While discussing the legendary career of Hayao Miyazaki, fans would bring up his works, each unique and filled with themes that can be corroborated with the real world. In their own right, each film has a massive following, leading up to the current fame of Studio Ghibli.
Due to the illustrious reputation that Miyazaki has accumulated over the decades, one rarely associates the word “regret” with his works. However, the filmmaker himself had once admitted that one of his earlier works – Porco Rosso, a 1992 animated film had left him with a sense of disappointment and regret.
Porco Rosso was Miyazaki’s long-time regret
While it was a massive financial success and remains beloved by anime fans even today, Miyazaki was deeply influenced by his childhood experiences and his family conditions, which led to the creation of the movie.
He viewed the movie as a product of the complex emotions in his life, shaped by real-world events, including the World War and his changing perspectives and philosophies.
Despite being praised for its impressive animation, the many mature themes, and one of the most unique protagonists, Porco Rosso was not Miyazaki’s proudest achievement, not today and not back then either.
The film, which had a budget of $1.4 million, left Miyazaki feeling hollow on the inside. The story of Porco Rosso followed an ex-WWI pilot, Marco Pagot. This pilot was cursed to live as an anthropomorphic pig.
A film born from conflict and confusion
However, Miyazaki later reflected on his experience creating the movie, his father was a weapons manufacturer and profited off the war, but all the Japanese citizens around him were scared of bombings and the war.
Miyazaki himself couldn’t seem to get away from all the violence. A movie like this showcases how media serves as a canvas for his thoughts and feelings, particularly about war, nationalism, and the futility of mass conflict.
In an interview with Animerica Anime & Manga Monthly magazine, Miyazaki himself admitted his regrets about the work.
Commercially, it was a success, but it left me with a personal sense of regret. Porco Rosso is a product of the early ’90s, of my world views being challenged by real-world events. It’s also the product of my resolve to overcome the challenge and build a stronger way of life, a stronger way of looking at things. Right now, I feel as though I understand my own philosophical conundrums a bit better then before, but the answers don’t come to me easily, and I’m certain that my next work will reflect that.
While Miyazaki has always infused his films with anti-war messages, Porco Rosso carried a more somber, hopeless, and dejected view.
The story blends many genres and themes, taking adventure and mixing it with political undertones. The wars that occur seem to have no real reason for them, no injustice or no benefit. This adds to a deeper exploration of a personal sense of disillusionment.
You can stream Porco Rosso on Netflix.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
