Porco Rosso

Studio Ghibli is the brainchild of one of the world’s greatest living film directors, Hayao Miyazaki, who has created the three most successful motion pictures ever ma... more >

Studio Ghibli is the brainchild of one of the world’s greatest living film directors, Hayao Miyazaki, who has created the three most successful motion pictures ever made in Japan—Princess Mononoke (1997), Spirited Away (2001), and Howl’s Moving Castle (2004). With their breathtaking animation, Miyazaki’s greatest works have been described as “enchanting, radiantly colorful fever dreams”.

Porco Rosso (Kurenai no Buta, 1992) stars a First World War flying ace who happens to have the face of a pig. Disillusioned with humanity, he stops being human out of disgust, preferring “being a pig to being a fascist.” He leaves the Italian Air Force in the late 1920s because of the rise of Fascism. Becoming a bounty hunter and adopting the name Porco Rosso (“The Crimson Pig”), he ventures forth over the Adriatic to battle the air pirates. It’s a bit strong for a children’s film, but Miyazaki’s themes are always adult. Therein lies his genius. With lovely teenage mechanic and aircraft designer Fio as its co-star, Porco Rosso is a beguiling action romance that engages our emotions by its sweep and grandeur from beginning to end.

Miyazaki’s films should not be watched in English-dubbed versions, but, rather, in Japanese, with English subtitles. Dubbing robs them of their authenticity.
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View all 19 of R. Dixon Smith’s reviews

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