He was transformed for reasons that are never fully explained—only hinted at in a beautiful sequence that makes one consider death, eternity, and the incalculable human loss of war (little wonder Miyazaki recently returned to it with a direct nod in The Wind Rises).
For a film set in such a specific time and place, Porco Rosso has aged remarkably well. This tale of an Italian flying ace hunting Mediterranean sea pirates between the World Wars could pass as historical fiction but for the fact that the protagonist is, well, a pig-man. He was transformed for reasons that are never fully explained—only hinted at in a beautiful sequence that makes one consider death, eternity, and the incalculable human loss of war (little wonder Miyazaki recently returned to it with a direct nod in The Wind Rises). Perhaps Ghibli's most successful tonal blend, Porco Rosso is adventurous and comical, full of romance and longing, with a political rallying cry that feels as powerful today as it would have in 1920s Italy: "I'd rather be a pig than a fascist." — C.H.