A REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE

In Italy, mentioning Pinocchio often feels like referencing a cultural icon: this is, after all, one of the most recognizable modern characters, with a story so well known that it has become common knowledge. This familiarity leads people to assume everyone knows the plot and can follow a critic’s interpretation of specific details.

With that in mind, let’s look at Il burattino e la balena (2024), the latest animated film by Roberto Catani, one of Italy’s most talented yet lesser-known cinematic poets today. His is a carefully crafted work that took years to develop, and one which Catani began to plan immediately after completing his previous project, Per tutta la vita (2018).

Visually, Il burattino e la balena showcases Catani’s distinctive style, often using hand-drawn, hand-colored animation techniques. From character design to scene composition, many of Catani’s signature elements are clearly visible in this film.

However, for those familiar with the Marche-born animator’s work, these impressions don’t suggest limits or creative laziness. Rather, they highlight his skill in quickly expressing his vision of Pinocchio, both as a character and a story.

In Il burattino e la balena, Catani explores Pinocchio’s early growth. Driven by curiosity, the puppet moves beyond his initial state, giving us a glimpse of what he is meant to symbolize—the reality he is destined to face.

From that point on, Catani’s visuals depict a world where the illusions of the “Land of Toys” blend with fascist violence. Through subtle visual cues, the animator signals to Pinocchio—and the audience—how the puppet’s future will be shaped by conformity and suffering. Consider, for example, the scene with children playing soccer or the powerful moment when Pinocchio sees black rabbits reflected as they take him away in a coffin. This self-reflective cinematic moment also acts as an explicit “dark” warning.

In the final moments, the film links the protagonist’s perceived reality to the whale, suggesting that this perceived reality stems from the animal. Then, the focus shifts back to Pinocchio’s perspective; when the puppet realizes what lies “outside,” he chooses to reject the external events.

This decision highlights how the film by the Marche-born animator can be viewed through a political lens. The plot shifts from a typical coming-of-age story to one focused on resistance. As a character, Pinocchio protests the traditional version of the narrative—challenging its rules and certainties. The puppet symbolizes those who oppose imposed stories in life, embodying the essence of being different. He is a “rebel without a cause.” Whether intentionally or not, Catani’s film fits into a tradition of innovative adaptations of Collodi’s work in Italian culture, like those by Giorgio Manganelli (in literature) and Carmelo Bene (in theater).

This is a revised version of an article originally written in Italian and published in Alias, the weekly magazine of Il manifesto.