Club Ghibli #11 - Porco Rosso (1992)

[Diddy]

Hello Ghiblets, we have reached the halfway point of our Ghibli odyssey, and dear sister @Peekaboo has kindly thrust his fist into the bucket and pulled out beloved 1992 classic "Porco Rosso" ("Kurenai no Buta", literally "Scarlet Pig").

For this, we return to the Miyazaki canon, and naturally that means we take to the air again. Porco Rosso revolves around the titular WWI fighter pilot, who has mysteriously been transformed into a humanoid pig. Working now as a freelance bounty hunter, his life outside the spotlight is thrown into disarray by a surge in pirate gang activity and the rise of fascism in Italy. Can he save the day and the glamorous Madame Gina?

Porco Rosso was originally conceived as a Japan Airlines exclusive short movie, but ended up evolving into a full-length feature. It might not quite have the fame of the A-List Ghibli movies, but it still became the top-grossing movie in Japan in 1992, continuing their stellar streak in the domestic box office.



HOW THIS WORKS

In a semi book club format, the films will be announced, and over the course of about 2 weeks we can watch it and let everyone know what we thought. I'll nominate someone to pick the next film each time, but maybe let's try not to blow all the famous ones first!

I was thinking 2 weeks should be enough time for most people to fit in a viewing at some point, but it's not strict so please come back when you have a chance, no pressure!
@Christian @Gangsta Nancy Lam @jivafox @COB @Haiku @ZenGiraffe @Lucille @KindaCool @Queen of the Bay @RaspberrySwirl @RJN @Beverley @big ron @ButterTart @Mats (let me know if you don't want to be tagged any more)

 

[Diddy]

 

[Peekaboo]

I really didn't get this when I first saw it, coming off things like Laputa and Kiki it felt like quite a SWERVE from Miyazaki but actually it makes a lot of sense in his canon as I think it's a perfect bridge between his 80s and 90s films. It has gone on to become my THIRD FAVOURITE GHIBLI.

It has breathtaking flying sequences, some of the best in Miya's canon and that's saying something, a FANTASTIC soundtrack (again high praise considering the rest of Hisaishi's ouvre) and a heartwarming, laconic protagonist that feels straight outta a Bogart film. And a wonderful AGAINST TROPES female character.

It also includes a line that I like to TROT OUT on a regular basis: "I'd rather be a PIG than a FASCIST"

TENS ALL AROUND.

 

[Peekaboo]

Also I'd love for this to be my SECRET HIDEOUT

 

[Eyes]

I thought with this one it was striking a balance between comedic and serious and sometimes that worked, sometimes it didn't. Not that I need answers for why he's a pig or why the pirates are ludicrous idiots who miss many opportunities to get him, but at times it was mildly distracting.

Porco himself and Fio are a great pair with a lot of good chemistry between them, and the setting is a great one, inter-war, making barebones use of technology, great flying shots and realistically done inter-air banter with their sign language/Morse coded lights they were using.

Yeah, nice film with a good set of lead characters and environment (absolutely gorgeous shots of the Adriatic throughout), just some of the antagonists felt a little stupid and tropey. "Rather be a pig than a fascist" was great though.

 

[Peekaboo]

He's a PIG because all men who take part in WAR become CURSED in some way! It's his PENITENCE.

 

[Diddy]

Ooh I watched this last night but fell asleep before I could post so this is coming

 

[Eyes]

He's a PIG because all men who take part in WAR become CURSED in some way! It's his PENITENCE.

Ah, that does fit. It could almost be a mental thing except obviously everyone around him treats him as a pig. There's a lot of lines throughout the movie that seem to sell this idea of 'you would expect him to be boorish and bad-tempered much like the pirates but he's actually not like that' (e.g. all middle-aged men become pigs).

 

[Diddy]

Well this was quite lovely! I never have it in my top rankings, I guess it doesn't LOOK like a genre I'm normally interested in. BUT it's very charming, and Porco is a likeable protagonisto. I agree that his chemistry with Fio is great. It's almost shocking that a male is the protagonist at all, I can't name many movies like that in the canon that we've watched.

Yeah it was a bit silly, but that's sort of what I loved. That whole hostage scene at the start with the little girls was so adorable, and even the pirate acting paternally toward them. Ridiculous yes but we don't need peril in every film. And of course the emotional beats, although I liked Gina a lot, and though she was characterised very well, that story thread didn't really go anywhere. In fact the ending of the film was a bit of a damp squib, it just sort of finished, not even a cliffhanger but not really closure either. What actually WAS the story of the film? And the bit with the pilot heaven too? That really got me.

And the pig stuff, I don't think it's a metaphor, they do have a fair bit of dialogue talking about how it is a LITERAL CURSE, and then it barely seems to feature in the main story anyway. Everyone seems fairly polite about it, even the pirates are quite respectful of him.

So... well I don't know what the story really WAS, and I don't want to say it doesn't matter, but it was at the very least a very vivid and warm world to spend 90 minutes in.

 

[Diddy]

Sorry @Peekaboo @Eyes @Queen of the Bay I forgot to put a poll up, but it's there now

 

[Peekaboo]

An 8? GTFO

 

[Diddy]

An 8? GTFO

I can’t just give 10s to everything, this is in the context of Ghibli anyway. I enjoyed it a lot, but the story just wasn’t really there for me. I mean it was a short movie spun out into a full length one, I guess that’s part of it?

 

[Peekaboo]

It's Miyazaki's favourite film of his. And probably his most personal. What did you give that SHITTY CAT ONE?!

 

[Diddy]

It's Miyazaki's favourite film of his. And probably his most personal. What did you give that SHITTY CAT ONE?!

Well good for him
Which shitty cat one? Cat Returns?

DONT BE A FASCIST

 

[Diddy]

How are you getting on, @Queen of the Bay ?

 

[Marina Salty]

Haven't watched it yet but I will either today or tomorrow

 

[Diddy]

Haven't watched it yet but I will either today or tomorrow

Do you feel pressure to watch these to this schedule? I know I do but for me, if I said it was 3 weeks I’d have the exact same situation

 

[Marina Salty]

Absolutely, the schedule is fine, it's basically not having a smart tv here among other things that put me off but got myself one.

 

[Christian]

I'd give it an 8 too. I really enjoyed it but it didn't hit an emotional spot for me.

 

[Marina Salty]

Am gonna go with 7. I don't think i understood what the main story was for the most part and there are many elements that i didn't get plot-wise. The place is stunning though, the hideout reminded me of a place i know, and there's some adorable scenes such as with the little abductees, or with the family women hand making the plane and cooking pasta. And there's that very poetic scene with the pilot heaven. Enjoyable film but as a whole i don't know what is the point it makes.

 

[Diddy]

Good luck

 

[Peekaboo]

You both gave The Cat Returns the same score as Porco Rosso. There's no ACCOUNTING for TASTE!

 

[Diddy]

I respect your furry rights @Peekaboo
But the anthropomorphised animal thing evidently doesn’t tickle our pickles