his puppet benefited from the advice of Carlo Collodi's heirs, his nephews Mario and Antonio Lorenzini, who considered this version of Pinocchio to be the only one to have perfectly reflected the Collodian spirit.
It took Cenci more than five years of work with a team of over fifty specialized artists and technicians. An enormous work that gave birth to a pearl of Italian animation cinema. The film was made in full animation, step 2 (two frames per drawing), the same animation technique used for Disney feature films. At the end of the work, the drawings that gave life to A puppet named Pinocchio numbered more than 500.000, including drawings on paper and sheets of celluloid.
- Where to see the 1971 Pinocchio film: at the moment it is not available in streaming or on DVD
1972 - The New Adventures of Pinocchio
The New Adventures of Pinocchio (original title Kashi no Ki Mokku, 樫の木モック) is a 1972 Japanese anime, consisting of 52 episodes, produced by Tatsunoko. It is freely inspired by Carlo Collodi's novel The Adventures of Pinocchio. Story of a puppet. The original title in fact means "Mokku of the oak". Pinocchio's voice in the Italian version was dubbed by Fabio Boccanera.
- Where to see the animated series The New Adventures of Pinocchio: on Prime Video within the Anime Generation channel or in an elegant DVD box set
- Access Prime Video with your Amazon Prime subscription
1972 - The Adventures of Pinocchio by Luigi Comencini
The Adventures of Pinocchio is one television miniseries based on the homonymous novel by Carlo Collodi, directed by director Luigi Comencini, and broadcast for the first time on Italian television on the National Program in 1972. The Adventures of Pinocchio is divided into five episodes for a total of 280 minutes.
Comencini actually made a longer version of 320 minutes, divided into six episodes. The six-part version was transposed in Italy for home video, digitized and broadcast on the digital channels Rai Movie and TV2000. This extended version has also been adapted for French TV, by Pierre Cholodenko, to be broadcast by the station Première chaine de l'ORTF.
In the 1972 miniseries, it is the very young Andrea Balestri who plays the role of Pinocchio. Also in the 1947 film, entitled The Adventures of Pinocchio and directed by Giannetto Guardone, the main character was played by the child actor Alessandro Tommei. However, the heavy makeup was quite limiting for the acting. To overcome these problems, Luigi Comencini found a narrative trick in his 1972 film: Pinocchio immediately takes on human features and becomes a puppet only when he lies or misbehaves.
In the cast, in addition to Balestri, we see Nino Manfredi in the role of Geppetto, Gina Lollobrigida in those of the blue-haired fairy and Franco Franchi and Ciccio Ingrassia are the famous couple of the Cat and the Fox.
- Where to see the 1972 Pinocchio film: streaming on RaiPlay
1976 - Baby Pinocchio
In 1976 Nippon Animation and Apollo Films produced a German-Japanese cartoon, again based on the characters of Collodi's novel and known in Italy as Bambino Pinocchio (original title Pikorino no Boken, ピコリーノの冒険). In the Italian dubbing, the voice of Pinocchio is entrusted to Rori Manfredi and that of Geppetto to Dario Ghirardi. The series consists of 52 episodes.
- Where to see Baby Pinocchio: currently not available on streaming or DVD
1987 - The dreams of Pinocchio
Pinocchio's dreams (original title Pinocchio and the Emperor of the Night) is an animated film directed by Hal Sutherland. The original story is a sequel to the novel The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi which incorporates its elements and narrative tone. Scott Grimes is the English voice of Pinocchio, while in the Italian version the puppet is voiced by Antonella Baldini.
The plot is set one year after Pinocchio's transformation from a puppet into a child. However, Pinocchio is still prone to temptation, and when his father Geppetto gives him the task of delivering a chest to the mayor of the city, he goes to a tent with rides and puppets instead of going straight to the town hall. Thus began new incredible adventures for Pinocchio that will also lead him to meet completely new characters along the way: a warrior bee, Scalawag the raccoon, Igor the monkey, a dangerous red toad, the children of the land of toys and the evil Emperor of the night.
The film was produced by Filmation which in 1988 also made another sequel to a great classic entitled Snow White - And they lived happily ever after.
However, Filmation faced some legal disputes from Disney for copyright infringement as they (incorrectly) identified the film Dreams of Pinocchio as a sequel to the Disney animated film instead of Collodi's book. Filmation finally won the case, as Collodi's work, at the time of the film's release, was already in the public domain.
- Where to see the 1987 film Dreams of Pinocchio: it is not currently available in streaming or on DVD
1992 - Pinocchio by Higuchi and Namba
The animated film Pinocchio produced in 1992 by American Film Investment Corporation is part of a series of films based on fairy tales for children. Pinocchio directed by Masazaku Higuchi and Chinami Namba is the first in this series to be based on a novel, The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi, instead of a short story.
It follows the plot of Collodi's novel quite faithfully, but also has many references to the 1940 Disney animated feature film in the design of some characters.
Pinocchio by American Film Investment Corporation is a direct-to-video animated film released on VHS in the United States in 1992 (Trimark and GoodTimes Home Video) while in Italy it was distributed in 1993 on newsstands by De Agostini for the series Cristina tells the most beautiful stories in the world and in 1995 by Stardust on VHS and later on DVD.
- Where to see the 1992 film Pinocchio: Currently not available on streaming or DVD
1996/1999 - The extraordinary adventures of Pinocchio and The world is magic
The extraordinary adventures of Pinocchio (original title The Adventures of Pinocchio) is a 1996 film directed by Steve Barron that won the award for Best Youth Voiceover to Jonathan Taylor Thomas at the Young Artist Awards.
Made as a mix of real-life actors and mechanical-electronic animation, the film The Extraordinary Adventures of Pinocchio was made by Jim Henson (creator of the Muppets, puppeteer of Kermit the Frog and Rowlf of the Muppet Show and Ernie of Sesame Street). The special effects and make-up featured in the film integrate digital animation, stop-motion, animatronics, matte painting and real puppets in some shots.
The plot is not faithful to Collodi's novel, in fact it presents some original elements created by Barron who proposes a fresher version and a less severe morality with the naive and tougher with the "bad" characters. Even Pinocchio himself appears more sensitive and, consequently, less pestiferous.
Jonathan Taylor Thomas lends the voice to the "puppet" and the "child Pinocchio" (voiced in Italian by Ilaria Stagni). Among the actors in the cast are Martin Landau in the role of Geppetto, Geneviève Bujold in the role of the Fairy, while Corey Carrier plays Candlewick and Udo Kier is Mangiafuoco.
Given the success, a sequel was made for the home video market in 1999: The world is magic - The new adventures of Pinocchio, directed by Michael Anderson, where we find Landau, Gregory and Kier.
Offering a new twist on the classic fairy tale, in this sequel the former wooden puppet Pinocchio tries to right a wrong: he has bought a miracle potion from the mysterious Madame Flambeau, but in reality she is none other than the evil Lorenzini under lies spoils. When the potion turns Geppetto into a puppet instead of curing him, Pinocchio must do everything humanly possible to restore his father to his original form.
A trivia about the film The world is magic - The new adventures of Pinocchio: as in most modern films, there is a scene in the middle of the end credits.
- Where to see the films The Adventures of Pinocchio and The World is Magic: they are not currently available for streaming. The Extraordinary Adventures of Pinocchio by Steve Barron is available on DVD
2000 - Geppetto
Geppetto is a musical film for television of 2000 directed by Tom Moore. Geppetto is also based on the novel by Carlo Collodi entitled The Adventures of Pinocchio. Story of a puppet however the plot focuses much more on the carpenter rather than on the wooden puppet.
Although it is not a direct adaptation of the 1940 animated film, it has some elements in common with it such as the character of Figaro and one song in particular. All the music in the film Geppetto is original and composed by Stephen Schwartz, except for I've Got Not Strings: the latter is in fact composed by Leigh Harline, the lyrics are by Ned Washington and is taken from the 1940 Disney animated film Pinocchio .
The cast includes Drew Carey and Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Originally these parts were intended for the reunion of Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke (who play the main characters in the musical film Mary Poppins) but Andrews was undergoing delicate vocal cord surgery at that time and the couple were played by Carey and Louis Dreyfus.
- Where to see the 2000 film Geppetto: Currently not available on streaming or DVD
2002 - Pinocchio by Roberto Benigni
Pinocchio is a 2002 Italian film directed by Roberto Benigni, who also played the protagonist and wrote the screenplay with Vincenzo Cerami. With a budget of around 45 million euros, it is the most expensive film ever made in Italy.
Pinocchio was selected as Italy's representative at the 75th Academy Awards in the Best Foreign Film category, but failed to be nominated.
However he has received other awards: Best scenography e Best costumes to Danilo Donati at the David di Donatello e Best soundtrack to Nicola Piovani at the Silver Ribbons in 2003.
According to Benigni, the idea of making a film with him as Pinocchio dates back to the days when he worked with Federico Fellini on La voce della Luna (1990). On that occasion, Fellini had defined Benigni and Paolo Villaggio as "Collodian characters". Benigni also stated that some test scenes that had never been shown to the public had been filmed on that occasion and that Vincenzo Cerami had begun writing a screenplay.
The film was shot in the Cinecittà Umbria Studios in Papigno, in the province of Terni. It took 28 weeks of shooting, 8 months of pre-production and 8 months of post-production to complete the film.
In the cast together with Benigni there are Carlo Giuffré in the role of Geppetto, Nicoletta Braschi as the Fairy, Kim Rossi Stuart played Candlewick, Massimiliano Cavallari & Bruno Arena are the Cat and the Fox. Finally, Franco Javarone in the role of Mangiafuocoe Peppe Barra in that of the Talking Cricket.
- Where to see the 2002 Pinocchio film: Streaming with subscription on Prime Video
- Access Prime Video with your Amazon Prime subscription
2003 - Pinocchio The Great Musical
Pinocchio The Great Musical is one theathral show by Saverio Marconi inspired by the famous novel by Collodi. With the music of the Poohs, Pinocchio Il Grande Musical was produced by Compagnia della Rancia in 2003. After thrilling over 500.000 spectators in Italy alone and conquering the international public with tours in Korea and New York, Pinocchio Il Grande Musical also arrives among the streaming titles in the Prime Video catalog.
The show made available on Prime Video is the footage taken in fall 2005 al Repower Theater in Milan through collaboration with DNC Entertainment Factory. The actor Manuel Frattini, a reference point of the Italian musical who died in 2019, plays the role of the wooden puppet in Pinocchio Il Grande Musical.
- Where to see the 2003 film Pinocchio The Great Musical: Streaming with subscription on Prime Video
- Access Prime Video with your Amazon Prime subscription
2009 - Pinocchio by Alberto Sironi
Pinocchio is one Italian-British television miniseries composed of 2 episodes, produced by Rai Fiction, Lux Vide and Power. The miniseries, directed by Alberto Sironi and written by Ivan Cotroneo and Carlo Mazzotta, is inspired by the novel The Adventures of Pinocchio. Story of a puppet by Carlo Collodi. The two episodes were broadcast on Rai 1 on 1 and 2 November 2009. It was the first television program broadcast by Rai in the 16:9 anamorphic format.
As in the 1972 film version of The Adventures of Pinocchio, Pinocchio is played by a child actor, Robbie Kay, who only becomes a puppet again when he misbehaves.
In addition to the classic characters, such as Geppetto played by Bob Hoskins and Jiminy Cricket with an amazing Luciana Littizzetto, there is also the character of Collodi himself entrusted to Alessandro Gassmann. Furthermore, Violante Placido plays the Fairy, Thomas Sangster is Lucignolo, Francesco Pannofino and Toni Bertorelli are the Cat and the Fox and Maurizio Donadoni is Mangiafuoco.
- Where to see the 2009 Pinocchio film: streaming on RaiPlay
2012 - Pinocchio by Enzo D'Alò
The director Enzo D'Alo, already known for animation titles such as The seagull and the cat of 1998, Momo conquering time of 2001 or the TV series Pimpa - The new adventures, directed an adaptation of the famous classic of literature Pinocchio in 2012.
Written with Umberto Marino and drawn by the internationally renowned illustrator Lorenzo Mattotti, the film faithfully traces the adventures of the wooden puppet, but what makes D'Alò's Pinocchio unique are the original music by Lucio Dalla. In fact, the film Pinocchio was dedicated to the memory of Lucio Dalla, who also gave voice to the Green Fisherman. The song Canzone di Turchina is sung by Leda Battisti, Eat and drink by Nada and Busker by Marco Alemanno. Finally, the final song of the end credits, Sono Pinocchio, was sung by Lucio Dalla himself with Marco Alemanno.
Even the dubbing, directed by Guido Micheli, features well-known voices: Paolo Ruffini in the role of Lucignolo, Rocco Papaleo in that of Mangiafuoco, Pinocchio is voiced by Gabriele Caprio and Geppetto by his father Mino Caprio. The actor Maurizio Micheli dubbed the Cat and the director's wife Maricla Affatato lent the cole to the Fox.
D'Alò's film Pinocchio was presented at the Venice Film Festival 2012 in the Giornate degli Autori section and was released in cinemas in 2013.
- Where to see the 2012 Pinocchio film: streaming on RaiPlay and with subscription on Prime Video
- Access Prime Video with your Amazon Prime subscription
2019 - Pinocchio by Matteo Garrone
Pinocchio is a 2019 live action Italian film directed by Matteo Garrone and produced by Archimede, Rai Cinema and Le Pacte. The film premiered at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival and was released in Italy in December of the same year, receiving an excellent reception from both the public and critics.
In fact, Garrone's film obtained 15 nominations for the 2020 edition of the David di Donatello and five awards including: Best set designer to Dimitri Capuani, Best makeup artist to Dalia Colli and Mark Coulier (prosthetic make-up), Best costume designer to Massimo Cantini Parrini, Best hairdresser to Francesco Pegoretti e Best visual special effects to Theo Demeris and Rodolfo Migliari.
Furthermore, also at the Nastri d'Argento of the same year, Garrone's film Pinocchio received several awards: best director to Matteo Garrone, Best Supporting Actor to Roberto Benigni, Best scenography to Dimitri Capuani, Best costumes to Massimo Cantini Parrini, Best editing to Marco Spoletini e Best live sound to Maricetta Lombardo.
It also received two nominations for the 2021 Academy Awards in the categories of Best Costume Design and Best Makeup.
Indeed, thanks to Mark Coulier's make-up, the child actor Federico Ielapi was transformed into a "wooden child" when necessary and according to the scene.
We also find in the cast the Italian actor Roberto Benigni, already known for the role of Pinocchio in his 2002 film, but in this film version he plays Geppetto. The other names in the cast are Alida Baldari Calabria in the role of the Fairy, Alessio Di Domenicantonio in the role of Lucignolo, Davide Marotta gave life to the Talking Cricket, Rocco Papaleo and Massimo Ceccherini are The Cat and the Fox. Finally, an exceptional Gigi Proietti made the character of Mangiafuoco a small masterpiece.
- Where to see the 2019 Pinocchio film: streaming on RaiPlay and rental on Prime Video
- Access Prime Video with your Amazon Prime subscription
2021-Pinocchio and Friends
The target of the animated TV series Pinocchio and friends are girls and boys aged 4 to 7 years. The animated series based on the famous character of Carlo Collodi is produced by Rainbow ee Toonz Media Group in collaboration with Rai Ragazzi. Broadcast by Rai Yoyo in 2021, it was also offered on the international market during 2022.
The author Iginio Straffi has been able to convey the essence of what makes Pinocchio a timeless classic: he deals with important topics such as friendship, sharing, inclusion with a style full of lightness and light-heartedness, thus encouraging children not to have fear of chasing dreams.
The voice of Pinocchio is that of the voice actress Francesca Rinaldi who worked in Maleficent of 2014 or in many other animated series such as The Seven Deadly Sins - Nanatsu no taizai and Tokyo Ghoul. The voice of the Jiminy Cricket is by Andrea Lavagnino and Geppetto is dubbed by Pierluigi Astore.
- Where to see the 2021 Pinocchio and Friends children's TV series: streaming on RaiPlay and with subscription on Prime Video
- Access Prime Video with your Amazon Prime subscription
2022 - Pinocchio by Robert Zemeckis
Robert Zemeckis' film Pinocchio is a Live action remake of the 1940 Disney animated film of the same name. In fact, the executive producer of 2022 Pinocchio is Paul Weitz and the production companies are Walt Disney Pictures, Walt Disney Animation Studios and ImageMovers.
Zemeckis has tried to dwell above all on the acceptance of the different even if it is Pinocchio himself who grows, changes, transforms into a child and matures: in this film it is he who has to follow a path which, regardless of the prejudices of the outside world, better as a flesh-and-blood child (read our review of Pinocchio by Robert Zemeckis).
The director is among the most important names of his generation, Zemeckis in fact has shaped part of the collective imagination with works such as Back to the Future, Who Framed Roger Rabbit and Forrest Gump. Also in his Pinocchio, time plays a fundamental role since the whole plot takes place over the course of a day and a night and in Geppetto's studio there are dozens of cuckoo clocks.
- Where to see Robert Zemeckis' Pinocchio film: Streaming with subscription on Disney+
- Subscribe now to Disney + for € 8,99 per month or for a full year for € 89,90
2022 - Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio
Pinocchio, directed by Guillermo del Toro and Mark Gustafson, is a animation film of 2022 based on the famous tale by Carlo Collodi The Adventures of Pinocchio. Story of a puppet. (read ours Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio review).
Made with the technique of stop-motion, the film is set in Italy during the years of fascism and offers a darker, more existential read of the original story, showing "a world in which everyone behaves like a puppet and obeys, while the real puppet is the only one who disobeys" as del Toro himself says. The Mexican director is not new to these issues, even Pan's Labyrinth, a 2006 film, is a fantasy set during the Spanish Franco dictatorship.
Del Toro's Pinocchio is a blend of joy and sadness, realism and fantasy. The screenplay, written by the director himself together with Patrick McHale, incorporates elements of the original fairy tale, but reinterprets them to reflect the growth path of Pinocchio and its meaning within the work.
Furthermore, the relationship between Geppetto and Pinocchio is particularly intense and emotional, as the film focuses on death of Geppetto's son, an event that has a profound impact on the narrative and that in the other versions of this tale instead always remains off the screen. Pinocchio is not Carlo, the poor son Geppetto has lost. Indeed, he is a rebel, a creative, a character who is learning, blow after blow, life lessons by crushing every imposition at a high price.
- Where to see Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio film: Streaming with subscription on Netflix
The cover image of this article is taken from the films:
- Archimedes' Pinocchio, Rai Cinema, Le Pacte, Recorded Picture Company
- Pinocchio by Walt Disney Pictures, Walt Disney Animation Studios, ImageMovers
- Pinocchio by Netflix Animation, Jim Henson Productions, Pathé, ShadowMachine, Double Dare You Productions, Necropia Entertainment.
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