Tools of Characterization

Characterization in Pinocchio

Type of Being

When your film is full of anthropomorphic animals, you can be certain that the creatures we find are correlated to their personalities.

Look at Honest John and Gideon. They're a fox and cat, respectively: two creatures not known for their blatant villainy as much as their mischievousness. To that end, we see them constantly trick and bamboozle Pinocchio, but stop short off the downright evil displayed by the coachman and Monstro.

Speaking of Monstro, that dude is a freaking whale, guys. Although the movie's depiction of the mightiest aquatic mammal isn't exactly scientifically accurate (we never saw a whale snoozing on the ocean floor in Blue Planet), it perfectly evokes the awesome power of this mighty beast.

This makes Monstro a far more frightening foe than anyone Pinocchio has faced thus far.

Physical Appearances

Pinocchio exists in a cartoon universe in which people's faces turn bright green when they're sick—physical appearances play a big role.

Look at Geppetto. The dude is warm, caring, and excitable in an almost childlike way. We can see this reflected in his physical appearance: his bright red nose, his droopy blue eyes, and his friendly smile. Even if you didn't watch the film, we're pretty sure you'd guess that Geppetto was a good guy after seeing a single frame.

Now contrast that with the Great Stromboli, the puppeteer who "hires" Pinocchio for an indentured acting gig. The Great Stromboli is a large man, which we see as a reflection of his gluttony. We're not just talking food, either—it's also a reflection of his greed for money.

Also—and most importantly—the guy has a classic evil villain mustache/beard combo. It's a good look for sure, but it definitely makes him look like a shady character.

Actions

Because Pinocchio is framed around its lead character's quest to prove his moral fortitude, actions hold a heavy weight within the confines of the film.

We see this prominently in Pinocchio's interactions with Lampwick. While Pinocchio tries to hold himself back from fully indulging in Pleasure Island's abundant vices, Lampwick dives in head-first and doesn't come back up for air. In fact, his decision to keep drinking, smoking, and acting rambunctious is exactly what causes him to get donkey-fied.

After this failure, Pinocchio redeems himself through some incredibly selfless actions. Most notably, he puts his life at risk to save his surrogate father, ultimately dying in a last ditch effort to free Geppetto from Monstro's clutches.

Of course, we know that the kid gets resurrected, but the important part is that he willingly gives his life to save someone he loves. It doesn't get more human than that.