Maybe it’s because we’re getting a little too paranoid about the “fragile” state of our children’s minds, or maybe it’s just that creepy stories make the best kids films, but it seems many of our favourite cinematic experiences from our pre-teen years were inspired by dark and sinister books and experiences.
As a child, you never look at a film like Dumbo and say “Gee, those crows are pretty racially insensitive depictions” or a film like Snow White and say “Gee, that poor unmarried girl will never be complete without a man.” Instead, you just watch and enjoy the movies, secure in the knowledge that the girl always gets the prince and they live happily ever after. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t some REALLY dark inspirations behind those movies.
Come with me now into the sinister world of classic children’s movies. But remember, what you are about to read cannot be unlearned…
10. Pinocchio (1940)
Pinocchio is a 1940 animated film produced by the Walt Disney company. The plot revolves around a puppet named Pinocchio who is created by Geppetto, a poverty-stricken wood carver. Pinocchio is brought to life by the Blue Fairy who informs the puppet that he can become a real boy if he proves himself worthy. Pinocchio’s quest to become a human being takes him through many locations and many tribulations until he is ultimately successful in the end. Along the way, we are introduced to a large group of characters with varying degrees of morality including Jiminy Cricket (Pinocchio’s conscience).
Dark Inspirations?
Disney’s Pinocchio is based on the 19th century book The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi. The book version of Pinocchio is quite different from Disney’s toned-down tale.
As a result of his selfish and lazy tendencies, Pinocchio often finds himself in dire straits. On one occasion, he is convinced by a pair of bandits (the infamous pair known as The Fox and the Cat) that planting gold coins in a field will result in a money tree to greatly increase Pinocchio’s wealth. Always one to take the easy way out, the naive marionette is relieved of his money and hung by the neck in a tree. Pinocchio survives the hanging thanks to The Fairy With Turquoise Hair (The Blue Fairy).
The Fairy With Turquoise Hair is intended as a benevolent character in the book. Introduced as a suicidal little girl who tells Pinocchio she is dead and waiting for her coffin, the Fairy is next referenced when Pinocchio returns to the Fairy’s home to find a tombstone blaming him for her death. Eventually the once-dead Fairy (is she a ghost or a zombie?) appears at opportune moments in Pinocchio’s life and rescues him from his foibles, finally turning him into a little boy.
Other dark imagery includes a block of wood screaming in pain as it is carved into the puppet, a talking cricket squashed by Pinocchio with a hammer, Pinocchio biting off the paw of the Cat, Pinocchio burning off his own feet, a giant shark that swallows Pinocchio and Geppetto (along with a tuna that tells the wooden boy to sit back and wait to be digested), a guy who wants to drown the Pinocchio donkey and use its skin to make a drum, and a bunch of fish sent by the Fairy to eat away the flesh of the Pinocchio donkey.
The inspiration for the movie Pinocchio? The overall tone of The Adventures of Pinocchio is one of a dark and vile world populated with an endless supply of evil beings intent on destroying those who refuse to conform to societal norms. Along the way we get a suicidal fairy-zombie, a murdered talking cricket and his ghost, a drum made from donkey flesh, the donkey flesh being eaten by fish, screaming blocks of wood, a killer shark, and abject poverty. Wow.
We are currently seeking Film contributors on WhatCulture. To find out more about the perks of being a Film contributor, click here.
14 Comments
Nice article, Tim. I genuinely learnt a lot from this.
Thanks. So did I.
Sleeping Beauty is by far the creepiest. Until you go into depth with the Tin Woodman, of course.
A stay lace was used to fasten your stays which are a variety of corset. Most fairy tales are quite dark in the original and Disney is probably more responsible than anyone for the saccharine forms we now know. As a teacher librarian I often have to point out that there is a really dark side to Roald Dahl’s works, much as I enjoy them. At times he is very misanthropic.
I was sure someone out there would know what stay-lace is. Thanks. And yes, Dahl is pretty dark at times. I remember being a little shocked that my teacher gave me her copy of Charlie to read back when I was in school.
Great article dude. I’ve shared this with so many of my friends who i can see have shared it with their friends on facebook. Sleeping Beauty is definitely the creepiest although the Little Mermaid is pretty messed up!
Thanks. I appreciate the compliment. I agree about Sleeping Beauty, and so does Teal apparently.
Great article – one of the best I’ve read on this site!
Have you ever researched the story of the Pied Piper? Awhile back I read a theory that the story is based on an actual event in which all the children in a town contracted somekind of sickness and died, or that all of the children were sent to a cave to hide from bandits and the cave collapsed and killed them all. Can’t remember if there was an actual Children’s film made, but I want to say I remember the story retold on a couple of Saturday morning cartoons.
Thanks for the compliment.
I started researching the Pied Piper a year of so ago, but didn’t get very far before other items in my life interfered. I was planning on writing my own story based on the legend, but the only things I had found were that the story involved a lot more than the tale we are used to hearing (such as stuff with a Rat King that led the rats). You’ve got me interested in the story again, so I’ll check it out. Thanks.
Holy mother of…
Very enlightening. I knew Disney was evil but… THIS…
Wait, did I miss something ? Drugs are now “dark” ? When did that happen ? I wasn’t notified of this… I think the darkest thing about Alice is probably the fact that “Lewis” was Reverend and he developped a “caring” relationship with the little girl. We all know what kind of realtionship the church people have with little children.
It’s not so much drugs, but the fact that a little kid is doing them.
Oh yeah, Disney comes from some disturbing places
Wow the early Sleeping Beauty is quite disturbing! Raping the corpse and then she wakes up after giving birth! Also any Disney classic should be on a dark list, even as their current versions they’re pretty raw.