Porco Rosso

[Michael Hopcroft]

Disney recently released Hayao Miyazaki's 1992 animated feature Porco Rosso on DVD, with an Enlgish voice cast that featured Michael Keaton, Cary Elwes and David Ogden Stiers.

Now I do not judge the quality of a work of art based solely on its philosphical underpinnings. Most of the time that's reading too much into them. But Porco, a pilot cursed with procine features, may well be the sort of hero that this group would appreciate. he may love to fly, but he's basically in it to make a living. He fights air pirates for money. he avoids government entanglements completely and refuses to join the Facist air force, making him a fugitive. He lives by his own code, refusing to make others conform to his wishes.

Or am I mis-reading things?

[amagi]

It's been too long since I watched this film to comment on it. I will say that I have seen most or all of Miyazaki's films and on the whole they are easily the most artistically valuable anime I've found.

His explicit philosophy, however, has clear environmentalist leanings. Several of his films are meant to be ecological morality fables about the conflict between man and nature. This should not prevent people from seeing these films however, as they are artistically wonderful, both from a cinematic standpoint and in terms of animation.

The one truly bad film in this regard is Pom Poko. Miyazaki did not direct this one, but his Studio Ghibli did produce it and I'm guessing he was probably involved in some way. It's about a group of magical racoon-like creatures that wage war on the humans who are destroying their habitat. If I recall correctly, the racoons slaughter innocent people amidst a lighthearted comic atmosphere. It was disgusting.

Be assured that this is the exception. The films directed by Miyazaki are mostly either delightful, benevolent children's movies or epic action/adventure films.