Film Name: 吉尔莫·德尔·托罗的匹诺曹 / Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio
At the 2023 Academy Awards ceremony, Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio won the Best Animated Feature Film award. The Pinocchio story has been adapted into numerous animated and live-action versions, with two live-action Pinocchio films—one Italian and one Disney—released in recent years. Why did this particular Pinocchio win an Oscar? Previous Pinocchio adaptations often focused on themes like honesty. Pinocchio’s nose grows when he lies, and the Italian film emphasizes the importance of truthfulness.
Another common theme is the quest to become a real person. As a puppet crafted by an old carpenter, Pinocchio strives to fit into the world and become a genuine boy when he realizes his uniqueness. Disney’s film centers on this theme: Pinocchio must find his conscience, for only then can he become a real boy.
Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio diverges from these narratives. It embraces greater complexity. First, it explores familial bonds. The old woodcarver crafts Pinocchio after losing his own child. The film unusually portrays this sorrowful backstory, establishing a poignant tone for familial love throughout. How to be a father, how to be a son, how family members care for and consider each other. The greatness of family lies in its capacity to embrace even a puppet, with characters like the cricket and the circus monkey becoming integral members of Pinocchio’s family. Second, it explores growth. The film follows the classic motif of coloring a blank canvas. Pinocchio arrives in the world as a blank canvas. What colors will family and society imprint upon him? And what hues will he choose to paint himself? While the film contains dark elements—the backdrop of fascist war, the profit-driven circus owner—young Pinocchio consistently rejects these negative colors, instead coating himself with positive ones. Repaying cruelty with kindness by rescuing the monkey, forming friendship with fellow recruits—these moments offer the film’s greatest solace.
Third, it celebrates each individual’s unique worth. Though crafted by the carpenter as a memorial for his son—essentially a substitute—the film reveals Pinocchio’s distinct value. He never sought to become someone else, nor did he yearn for another’s appearance or heart. He simply remained true to himself. This authenticity earned him the respect of the old carpenter and those around him. This Pinocchio is a true puppet-animated adaptation of The Adventures of Pinocchio, showcasing the artistic essence of puppet animation to its fullest. It marks only the second time a puppet animation has won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, the last being Wallace & Gromit 18 years prior.
Pinocchio never attended a single day of school. Yet he learned far more from life itself. Originally immortal, he felt no fear of death and remained oblivious to the brutality of war. Gradually, however, he discovered that countless things in life could strip away human existence—giant sea monsters, icy bombs, and even the cruelty of the human heart. The most vital lesson he learned from life was its preciousness. When he traded his immortal life for the chance to save his father, he achieved the most brilliant transformation within himself. Perhaps this is why this Pinocchio earned an Oscar—it allowed us to find light in a very dark world.