agmtw logo
search
Porco Rosso (1992)

Porco Rosso (1992)

A tale of resisting fascism and reckoning with the lingering burdens of war

7.9

Movie

Japan
Japanese
Adventure, Animation, Comedy, Drama
1992
HAYAO MIYAZAKI
Akemi Okamura, Akio Otsuka, Bunshi Katsura
93 min

What it's about

In Italy in the 1930s, sky pirates in biplanes terrorize wealthy cruise ships as they sail the Adriatic Sea. The only pilot brave enough to stop the scourge is the mysterious Porco Rosso, a former World War I flying ace who was somehow turned into a pig during the war. As he prepares to battle the pirate crew's American ace, Porco Rosso enlists the help of spunky girl mechanic Fio Piccolo and his longtime friend Madame Gina.

The take

As impressive as Studio Ghibli’s collection of films are, I am still stubborn to believe that Porco Rosso is its most underrated film. Porco Rosso, directed by Hayao Miyazaki, is the story of a World War military aviator-turned-bounty hunter who has mysteriously been transformed into a pig. 

Bright with humor, heart, and flight (Miyazaki is largely influenced and inspired by the art of aviation), Porco Rosso manages to also acknowledge and reckon with the horrors of war. It also boasts one of, if not the greatest, line in any Ghibli film: I’d rather be a pig than a fascist.

Comments

Add a comment

Your name

Your comment

UP NEXT 

UP NEXT 

UP NEXT 

System Crasher (2019)

A tale of trauma and one of the most talked about movies on Netflix in 2020.

9.0

I Lost My Body (2019)

The Oscar-nominated unconventional animation

8.2

The Farewell (2019)

Awkwafina shines in this complex culture clash comedy.

9.1

Booksmart (2019)

Two academic overachievers from high school set out to prove that they're a smart and fun for one last time.

9.0

Ran (1985)

Akira Kurosawa’s adaptation of King Lear is an epic historical drama set in sixteenth-century Japan, abundant with blood, betrayal, and battles for ultimate power.

8.4

Mommy (2014)

Aiming straight for the heart while punching you in the guts, Mommy is a crazy chamber piece about a widowed mother and her next-door neighbor bringing up a savage teenager

9.6

The Edge of Democracy (2019)

Mixing personal history with hardcore journalism, this is the story of Brazil's fragile democracy.

9.0

Captain Fantastic (2016)

Viggo Mortensen is fantastic in this plot-twisting drama about a survivalist American family

9.5

The Remarkable Life of Ibelin (2024)

A gamer with disability crafts a life and community in online roleplay in this unconventional, moving documentary

8.3

Whisper of the Heart (1995)

Finds magic in the ordinary every day—and reminds us the most special art is that which comes from the heart

8.3

Curated by humans, not algorithms.

agmtw logo

© 2024 agoodmovietowatch, all rights reserved.