It takes a giant screen to reveal the wealth of detail literally drawn into every frame of this 75-year-old Disney wonder. With battalions of animators at his disposal, Disney transformed Carlo Collodi’s fairy tale about an obnoxious living puppet into an action-packed moral fable about a gullible one – and a virtuoso example of pure cinematic storytelling.
The consensus among animation fans is that 1940's Pinocchio remains the most perfect animated feature Walt Disney produced
Screened as part of Autumn Events 2015
Pinocchio 1940
“The movie, made in 1940 comes from the era of full animation… Real human artists lovingly illustrated every frame of this movie, and weren't afraid to take pains with the details, like the waves on the ocean that curl back in horror at the approach of Monstro the Whale.
The movie looks great, it contains terrific songs (including the immortal ‘When You Wish Upon a Star’), and the story is scary in a way kids can identify with. Pinocchio is without a doubt the most passive and simple-minded of the Disney cartoon heroes, but he's surrounded by a colorful gallery of villains and connivers, including the evil Stromboli, who thinks there is money to be made from a wooden puppet who can walk and talk. And on the good side, of course, there are Jiminy Cricket, whose high-wire act on a violin string is one of the greatest moments in the history of animation, and the kindly old Geppetto, who wants a son and is overjoyed when his puppet comes to life…
The beauty of Pinocchio is that what happens to Pinocchio seems plausible to the average kid… Kids may not understand falling in love with a prince, but they understand not listening to your father, and being a bad boy, and running away and getting into real trouble. The movie is genuinely exciting and romantic, great to look at, and timeless.” — Roger Ebert
“Every element in Pinocchio shimmers with the energy of young artists revelling in their newly discovered powers of creation.” — Charles Solomon, LA Times