Porco Rosso (1992)

Porco Rosso
Release Date: July 18, 1992 (Japan), March 5, 2004 (North America)
Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Starring (English Dub): Michael Keaton, Cary Elwes, Susan Egan, Kimberly Williams, David Ogden Stiers
Rated: PG
Runtime: 94 minutes


The Slant / Here's looking at you, kid



I am a great admirer of Hayao Miyazaki. I've been happily (and slowly, due to the demands of graduate school) meandering through his film collection recently, thanks to Netflix. His animated films are at least rivals to the great Disney classics, while some surpass them in terms of depth and beauty. Even Porco Rosso, Miyazaki's weakest movie, is a beautiful film. It does not have as many of the fantastical elements that define his other works, like Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind or Princess Mononoke, but it is an enjoyable yarn that draws the viewer into the world of World War I seaplane pilots.

The premise of Porco Rosso, which translates into Crimson Pig, is quite simple if not fully explained. The setting is the Adriatic Sea, circa 1929, as the Italian fascists reaching the height of their power. Porco, formerly named Marco, is an expatriate Italian fighter ace who through mysterious circumstances is magically transformed into a anthropomorphic pig. The protagonist is stubborn, "pig-headed" in the figurative sense, and a womanizer, so the fact that he embodies the persona of a pig is really just an extended metaphor. It allows Porco to exclaim that he'd "rather be a pig than a fascist." He sells his exemplary piloting skills to the highest bidder, although he refuses to contradict his honor by returning to the Italian air force. Porco bears a resemblance, both in his demeanor and physically, to Humphrey Bogart, especially since he is almost always seen speaking through a haze of his own cigarette smoke. As a devoted Bogie fan, I appreciated this homage to the American star.

Porco angers the local sea pirates and they hire a hotshot American pilot named Curtis to hunt him down. When Porco is shot down after experiencing engine problems, he enlists the aid of an old friend and his 17 year-old granddaughter to rebuild his plane. The girl, Fio, resembles many of Miyazaki's heroines. She's young, obsessed with flight, and strong-willed. Eventually, Porco and the American have a rematch and the ending wisely leaves it open concerning the pig's ultimate fate, although the audience has a pretty good idea how things turn out.

This is a departure for Miyazaki. For one thing, it lacks the focus on environmental issues that defines much of his other work. Also, Porco Rosso is geared primarily for adults, while his other movies could be enjoyed by both young and old alike. I'm not saying that children would not enjoy this movie (I mean, it's a pig flying around in a plane!), but an adult audience will better appreciate both the plot and the characters. The flying sequences, one of Miyazaki's trademarks, are superb. One gets the idea that the director made this movie almost to showcase these amazing dogfights which he is so obsessed with. If so, it works. Though it is my least favorite of the Japanese director's films, it still beats the standard animation Hollywood consistently churns out every year.

If you are a neophyte to the work of Hayao Miyazaki, I suggest starting with either Princess Mononoke or Spirited Away. If you enjoy Miyazaki's classics, then you can delve deeper into his collection and experience Porco Rosso for what it is; a high-flying adventure accentuated by beautiful animation.

Miyazaki's Latest Film

If you've never heard of Hayao Miyazaki or seen one of his classics of animation, you are truly missing out on the work of an amazing auteur director. His films, including Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, and My Neighbor Totoro, are some of the most imaginative and inspiring of any genre. His works seem to transcend the medium of animation while also highlighting the amazing breadth and scope traditional animation encompasses. He has been dubbed the "Japanese Disney," but this comparison belittles Miyazaki's originality and artistry. Miyazaki eschews the modern approach to animation, such as 3-D computer technology, focusing on hand-drawn, traditional animation and draws the majority of the cells himself. I find his approach refreshing, although it is looking backward to animation's earlier days.

His newest film, Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea, has been released in Japan and will be coming to the United States this August. It's about a fish girl/mermaid named Ponyo and the young boy who finds her, and the movie traces their adventures together. I am truly excited for this, as it promises a heart-warming, simple tale with a good message. With the voice talents of such Hollywood notables as Cate Blanchett, Matt Damon, Tina Fey, and Liam Neeson, the American dubbing is sure to entertain, although I usually prefer the original Japanese with subtitles.

New images and a poster have surfaced and I thought I would share them. I hope this film finds a large American audience.



Source: Cinema Blend