Porco Rosso Double Play (Blu-ray + DVD)

Utterly gorgeous to look at, with at least two of the most beautiful sequences of animation ever filmed. But also very funny, engaging, and thoughtful by turns. Plenty here for film fans of any age and persuasion, plotlines ranging from old-fashioned unrequited love (Gina and Marco) to adventure (Porco v. just about everybody else in the air), to political intrigue (secret police etc), but the main focus is less the story than the sheer romance of flying and rescuing fantastic machines amid wonderful scenery. When Porco tells Fio the story of how he came to be cursed - which is all a bit existential, not that that matters at all - it's perhaps the most poignant scene of any animated film: gently enigmatic, glorious to see, and just plain heartbreaking, all at once. I first saw the film just over 10 years ago, slightly intrigued by what all the fuss was about, and loved it straightaway. Since then I've watched it probably every other year. More surprisingly, despite plenty of competition from fine newer releases by Miyazaki, Pixar et al., my children adore this film it as much as ever (they were 5-ish on first seeing it, so 15-ish now and still wanting to see it) - that's quite a test of the Crimson Pig's durability. Miyazaki, on form, is arguably the best hand-drawn animator alive. Porco Rosso is among his very finest work.

I put off buying this until fairly recently because I'd wrongly assumed it would only really be enjoyed by men when in fact it's actually one for the whole family. All the characters, including the baddies are great fun, especially the unfortunate pirates tormented by the group of adorable schools girls kidnapped for ransom at the start of the film. The hero is Porco Rosso, a fearless air pilot whose face at some point in the past turned into that of a pig and who hires himself out for rescue missions, bounty hunts and the like, while spending much of his time with his 'close' friend, singer and hotel owner Gina. When local usurpers severely damage his plane, he travels to Milan with a young talented female mechanic in order to repair it, all while attempting to outwit the Italian secret police, air force and local pirates.

Yet more proof from a master storyteller that anime is as high a form of art as any. This fabulously poignant and funny story contains many of Hayao Miyazaki's marks of quirky genius. It's about the life and loves of a seaplane pilot who has been turned into a pig and makes his living in the Adriatic as a bounty hunter, during the rise of Fascism in Italy. So what's so strange about that? After all, as he says, while he is calmly sorting through his sub-standard ammunition on the night before a Duel to the Death with his satisfyingly villanous arch-rival, "All middle-aged men are pigs." Unlike any other film in the world, and unlike the other Studio Ghibli films. An act of gratuitous creativity. Visually ravishing, but to anyone interested in animation and storytelling, this is a bottomless goldmine of expertise in every aspect of the art; timing, framing, characterisation, colour, background detail, you name it. Both Japanese and American voicework are flawless, though the Japanese version has some moments of true poignancy that were missed in the US version, which is slightly more facile in a couple of places. Every single character in the film is faultlessly animated, penetratingly observed, and funny. Every scene is worth seeing a hundred times. But the story itself, my dears, is just so plain inspired, teetering as it does along the brink of some fairly punchy taboo areas, but always with a delightfully clear and high and affectionate moral purpose. And even the credits at the end, which combine a hauntingly beautiful song by the wonderful Tokiko Kato with Hayao Miyazaki's hilarious sketches of tween-wars pilots and their planes, hold the viewer between tears and laughter. Miyazaki-san, thank you! Buy several copies and give all but one to your best friends.

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This is without a doubt the best that Studio Ghibli has to offer. A beautifully filmed masterpiece. With perfect backdrops, a dose of humour, a sweet and wonderfully adventurous storyline and an ambitious, free and dream-like quality in it; Hayao Miyazaki has created a piece that allows you to escape this life and take to the skies. Whether it be in Porco's ongoing chance at redemption, Julia's hope that he will let go of his past, Fio's admiration of flight, the truly spectacular imagery that has been created, or just the fantastic humour in Curtis and The Seaplane Pirates; this film has something for everybody and more for Anime Fans.

Not only was this the highest-grossing Japanese film in 1992, but it holds a very special place in the heart of its creator, Hayao Miyazaki. As well as being a master filmmaker, Miyazaki has always had a special passion for planes. He even named his studio after an Italian fighter plane from the Second World War - although the pronunciation of 'Ghibli' is a little different. Miyzaki's love of planes also went on to inspire his final animated film 'The Wind Rises' (2013), which is about the life of Jiro Horikoshi - a famous WWII plane designer. 'Porco Rosso' was such a pleasure for Miyazaki to create that he even considered doing a sequel to it - which would've been the only sequel ever made by Studio Ghibli. But although such a sequel was never made it really wasn't necessary for there to be one. 'Porco Rosso' is one of Hayao Miyazaki's greatest works and is considered a valuable addition to the Studio Ghibli collection. The story is about Porco/Marco, an ex-war pilot turned bounty hunter, who is cursed into having the appearance of a pig. Porco earns his living by flying the skies and foiling the schemes of sea-plane pirates, whilst trying to avoid the Italian government, who are out to get him for abandoning the Air Force. His bounty-hunting business comes under threat when an American pilot turns up and forms an alliance with the pirates to take him down. Now Porco has to tune up his plane and face his new rival in the ultimate dog fight. As far as the story goes, it's quite interesting in general, with a good mixture of action, fantasy, romance and humour. The settings in it are also really beautiful and give the audience a true sense that they're witnessing an Italian-themed movie. Plus, although there are some adult themes contained within it (e.g. war and violence) they are managed quite well, making it a pleasurable movie for both kids and adults to watch. If there's anything I'd have to criticise about the story, however, it would be that there are some parts of it which feel a bit weak and incomplete by the movie's conclusion. In particular, its never really explained how or why Porco was cursed into becoming a pig - he just is a pig, who used to be human, and that's what makes the story a fantasy. There are also several side-stories which serve almost nothing to the main plot, and some characters don't have enough screen time to develop properly. In fact, the ending to the movie itself feels a little open-ended, despite explanation of what happened after the climax. Nonetheless, the movie is still fun and interesting for all the family to watch. For me, what's powerful about 'Porco Rosso' isn't so much the story itself, but some of its meanings. I find that whenever I watch an anime - even if the main character is male - I focus more on the female leads, because there is so much more that can be done with them. When I watch 'Porco Rosso', I find that my focus is more on Fio. In one part of the movie, Porco is reluctant to allow her to help with his plane because she's a young woman. But she proves that she has impressive skills, and is able to do a fine job of improving his plane. She even turns out to be a valuable ally when it comes to dealing with enemies. She is just one of many strong female leads presented in Studio Ghibli films, who seem more valuable to the story than any of their male counterparts. Another message presented in the film is one that is universal. Fio asks Porco what makes someone a true professional. He admits that it's not experience that matters, but intuition. What this means is that all you really need to succeed in life, is to have enough passion for what you want to do, and have the skills to do it well. This message was even given back to Hayao Miyazaki himself when he was against his inexperienced son, Goro, directing 'Tales of Earthsea' (2006). One final thing that's worth mentioning about Porco Rosso are some of the voice actors in the English dub. Amongst these actors are some that have supplied their voices in other Studio Ghibli English dubs, such as Cary Elwes ('Whisper of the Heart'/'The Cat Returns'), Susan Egan ('Spirited Away') and David Ogden Stiers ('Spirited Away'). There are also others like Frank Welker and Kevin Michael Richardson. I would recommend this movie to anyone who is a fan of Studio Ghibli and wants to see a prime example of what they can do to make a movie so great. My next Studio Ghibli review will be on 'Pom Poko'. Stay tuned.

Adore this film. I'm not sure how to put it. It is simply glorious. So sweet, romantic and yet fun and sarcastic, even sad. Animation, colours, voice acting is top-notch. The music is stunning - I have the soundtrack - and the finale is lovely. My Mother and my Grandmother even liked this!

This was an absolutely great movie, lovely story, great characters, as always, great quality and effort with the movie, everything about it is just lovely, and it was a nice surprise to see Susan Egan voiced the main love interest, lovely movie! Although one thing i did slightly odd was many older men seeming to love this younger girl, but that seems to be a thing with the Studio Ghibli movies?

Porco Rosso ist ein fliegendes Schwein, das gegen ein hohes Entgelt für den Staat Aufträge erfüllt. Zum Beispiel, wenn dumme Piraten wieder Schulmädchen gekidnappt haben. So begleiten wir Porco Rosso auf ein paar Abenteuern, bevor er zum ersten Mal eine “richtige” Herausforderung bekommt: Ein junger amerikanischer Flieger fordert ihn zum Duell heraus… Doch bevor es zu dem Duell kommt, muss Porco erst noch nach Milano, um sein kaputtes Flugzeug reparieren zu lassen. Dort erhält er unfreiwillig Hilfe der jungen Fio, die ihm sein Flugzeug komplett umbaut. Zurück auf seiner Insel beginnt dann das Duell, und plötzlich geht es um viel mehr als nur Geld – um seine Liebe. Porco Rosso hat einfach alles. Der Film ist spannend, romantisch, lustig, actionreich und traurig zugleich. Zudem sind die Flugszenen einfach so unglaublich gezeichnet, da kann kein Top Gun und kein gar nichts mithalten. Ich glaube, in Porco Rosso hat Miyazaki am meisten eigene Liebe gesteckt. Man merkt das einfach. Miyazaki liebt Flugzeuge, wie man in der Biographie lesen kann gehörte seinem Opa eine Flugfirma. Und das kommt dem Film absolut zugunsten. Die super ausgefeilte Story, der feine Humor, die unglaublich lebendigen Charaktere – PERFEKT. Mein absoluter Liebling, je mehr ich drüber nachdenke. Die Musik ist auch ein Genuss! Joe gibt wieder alles. Unbedingt besorgen! Der perfekte Samstag – Abend – Familien – Film: Der Sohn fiebert mit dem Helden mit, Mutter und Tochter sind von der Romanze begeistert, und der Vater mag Flugzeuge. So einfach ist das. Aber mal ernsthaft: Porco Rosso ist wirklich extrem ausgefeilt und fein, hinsichtlich jeder Sache, die in einem Film wichtig ist. Er ist einfach “Rund”, ein perfekter Kreis, glatt und schön.

The opening scene of Porco Rosso shows that the year is 1929, a decade after the First World War. This is depicted on the cover of the magazine Cinema, which rests over Porco Rosso's piggish face. It was a time of high tension throughout Europe and the Mediterranean Sea where the story takes place. In Germany the Nazi's were gaining strength while planning their conquest of Germany and later Europe with the possibility of the world. Italians were under Il Duce's iron rule, as he commanded the Fascist party, the only party allowed. Nineteen twenty-nine was just years before Francisco Franco's control in Spain with a Fascist ideology. What is most alarming is that 1929 was only one decade away from the Second World War, which was slowly brewing throughout Europe. In essence, Hayao Miyazaki literally depicts the year that was in-between the two World Wars, but his film also turns into a political allegory for the that time. This allegory is depicted through a flying pig that defies political undercurrents by collecting bounties on outlaws and trying to stay outside the boundaries of society. Porco Rosso, once a man, now a pig due to a curse, flies for himself only, as he collects bounties and makes life sour for air pirates that terrorize the Mediterranean Sea. Porco lives a lonely life in a hide-away somewhere in Mediterranean Sea where he bathes in the sun when he is not hunting flying pirates. Isolation seems to be Porco's way of dealing with his appearance and the only excursion from his personal island is done with help of darkness. At night shadows help veil his pig face, as he visits his favorite hangout, Hotel Adriano. Miyazaki does a marvelous job in his creation of the character Porco who portrays dispositions such as selfishness, cynicism, and gloom through a pig without hope of being something better. The idea of using a pig is also remarkably brilliant, as the pig is often used as a symbol for greed and sloth. Porco's laziness is depicted through his sunbathing and his inactive participation in politics and society, as the world around him is once again about to crumble. The persona and attire of Porco brings a mood that is experienced through many film noirs where cynical characters meet in sleazy and ominous atmospheres. This is evident when Porco visits Hotel Adriano for the first time when all his enemies are present. The film noir that Porco Rosso offers also augments the cinematic value of the story, as it authentically depicts the time period. The cynicism is further enhanced if the audience reflects on the political atmosphere of the 1930s in Europe where politics divided families and neighbors turned each other in due to different beliefs. In the middle of this an American pilot, Donald Curtis, arrives to claim fame and secure a spot in Hollywood, and maybe later the Presidency. When Curtis for the first time hears Madame Gina sing at the restaurant at Hotel Adriana he falls in love. However, he does not know that her love belongs to another, even though this other does not know. Curtis' reason to come to Europe was to have a dogfight with the infamous Porco Rosso and he finds his opportunity when Porco is on his way to get his plane fixed. This is the way he wants to claim his fame by shooting down Porco, which he successfully does as Porco's plane has a motor problem. Somehow Porco succeeds in getting his plane through Italy and to Milan where Paolo Piccolo a skilled airplane mechanic that he trusts lives. When Porco arrives he discovers that the Paolo's 17-year old American granddaughter is more or less running the show. Initially, Porco is suspicious and wants to go to another mechanic, but is convinced to stay. Fortunately Porco's suspicions are groundless, as his suspicions seem to be more sexist than based on facts. When the plane is fixed Porco can return to his life, as a bounty hunter, but the political climate has changed and it seems to have put Porco in a spot where he is forced to take a side. Hayao Miyazaki's Porco Rosso is a fantastic animated journey that also makes a strong political statement. The film entertains young and old, but also leaves a lot for the audience to ponder while the magnificent animation transcends into the mind through vibrant colors and detailed lines. Cleverly, Miyazaki communicates his story through an obvious storyline that is visually explicit, but also hidden in visual codes and symbols. This means that the film is multifaceted with several ideas that can have an audience member scratching their head for a long time. The story also keeps the viewers on the edge of their seat, as nail-biting suspense leaves the audience guessing what will happen next. Ultimately, this cinematic masterpiece leaves the audience with a fulfilling experience that offers something for everyone.

Trasformato in maiale per un incantesimo non meglio precisato, Porco Rosso è il soprannome di Marco Pagot, un grande aviatore dell’Italia tra le due guerre. Ribellatosi al regime fascista, fugge dalla patria con il suo aereo e diventa il protettore di tutte le genti contro i pirati del Mediterraneo. Non si pensi tuttavia ad un puro paladino della giustizia, perché Porco Rosso, è in realtà più interessato ai soldi che agli ideali nella sua nuova veste di cacciatore di taglie. Oltre che in perenne competizione con gli altri aviatori, con i quali non rinuncia, quando può, ad ingaggiare pericolosi duelli aerei. Persa un giorno la sfida contro l’americano Donald Curtis, Porco Rosso fa segretamente ritorno a Milano, dove conosce la giovane Fio Piccolo, che lo aiuta a costruire un nuovo potente idrovolante e lo segue verso il sogno di una rivincita. Tra i due nasce una profonda amicizia, grazie alla quale Porco Rosso riesce a superare un altro scoglio: l’amore mai concretizzatosi con la bella Gina, la donna più ambita di Europa. Che ha un passato doloroso (è tre volte vedova, di altrettanti mariti-aviatori) e sentimenti, discreti ma veri, per l'amico di gioventù Marco. A metà strada tra la vicenda storica e un’Europa di fantasia dominata dal rombo degli idrovolanti, Porco Rosso è un’opera capace di coinvolgere a diversi livelli adulti e bambini. Emerge anche più evidente che in altre opere di Miyazaki un giudizio sul passato totalitaristico del vecchio mondo. Il “folle volo” di Porco Rosso segna il rifiuto dell’oppressione fascista, e il tentativo di affermare la libertà in un momento storico preciso; e fa impressione, in un cartone animato, vedere un Potere che insegue e spia (le donne dell'officina Piccolo lavorano segretamente per costruire il nuovo aereo di Porco Rosso). Un giudizio severo che coinvolge anche Hollywood, dove Curtis vorrebbe portare Gina, e dove sogna di sfondare prima di arrivare addirittura alla Casa Bianca (evidente riferimento a Ronald Reagan). La caustica ironia della donna, che rifiuta amando troppo l’Europa e l’italiano Porco Rosso, suona come una scelta di campo tra due diversi modi di concepire il cinema. Per quanto riguarda la realizzazione tecnica non ho molto da dire su questo tema: i disegni sono molto simili a quelli di Kiki, e sono perfetti, specie nei fondali, a tratteggiare l’ambientazione marittima del film, anche se lo stile con cui sono disegnati i personaggi è più caricaturale del solito, e deve di più ai cartoni animati occidentali che agli anime. Non è un caso, ovviamente, ma un ulteriore omaggio all’animazione nostrana sulle musiche, anche qui basti dire che il solito, ottimo Joe Hisaishi ha composto gran parte della colonna sonora, ma la parte del leone la fa la bellissima “Toki ni wa”.

Porco Rosso arrived on time and in perfect condition. I really enjoyed this animated movie, as I have with all of Hayao Miyazaki's films. This hardened war pilot with a soft heart for the ladies was a treat to watch. It's a 1992 hand drawn animation that still sparkles on the screen today. Another winner from Studio Ghibli.

Uno dei film ( se non) uno dei miglior film realizzati dello studio Ghibli, atmosfere e colori vibranti che raccontano una avventura tra i celi del Mar Adriatico nel nostro Paese nel periodo prima della Seconda guerra. In una Storia toccante e Emozionante. 🐽