Rating: B-
Dir: Hayao Miyazaki
Star (voice): Shûichirô Moriyama, Tokiko Katô, Bunshi Katsura, Tsunehiko Kamijô
“On board a rundown bi-plane, with only one torpedo loaded, fighting a big task force for one’s pride, while knowing all the while how foolish it is – it will be a breathlessly exciting film, the kind of movie that makes you want to say, “Ah! That was amazing, I want to watch it again”” — Hayao Miyazaki
[14/15] Porco Rosso represents a return by Miyazaki to the action/comedy genre in which he started, after a long period when his aim, expressed with a wry grin, was to make “films which would let me get more famous awards each time”. Porco is first and foremost an adventure story, set in Italy during the 1930’s, and is about the heroes and villains, pirates and aces who flew in that era, a theme which gives Miyazaki plenty of opportunity to indulge in his passion for airplanes and flight. It’s been said that the hero is based on Miyazaki himself, or at least his dreams; there may be some basis in fact for such statements, but I feel the same thing could be said for almost any of the heroes, or indeed the heroines, in his previous work.
It’s especially dubious given the twist in Porco Rosso. The hero is a pig. Literally. He was once human, but after a strange (near-death?) experience during a dog-fight, he found himself with a pig’s features. This is a nice idea, but nothing much is ever made of it, beyond a very eerie sequence where he tells of his transformation. Otherwise, it’s business as usual as he rescues a gang of pirates from some schoolgirls (sic!), avoids the attentions of the fascist government, and fights for the honour of his friends.
It’s effective enough stuff, and after the “still life” that was Kiki’s Delivery Service, it’s a relief to see him rediscover the art of things happening. These “things” however, don’t seem to link into each other as well as in his best movies, the scenes between the set-pieces seem a little contrived, and the political subtext is cringeworthy (“I’d rather be a pig than a fascist”). But even flawed Miyazaki is still highly enjoyable!