Les Aventures de Pinocchio

The 1940 Classic is the real deal, the true classic! This one is NOT!

This film is an animated version of "Buratino", book that was written by a Russian writer based on "Pinokkio". No offense to the original, but I personally and many people I know prefer "Buratino" to "Pinokkio" that has rather grim and moralising mood. Buratino is a story for the children without the "finger shaking". Characters - puppets are fighting against their evil owner Karabas Barabas and his henchmen - leech collector Duremar and a pair of swindlers - a fox Alice and a fake blind cat Bazilio.

Phrases from the book and this film have turned into a sayings in former USSR. For instance dubious dealings that promise instant fortune are called "the Field of Miracles in the Land of Fools". Another phrase is the one that's uttered by the fox - "money, Bazilio, likes the counting". Film has wonderful music and song lyrics.

Saw 'The Adventures of Buratino', based upon, what strikes me as the Russian Pinocchio, 'The Golden Key' by Aleksey Tolstoy (not to be confused with Leo), as a fan of Russian animation and of Soyuzmultfilm. Some real classics in this regard. Also really like to love a lot of the work of Ivan Ivanov-Vano, apparently nicknamed the patriarch of Russian animation and it is not hard to see why. Am especially fond of 1952's 'The Snow Maiden', titled 'Snegurochka' just in case one is interested.

'The Adventures of Buratino' does a wonderful job with this great story, in detail and in spirit (something you don't always get in animated adaptations of literature), and is wonderful stuff on its own as well. Do consider it one of Ivanov-Vano's best along with 'The Snow Maiden', 'The Humpbacked Horse' (the 1947 version), 'The Twelve Months' and 'The Battle of Kerzhenets', though all his work is never less than worth watching. One of his most mature for what is a mature and sometimes quite dark but still charming enough story. If anybody wants to see other adaptations of 'The Golden Key' (of which this to me is one of the best), look no further than the 1939 stop-motion animated film from Aleksandr Ptsusko, do slightly prefer this despite that being a bigger technical achievement.

Here in 'The Adventures of Buratino', the animation is extremely well done with stunning looking landscapes and beautifully detailed backgrounds. The characters' expressions are wide in emotion and never look stiff or exaggerated. The music is one of the film's biggest assets, there is haunting atmosphere but also lush orchestration and charming lyricism. The song lyrics are clever and intelligently handled, never childish while not being over-complicated. Likewise with the dialogue and it is not easy to do when trying to appeal to children and adults alike and adapting a story of this nature.

Furthermore, the story is never dumbed down and it is easy to follow. It handles the original story's mature tone with suitably menacing villains without being too overly dark or grim. The moral elements, with the familiar expressions, don't preach and are not laid on too thick, again not easy to do and easy traps to fall into often done. The titular character is an engaging one, and even though flawed it's not in a way that it becomes difficult to root for him. The voice acting avoids being over-theatrical and doesn't sound inappropriate for the characters.

Concluding, wonderful. 10/10