While the scene with Porco's WWI buddies flying into the sky is absolutely one of the most iconic Ghibli visuals, the final scene where Porco finally forgives himself in the bare-knuckle brawl with Donald Curtis is one of my favorite moments in cinema. It's a rumination on what it means to be manly in the face of loss, the faux manliness of self-isolation and the personal forgiveness it takes to become your true self that comes from accepting people - and most importantly the love of those important to you - back into your life after a traumatic event.
![porco rosso plane scene porco rosso plane scene](http://www.nausicaa.net/miyazaki/porco/synopsis/images/end.jpg)
It's delightful and pleasant yet endearing and gloomy (in a good way) as well.Īh, it's so much more than just the disappointment or trauma of war experiences. In "Porco Rosso", the goofy lead gives you the impression you're about to see a wacky adventure film and partly it is however as the story goes further and we begin to see who Porco truly is, the story takes a different turn and it becomes a moving tale about a man who was disappointed by life due to his war experiences, the scene of Porco seeing his dead comrades rising to the sky stays with you long after you've seen it.Īlso, Hayao Miyazaki's passion for flying is fully displayed in Porco Rosso with impressive vistas through a dazzling blush of color as well as strong, fully realized female characters in Fio and Gina. Kiki's Delivery Service might be about a teenage witch at first until you realize it's truly about the social isolation of a girl who allows her personal judgment to restrain her ability to truly fly as a witch and as a person.
![porco rosso plane scene porco rosso plane scene](https://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/images/reviews/196/1422652308_3.jpg)
What stands out about Hayao Miyazaki's film is, although his films are about fantastical characters and bizarre situations, the humanity he brings to his films is astounding.