A Look At The Repercussions Of Going Against Your Conscience In Wald Disney Production’s Film Pinocchio
Pinocchio (40) tells the story of Geppetto a simple woodworker. He wishes his little creation would grow up to be a real boy. Pinocchio’s immature nature makes him naive about the world. Jiminy, a character from the comic, becomes his “conscience”. The adventure begins and he must decide whether to follow his “conscience”, or not, as he encounters a series of increasingly difficult events. Pinocchio was an early Disney animated film and is still loved for its beautifully drawn linear narrative. This narrative demonstrates that a decision to ignore your conscience can have devastating consequences on your life and those you love.
The first act of the film emphasizes the theme. Jiminy tells audience in the introduction that he will be telling us a story that tells of a wish made true. This tells me, as an audience, that we’ll eventually see positive outcomes of Pinocchio’s actions. But the film’s inciting incident makes us believe otherwise. The scene where “Honest John”, and his sidekick Gideon, lead Pinocchio wrongly is the real highlight of the film. Pinocchio’s decision that Jiminy was ignored and he followed Honest John and Gideon to his will leads to the first serious consequence of his actions, which is being kidnapped. The pivotal moment reinforces the theme. It makes it clear that Pinocchio now knows that there are consequences to his actions. He ignores Jiminy again, and despite promising to be honest with himself, he makes the wrong decision. The consequence isn’t so severe this time. Pinocchio continues to smoke, drink, and play pool with his friends. Pinocchio will be punished again. His repentance does not excuse him from the negative consequences. He must still make amends. The second act’s climax helps to show that repeated mistakes can cause more harm than good.
Pinocchio’s final act is a sign that he finally realizes the serious consequences of his actions. As he realizes this, he falls and saves his father from the stomach of a whale. He then dies. Jiminy’s prediction at the beginning is realized fully during the resolution. Pinocchio is resurrected as a boy and Geppetto gets his wish. Together, the falling action, and resolution prove that Pinocchio can be fully aware of the consequences of his actions and make right decisions.
Pinocchio is an excellent example of linear narration that serves to reinforce a theme. The first act is designed to demonstrate that actions can have serious consequences. The second act builds on the first and gives additional examples. The resolution and third act provide an additional, powerful reason for believing in the theme. Jiminy & Pinocchio both support the idea that your life and the lives and health of your loved ones can be affected if you choose to disregard your conscience.
