Porco Rosso: “Better to be a pig than a fascist.”
There’s one line from Porco Rosso(1992) that stayed with me ever since my childhood- “Better a pig than a fascist.” It’s kinda wild that the word ‘fascist’ is in a children’s film. Of course, as a kid, I had no idea what that meant other than that it sounded important. But as I grew older, this quote would occasionally pop into my head; each time, revealing new meanings to me. The film and its story transformed as I aged. What was once a simple comedy about a flying pig has turned into a melancholic masterpiece; warning us about the future. Let’s introduce ourselves to one of the most underrated films from Studio Ghibli. Let’s look beyond the pig, the flying machine, and the romantic sceneries and understand the hidden theme- the loss of humanity, the nature of war, and the looking darkness that is fascism. This is Porco Rosso.
Set in 1929, Italy, Porco Rosso is a slice-of-life comedy about a WW1 ace pilot named Porco. For reasons unbeknown to anyone, after the war, Porco turned into a pig. From then on, Porco spent much of his post-war days living an apathetic life as a bounty hunter, not caring for most things; or so it seems. Unlike most other fantastical films from Studio Ghibli, Porco Rosso has a real-world historical and geographical setting, masked by only a thin veil of whimsy. Writer-director Hayao Miyazaki took the relatively peaceful period between the two world wars and painted a beautiful yet subtly somber world. There is an oppressive undercurrent hidden beneath the film’s tranquility. As Porco flies over the Adriatic Sea, the water is still but the clouds are dark. It’s calm before the fascist storm. By 1929, Benito Mussolini and his fascist party had already taken control of Italy. It was seven years after the Coup d’état, three years after all opposition parties were banned, political opponents were assassinated, and blackshirts terrorised any and all potential dissonances in the country. Italy was, without a doubt, a fascist state at that point. So what is ‘facism?’ Scholars have been arguing over its definition for over a century. One commonly agreed upon characteristic is the subordination of the people- for the “good of the state.” Under this regime, the nation is a machine, and the people are its components. Individuals may suffer or even be replaced but it is each citizen’s duty to endure for the sake of the country. When viewed with this information in mind, the meaning of Porco Rosso changed.
After being ambushed by a bandit, Porco has to sneak into Milan to get his machine fixed. There, Porco receives a warning from his former brother-in-arms that he might be warranted out of the country on charges such as illegal entry, decadence, possession of pornographic content, etc. As a kid, this scene painted Porco as a cool rebel, as someone who works outside the law. As an adult, I realise that everything listed is a victimless crime. What is decadence? It’s a common tactic for an oppressive government to create vague laws that can be applied to virtually everyone and selectively enforce the law on ‘undesirable’ people. Loitering is one such example. Porco didn’t cross the line, the line crossed him. Now, there are two reasons why Porco is targeted this way. The first one is Porco’s ability to use violence on his own term. If fascist Italy is a war machine, Porco, the ace pilot, is the gun. In this case, a gun that follows its own sets of morality, a set that is at odds with the absolute obedience demanded by fascism. Porco violates the fascist aim of monopolizing the use of violence making him a danger to the powers above. The second reason, however, is a bit more metaphorical. Throughout the film, Porco is depicted as this charming fellow, a man of the common people. He is, in a way, a populist. Someone who strives to fight for the ordinary people and has a strong distaste for the authorities. Through him, we see people as human beings, not just part of a greater machine. If not for his distaste for war, he could’ve been a revolutionary. Post WW1, Italy was marred by socio-economic troubles- political instability, unemployment, and rapid inflation led to civil unrest. Such circumstances made socialism and communism very appealing to the masses. It all led to Biennio Rosso- literally “Two Red Years.” When Italy saw intense social conflicts such as mass strikes, the fascist movement was immersed as a violent reaction. Porco isn’t just any pig. He’s Porco Rosso- a red swine, commonly used as an insult to socialists and communists. We see an image of him walking in front of a wall, plastered with tattered posters. Specifically, anti-fascist and pro-worker posters. The posters are torn up because by 1929, fascist Italy had already crushed these populist movements. And since Porco, in some way, represents the populist identity. The fascists want him dead, too.
In one stunning sequence, Porco resold a story from WW1. During a horrid battle that led to many deaths, Porco, who was still human at the time, found himself ascending above the clouds. There, flying machines of all nations flew in unison. Beautiful, yet haunting. It reveals what this melancholic mood of the film really is- the tranquility of death. Early on in the movie, we meet Gina, Porco’s long-time friend and love interest. Porco refuses to confess his feelings for her. No doubt, Porco is afraid he may also die like Gina’s previous husbands, causing her even more pain. That’s how Porco acts throughout most of the movie. He withdraws himself from human affairs at every corner. He puts up a chauvinist front to keep women out of his life so that he can’t bring harm to anyone. He is, after all, being targeted by fascists. But then comes Fio, a young aircraft designer who forcefully enters Porco’s life. She earns Porco’s trust through her talent. She shows that she knows how to protect herself. And she forces Porco to open himself up to her. Fio becomes the first person Porco can rely on. As a result, she also becomes the first person to see him as a human. Porco is a pig because he lost his humanity in the war. He shuts himself up. As the film comes to a close, a squadron of aircraft flies over the Adriatic Sea draping it in a curtain of fascism and the last bit of humanity must find refuge elsewhere. With historical hindsight, we know that fascism would lead to another devastating war and the price we paid is countless more deaths and more people who came home without their humanity.
Before we’re done, let’s address one final thing. It is sometimes said that the depiction of Italy in the film looks less like Italy and more like generic Europe seen through the eyes of a Japanese tourist. It’s a world drowning in booze and money, hardly resembling the country that was struggling economically. But that’s because, in my opinion, this isn’t really Italy- this is 1980s Japan, a.k.a the bubble period. 1980s Japan was a period of unprecedented and unsustainable economic growth characterised by excessive consumerism. Drowning in material excesses, the film may have reflected Miyazaki’s fear that this complacent Japan has forgotten its horrors of war. In recent years, there is a rise of authoritarian ideology around the world. Leaders fan the flames of nationalism. It all eerily mirror scenes from Porco Rosso. Soon, the last living memories of WW2 will fade and what is left will be history. Hopefully, just like how this film stayed with me throughout my life, it’ll stay with our world for the foreseeable future and always remind us that it’s better to be a pig than a fascist.
