“If you make money from war, you’re a scum. If you can’t make money from bounty hunting, you’re an idiot!” – Piccolo, arms dealer
Porco Rosso appears to be the only Studio Ghibli film that has a male protagonist. Yet, it still posseses what I would call the ‘Miyazaki trademarks’ – the lack of antagonist and the element of magic (though this was not emphasized in the story). It tells the legend of Porco Rosso, a seapilot bounty hunter whose face was transformed into that of a pig by a mysterious curse.
Porco Rosso is set in the Adriatic Sea, as well as in Milan, Italy. Prior to the curse (which was never be shown in the film), he is known as Marco Pagot. He was a WWI ace pilot in the Italian Air Force, but decided to quit and led a solitary life as a bounty hunter.
Miyazaki stated that “When a man becomes middle-aged, he becomes a pig.” It was not only age that magically transformed Porco into a pig. The story was set during the Great Depression in the late 20’s. During the time that Porco was in the Italian Air Force, fascism was on the rise. When asked to go back to the Air Force and use his aviation skills for Italy, Porco merely said, “I’d rather be a pig than a fascist.”
Porco’s transformation into a pig is symbolic of his desire to revert to his ‘animal nature.’ Like a pig, Porco became self-absorbed and materialistic. Yet, this resolution was also a result of the death of his best friend and his other co-pilots during the war. This was beautifully depicted in the ‘cloud’ story that Porco told Fio. Initially, I thought it was a group of meteorites in orbit. As it drew closer, it revealed a cloud of dead pilots making their final flight. The sight was eerily beautiful.
At first, I thought the film was boring. (This probably explains why I fell asleep in the first 15 minutes of the film when I watched it with Gelo a few years ago. Haha.) But I eventually learned to appreciate the film when Porco’s internal conflict was revealed and when the film started showing flying sequences (first scene not included).
So… Did Porco turn into a human again? It was never shown in the film, but two things confirmed it. The first was Fio’s mention of the ‘frog prince,’ and the second was when Curtis cried, “Your face!” after Fio stole a kiss from Porco. Overall, Porco Rosso is a good movie, but it’s not something you can watch over and over again.
4 of 5 stars
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