Porco Rosso
Hayao Miyazaki began work on Porco Rosso in 1989 with a manga titled Hikōtei Jidai. The project started as a planned short film for Japan Airlines to show passengers during flights. Studio Ghibli produced the feature-length version instead, expanding the original concept significantly. Toshio Suzuki served as producer while Telecom Animation Film Co., Ltd. assisted with animation duties. The airline remained a major investor throughout the production process. This partnership allowed the opening text to appear simultaneously in Japanese, Italian, Korean, English, Chinese, Spanish, Arabic, Russian, French, and German. The film was released theatrically in Japan on the 18th of July 1992 by Toho. Distribution rights later moved through Tokuma Shoten for VHS releases in 1993. Walt Disney Home Entertainment eventually handled international distribution including DVD and Blu-ray formats starting in 2005.
The fictional Piccolo aircraft company draws inspiration from real Italian manufacturers Caproni and Piaggio. Carlo Ferrarin designed the Caproni C-22J jet shown in the final scene of the movie. Arturo Ferrarin flew an Ansaldo SVA.9 from Rome to Tokyo in 1920, providing the name for Marco's Air Force pilot friend. Mario Castoldi designed the Macchi M.C.72 which set world speed records in the early 1930s. Bellini was the name given to one test pilot who died during those record attempts. Francesco Baracca and Adriano Visconti appear as top fighter aces within the narrative. Glenn Hammond Curtiss founded the Curtiss-Wright Corporation alongside the Wright Brothers. Curtis' airplane is a Curtiss R3C built specifically for the 1925 Schneider Cup race. Ronald Reagan serves as an oblique reference through Curtis' ambitions toward both Hollywood and the Presidency. Errol Flynn's adventure film heroes influenced the character design and demeanor of Curtis.
The outbreak of war in Yugoslavia cast a shadow over production and prompted a more serious tone for the film. Miyazaki reflected that conflicts breaking out during production made Porco Rosso much more complicated than originally planned. The story had been set in Dalmatia before these geopolitical events occurred. Chris Wood argues that Europe appears tamed and rendered as a charming site of pleasurable consumption. This perspective maintains distance necessary to preserve a distinct sense of Japanese identity. Wakon yōsai describes this tendency where Japanese artists paint Europe spectacularly while keeping cultural boundaries intact. The film became difficult to create due to real-world violence happening simultaneously with its development. Studio Ghibli insisted Ward Sexton supervise the English dub despite his feeling the project was too big for an English-speaking cast in Japan. The airline showed the film as an in-flight feature well before its theatrical release date arrived.
Japan Airlines commissioned an English dub produced in Japan in 1992 for viewing on international flights. Ward Sexton starred as Porco in this first version which appeared in the 1996 Ghibli ga Ippai Laserdisc Box Set. Disney released the film on DVD on the 22nd of February 2005 featuring voices from Michael Keaton and Cary Elwes. A new English dub supervised by Tony Bancroft included Kimberly Williams-Paisley and Susan Egan. GKIDS re-issued the film on Blu-ray and DVD on the 21st of November 2017 under a new deal with Studio Ghibli. The movie was released on VHS by Buena Vista Home Entertainment Japan on the 23rd of April 1999. DVD releases followed on the 18th of December 2002 and again on the 16th of July 2014. Blu-ray Disc versions arrived on the 6th of November 2013 with subsequent reissues throughout the following years. The original 1992 Japan Airlines dub remains out of print alongside many other early formats.
Porco Rosso became the number-one film on the Japanese market in 1992 with gross receipts equivalent to millions of dollars. France sold 167,793 tickets at an average price of FF34 per admission. European countries combined for an estimated total gross across multiple territories. The film won the Cristal du long métrage award at the 1993 Annecy International Animation Film Festival. Time Out magazine included it on their Top 50 animated movie list. Rotten Tomatoes shows 96% positive reviews from 25 critics averaging 8.2 out of 10 points. Metacritic assigned a score of 83 out of 100 based on 11 critic reviews indicating universal acclaim. Wilson McLachlan called it the most underrated film from the Studio Ghibli catalogue. Jeannette Catsoulis wrote that Miyazaki smooshes fantasy and history into a pastel-pretty yarn as irresistible as his feminism. Robert Pardi gave the film four out of five stars praising its visual splendor and droll screenplay.
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Common questions
When was Porco Rosso released in Japan?
Porco Rosso was released theatrically in Japan on the 18th of July 1992 by Toho. The film became the number-one movie on the Japanese market that same year with gross receipts equivalent to millions of dollars.
Who produced and animated Porco Rosso?
Studio Ghibli produced the feature-length version while Toshio Suzuki served as producer. Telecom Animation Film Co., Ltd. assisted with animation duties during production.
What real aircraft inspired the fictional planes in Porco Rosso?
The fictional Piccolo aircraft company draws inspiration from real Italian manufacturers Caproni and Piaggio. Carlo Ferrarin designed the Caproni C-22J jet shown in the final scene of the movie.
How did geopolitical events affect the production of Porco Rosso?
The outbreak of war in Yugoslavia cast a shadow over production and prompted a more serious tone for the film. Miyazaki reflected that conflicts breaking out during production made Porco Rosso much more complicated than originally planned.
Which English dub versions exist for Porco Rosso and when were they released?
Japan Airlines commissioned an English dub produced in Japan in 1992 for viewing on international flights. Disney released the film on DVD on the 22nd of February 2005 featuring voices from Michael Keaton and Cary Elwes.