Porco Rosso

"Porco Rosso" is the master's most autobiographical work, for once he was not trying to impart any moral or environmental lessons to children or young girls or the Japanese society, as most of his other works did---but a heartfelt fantasy projection of himself (being an independent agent neither belonging to your typical Japanese Anime Industry or the Hollywood/Disney American Culture juggernaut, as symbolized by the brash American Pilot-Fighter, Curtis).

It's also a celebration of his fellow frustrated romantic and idealistic adults (many tired Japanese salary men and animators) who have not completely surrendered their youthful dreams to the MAN/military industry.

Set in Post WWI Europe, where Fascism was on the rise, the Continental world it captured was a last breath of fantastic and natural freedom before a long darkness set in...

The genius stroke here is by turning the protagonist into a PIG, a whimsical yet literal mockery on those old-fashioned/outdated all-male/brotherhood chauvinist melodramatic adventure genre it so lovingly appropriates, and a gentle dig on "mankind" in general, all in good and slightly surreal fun.
In this story, Miyazaki made fun (instead of preaching to) of his society, himself and his prominent role in it.

Yet, behind all the cartoony surface lies the touching elegiac sadness of a lost past and a yearning hope (placed esp. on a young female) for a better future, straight from Miyazaki-san's cynical/sentimental heart.

Presented as a light-hearted lark only makes its immersing nostalgia and lyricism all the more spontaneously enchanting
and unexpectedly affecting. A magical paradox of his great art.

"Porco Rosso" is the "Casablanca" of cartoons with a touch of Roald Dahl, and the most under-rated and overlooked of Miyazaki's fabulous work.


Beyond charming   August 24, 2004
G. Crider (Rome, GA United States)
66 out of 67 found this review helpful

I am a fanatic for the works of Miyazaki, and this is my favorite among his works. There is no heavy-handed message other than his dislike of Fascism; there are no cute or bizarre animals other than the hero, and cute is just not the word for him; there are adventure, derring-do, light-hearted fight scenes, strong female figures, comic villains, romance, great achievements, a touch of magic, and the typically fanatical Miyazaki attention to detail. This is an atypical light adventure film and is suitable for children from 9 to 99. It's charming, fun, and simply wonderful. Please, buy it.

I can only hope that Amazon will package this in a 3-pack with Nausicaa in the Valley of Wind and My Neighbor Totoro, all due (actually LONG overdue) for simultaneous release. (The official date of release is now Feb. 22, and it will be released with Nausicaa and The Cat Returns; Totoro is not currently scheduled. This is mistifying, as The Cat Returns is actually a sequel to another Ghibli [but not Miyazaki] film that has never been released in the U.S.)


Captivating Story but not one for Younger Kids   January 18, 2007
Tetsu Uma (Falls Church, VA)
13 out of 14 found this review helpful

Porco Rosso is the story of Marco, an aerial soldier-of-fortune in the Adriatic during the 1930s. Because of his selfish nature, brought on by the loss of loved ones and friends, he is under an enchantment which has turned him into a pig. Forced into an aerial dual with an American mercenary over a girl, Porco comes to realize that people love him in spite of himself and his desire to drive people away.

This is like a European film done in Japanese animation and I love it. It is witty, has adult level humor (not sexual but things kids wouldn't get), and it allows Hayao Miyazaki to indulge in more facinating aircraft. First class voice talent including Michael Keaton as Marco/Porco, Brad Garrett, Bill Fagerbakke, Kimberly Williams and favorites of other Studio Ghibli/Disney releases - David Ogden Stiers, Susan Egan, and Cary Elwes - give added depth to the outstanding animation.

Now for the, "Not one for the younger kids" disclaimer. Since this is targeted at adults and has a European flavor with Japanese production, the film has characters smoking and drinking. (Not that it bothers me but I don't have younger kids.) Besides that, there is no cuteness as there is in Totoro or Kiki's Delivery Service.

I highly recommend this - just put the kids to bed first and kick-back and enjoy.



Miazaki's best - and hardest to appreciate   April 25, 2005
Owen Oyer (NJ aka Hellhole)
12 out of 14 found this review helpful

This is one of the best animated films of all time.

Wait, wait - not so fast. That's a loaded statement, and we have to justify it, don't we? So let's go ahead and do just that.

This is Miyazaki's most polished, flawless work. You could say that this is an artifact of the fact that it takes less chances than his other full-length films, that it is more restrained and less complex, but that simply wouldn't be true. Porco is as complex a character as Miyakazi has ever made, and far less typical than most characters he creates. Let's face it, the man has certain archetypes he likes, and he sticks to them like glue: your outwardly brave yet inwardly vulnerable female lead (i.e. Fio, Sophie (wait for Howl's Moving Castle), Chihiro, Mononoke, Sheeta, or just about any other Miyazaki female lead), the standard enigmatic noble leading man (Pazu, Haku), the kindly weird old guy, the irate old witch that is morally redeemed throughout the story, and many others besides.

Porco is none of these. He's completely unique, and watching him interact with everyone around him is truly remarkable. He's the most well-rounded and fleshed-out character that Miyazaki has ever produced. The supporting cast is firmly archetypical, but we can forgive him for that.

The story is simple, but flawless. It isn't overly convoluted as it is in Mononoke, nor is it as arbitrarily and unsatisfyingly resolved as it is in Spirited Away. The tension arc throught the film is wonderfully well thought out. It starts on a high note, slightly silly, then settles into a stylish, melancholy and surreal vibe that lasts for a good half of the film. In the end, action picks up and some of the silliness comes back, but after having sat though the wonderfully surreal middle segment, you're more pre-disposed to watch it at face value, and it's inherent silliness is less irksome. The ending itself is wonderfully melancholy, resolving (some of) the plot yet leaving the tension hanging in the air. The only other Miyazaki feature that has this flawless a story-line is Castle in the Sky, but it cannot touch the nuance and emotional complexity of this film. The historical setting provides a necessary realistic contrast to the deeply romaticised characters and events in the movie, and adds a degree of unsettling tension to the atmosphere.

The visuals are gorgeous. Rumour has it that three times as much money was spent on this as was on Castle in the Sky, it's direct predecessor - and it shows. The detail in every frame is stunning, and the emotion and nuance in character expression is second to none. The movie was technically far ahead of it's time, and still looks fresh today, despite competition from CGI. Disney may have it's terapixel rendering pipelines and billions of polygons, but they have not come even close to capturing the freshness and liveliness that Miyazaki infuses his characters with, nor do they have anywhere near his visual imagination. The soundtrack by Joe Hisaishi is wonderful as always, and Gina's beautiful ballad is a melodic centerpiece of the film.

This is a film that is deeply humanistic yet never overly sappy and emotional. It is dynamic and engaging while being wonderfully subtle and nuanced. It is simple, yet never simplified. It offers social commentary, yet doesn't preach. It is moralistic, yet not moralizing. And it's charming as all hell. Many, many scenes will remain in your memory forever. Porco's story (you'll have to see the film to know what I'm talking about) is a stunning, surreal, typical Miyazaki moment, and is one of the most powerful scenes in all of cinema (I'm not kidding).

So, are you going to enjoy this movie? Well, that depends. If you like everything distilled into clear, concise explanations, with no moral trickery on the part of the author, then this probably won't be your cup of tea. If "what happens" is your measure of a film's, or a story's worth, then this will probably fall short. If you can't appreciate subtle humour, then this may seem boring. If, however, you want charm, wit, grace, and refinement bundled together with dynamic action and a healthy dose of surrealism, then meet your new Holy Grail. And if you think that animation is still chiefly family entertainment, then grow a few brain cells. Animation allows us to express what conventional live-action cinema cannot (though with the advent of CGI, this may not be true for much longer).

This is one of the best animated films of all time.

P.S. Howl's Moving Castle is worth the wait. It's excellent. If you like the more surreal direction in which Miyazaki was going in Spirited Away, well, he goes further in that direction. Much, much further... but that's for another review!

P.P.S. My review applies to the subtitled version. I hate english dubs, and you should too. The emotion and vocal delivery of the original Japanese soundtrack is a vital element in watching any Japanese animated film. In general, it's a good idea to watch any foreign movie in it's original language.

I hope I've been helpful. If I seem overly exuberant and full of superlatives, that it because this is a film that's worth being superlative about. Treasure it.


A wonderful film for all ages   August 30, 2005
Nathan Andersen (Florida)
11 out of 11 found this review helpful

This is not just a delightful animated film, it is a spectacular film of any genre that fits on the same shelf with Casablanca, Shane, and other wonderful films about how lonely it is to be a wandering hero. I bought this for my kids, and they all love it as much as the other Miyazaki films we've collected on DVD and VHS. One of the first words of my now three year old son (who has been late getting language) was "Porco" -- a word, which, to him, meant "put the Porco Rosso video on now please Dad!!" There is something special about this film -- it is at once exciting and thrilling, and at the same time peaceful, a kind of oasis. From this perspective, for its nostalghic and evocative feel in the face of a background danger, I think it might be compared to Shane. Like Shane, Porco has something in his past that makes it difficult for him to feel fully human and integrated with others. That Miyazaki can capture this feeling and transplant it to an entirely unique setting, with resonances from his own life and experience, and tied to an even grander global scale shows once again why he is among the most remarkable, interesting and versatile of filmmakers we have (period).