joshuafagan-64214
Some of Miyazaki's movies have more Miyazaki in them than others. Kiki's Delivery Service, for example, has a relatively low amount while The Wind Rises has an outrageously high amount. This film falls on the upper range of the spectrum. This film does not take place in Japan. It takes place in Italy, a place that has significantly inspired him: if you want proof, consider the Italian aircraft pioneer Caproni, who plays a part in The Wind Rises and designed the plane that is the namesake of studio Ghibli.The movie also is centered around aircraft and has a strong female heroine (or two). Now, if you needed more proof that this is a very Miyazaki-ey film, check out the main character. Porco Rosso (literally Red Pig, which I find hilarious) is grumpy and cynical, but not abrasive; reports say that the same could be said of Miyazaki himself. This is probably the closest Miyazaki has come to being a character in one of his films, something with helps flush out said character, and the film as a whole.Of course, some fine dub voice acting by one Michael Keaton does not hurt either (although, from what I hear, the French version of the film, where Porco is played by the famous Jean Reno, is even better.) In fact, all the voice acting is good at worst and great at best, something of which I am unspeakably glad. Poor voice acting could have ruined the dub, particularly considering it's one of the less fantasy-oriented Miyazaki films (no, I'm not saying that I have a lower standard for acting in fantasy movies, just that if you mess up the acting in 'real' films, you don't have much to stand on.Of course, the film isn't all grim and intense and devoid of whimsy or animated feats. On the contrary, it's one of the most humor-filled Ghibli films, something which I feel helps balance out its many dark currents. But there are probably the least amount of surreal sequences. There is one that comes straight to mind that has to do with a sort of jet stream of planes going through the heavens (my absolute favorite moment in the film, though to set it up would be to spoil). But compared to even The Wind Rises (which from animation to multiple dream sequences, is ethereal all the way through), this film is more terrestrial.As a coincidence, I'm listening to Porco Rosso music right now. It's strange how that works. Y'know, I don't know if it's fair to like films more because of this soundtrack, but I do. As a writer, I don't have all that much time to watch movies, but I can always listen to music. And I do. On average, I think I listen to music about eight hours a day. Naturally, most of it is orchestral, whether that be classical compositions, movie themes, or video game beats.Now, does this film fall into that category? Do I like it more than I would normally would just because of the soundtrack. The answer is... probably not. While the music is fine, particularly against the Italian vistas in the film, it is not the sort that makes me think better of the movie or even think of the movie at all. When I listen to The Legend of Ashitaka from Mononoke, I feel like nothing else in the world matters and that I am back watching that lovely, lovely movie. There are no tracks like that here.But at the end of the day, superlative lists of tracks are like sprawling city parks: it's nice if you have one, but it's not necessary. The music accentuates the atmosphere; that's more than enough. When you're flying alongside Porco above grass and to the sea in what I consider to be the finest flying seen ever that was 100% traditionally animated, you just need a the music to stroke your soulstrings. And that is exactly what this movie does.What sticks out to me in almost all of Miyazaki's later movies is how they're about the end of an era. Sometimes it's subtle, like in Spirited Away, when there's a few lines about how the spirit world is starting to fade away. Sometimes it's not, like in The Wind Rises, where the protagonist's age ends with the onset of the Second World War and Dream Caproni asks him, "Did you use your ten years well?" talking about what he said earlier, that genius only can produce for ten years.This film is sort of in the middle, though it's definitely on the side of more explicit. While there's no one discussing the end, it is made clear that Porco is a relic from a bygone era, and that there is no longer a place for him in the world. I wonder if Miyazaki, who as I've said, is as akin to Porco as he's been to any of his characters, felt like that. I wouldn't doubt it; this film was released in 1992, right as computer animation was starting to develop and Toy Story was being produced. He might have started to feel displaced, only ten years after he released Nausicaa.I feel the ambiance and color and culture of the Adriatic as I watch this film. It almost makes me want to check and see if I didn't magically go halfway around the world. Most importantly, this film makes me feel the characters and the story. The magic of Miyazaki is that his movies make you feel on that deep level that real life only rarely reaches, making you more involved in this fictional universe over the course of a few hours than you could ever feel in your own world and your own existence.
Anssi Vartiainen
It's no secret that Hayao Miyazaki is utterly fascinated by all things that fly, especially machines that fly. With the exception of Ponyo, all of his movies feature flying scenes, and you could argue that in the case of Ponyo the same aesthetic is still achieved. But none of his films capture the romantic side of flight better than Porco Rosso. If you haven't fallen in love with aviation by the end of this film, I'm pretty sure you have a fear of flying.The movie takes place in Italy in the 30s, between the World Wars. Porco Rosso is a veteran combat pilot from World War I, who now spends his days as a courier slash bounty hunter slash all around flying expert in the Adriatic Sea. Our story starts when an American ace pilot named Curtis arrives to challenge him to see which one of them is the superior pilot. Plus he's paid by air pirates, who are often harassed by Porco Rosso.Oh, and Porco Rosso is also cursed to look like an anthropomorphic pig. No reason, really. He just looks like a pig. Roll with it.What I like the most about this film is the atmosphere. It captures the essence of the 30s perfectly, the feel of Hollywood's Golden Age. There's piracy and fighting, but men still have a code. There's a hotel built on an island in the middle of the sea and there's a scene in the film where both Porco and the pirates hang around there together. Because they all respect the owner so much, it's an agreed no-fighting zone. For some reason that really speaks to me.And of course, because it's a Hayao Miyazaki film, the animation is utterly gorgeous, the music is hauntingly beautiful, the storyline is deep yet lighthearted, the characters are great and it's just tremendously entertaining for both kids and adults alike. There are some Studio Ghibli films that are better, in my opinion, but it's still one of the best films I've ever seen and its world is the one I'd like to live in the most.
falkonerk
First of all, I want to clarify some misconceptions about the film that might have appeared in the comment section. First of all, the movie plays in the time frame after the rise of Fascism in Italy from 1922 on to before the second world war. There is a flashback scene playing in the World War I. In the end, there is a time lapse and they mention World War II.Secondly, the film is not a story about how a man got jinxed to be a pig. Marco having the appearance of a pig can be interpreted in different ways and is often used in word plays and ironic statements, like "better to be a pig than to be a Fascist". The reason why it was never explained is probably that it would be totally unnecessary or even harm the story, including the grand finale. It is the great strength of this movie that it does not want to cover all the stories details, but leaves in a very poetic way so much room for speculation and dreaming.The drawings are just beautiful in all of their details and animation and the music by the ever ingenious Joe Hisaishi surprises. While Hisaishi does take notes from European classical music, it is surprising how he managed to fusion his particular style of music with the nostalgia of the twenties and Italian and Austrian (or rather Dalmatian) influences. This movie is an absolute masterpiece in story telling, animation and music and is greatly underestimated. While other works of Ghibli might be cineastically great, they serve completely different audiences. What makes Porco Rosso so outstanding is that it realistically gives us viewers strong emotions about bygone days that actually never existed in the way they had been depicted and thus sends a strong message to everyone about things we might want to preserve, ideas of freedom,solitude, guilt, adventure and love that do actually exist.
