Kurenai no buta (1992)

Director:

Hayao Miyazaki

Writer:

Hayao Miyazaki (written by)

Release Date:

18 July 1992 (Japan)

Genre:

Animation | Adventure | Fantasy | Romance

Plot:

The adventures of a 1920's bush pilot who just happens to look like a humanoid pig.

Plot Keywords:

Pilot | Pig | 1930s | Hero | Italy

Awards:

3 wins

Cast

Shûichirô Moriyama	...	Kurenai no Buta (voice)
Tokiko Katô	...	Jina-sama (voice)
Sanshi Katsura	...	Pikkoro-oyaji (voice)
Greg Ellis	...	Additional Voices (voice: English version)
Tsunehiko Kamijô	...	Manmayuto no shachô (voice)
Akemi Okamura	...	Fio Pikkoro (voice)
Akio Ôtsuka	...	Donarudo Kâchisu (voice)
Hiroko Seki	...	Bâ-chan (voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jack Angel	...	Additional Voices
Dee Bradley Baker	...	Additional Voices (voice)
Michael Bell	...	Additional Voices
Jeff Bennett	...	Additional Voices
Earl Boen	...	Additional Voices
Cameron Bowen	...	Additional Voices
Rodger Bumpass	...	Additional Voices
Corey Burton	...	Additional Voices
Jennifer Darling	...	Additional Voices
Debi Derryberry	...	Additional Voices
Ashley Edner	...	Additional Voices
Susan Egan	...	Gina (Disney Dub 2003) (voice: English version)
Paul Eiding	...	Additional Voices (voice: English version)
Cary Elwes	...	Curtis (voice: English version)
Bill Fagerbakke	...	Mamma Aiuto Gang
Bill Farmer	...	Additional Voices
Pat Fraley	...	Additional Voices
Brad Garrett	...	Mamma Aiuto Boss
Brian George	...	Additional Voices
Lynn Harris	...	Additional voices
Gérard Hernandez	...	Paolo Piccolo (voice: French version)
Michael Keaton	...	Porco Rosso (voice: English version)
Tom Kenny	...	Additional Voices
Sherry Lynn	...	Additional Voices
Tress MacNeille	...	Additional Voices
Kaitlyn Maggio	...	Additional Voices
Mickie McGowan	...	Additional Voices
Laraine Newman	...	Additional Voices
Rob Paulsen	...	Additional Voices
Bradley Pierce	...	Gas Boy
Phil Proctor	...	Additional Voices
Jean-Luc Reichmann	...	Curtis (voice: French version)
Jean Reno	...	Porco Rosso (French version) (voice)
Kevin Michael Richardson	...	Mamma Aiuto Gang
Aimee Roldan	...	Additional Voices
Deanna Russo	...	Additional Voices
Osamu Saka	...	Additional Voices
David Ogden Stiers	...	Grandpa Piccolo
Mahito Tsujimura	...	Additional Voices
Jim Ward	...	Additional Voices
Frank Welker	...	Mamma Aiuto Gang
Kimberly Williams-Paisley	...	Fio (Disney Dub 2003) (voice: English version)
Minoru Yada

Also Known As:

Porco Rosso (Australia) (Europe: English title) (International: English title) (UK) (USA)

MPAA:

Rated PG for violence and some mild language.

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby | Dolby Digital

Certification:

UK:PG | Germany:6 | South Korea:All | Finland:K-7 | Sweden:7 | Australia:PG | Canada:G (Manitoba/Ontario/Quebec) | Canada:PG (Nova Scotia) | France:U | Hong Kong:I | Portugal:M/6 | Spain:T | USA:PG | Singapore:G

Company:

Japan Airlines

Trivia:

The song that Marco (Porco) is listening to on the radio in the beginning is "Sakuranbo no Minoru Koro", which is the song Gina will sing in a later scene.

Goofs:

Miscellaneous: There are spelling mistakes in all three italian texts that appear in the movie: first newspaper "mamma aito" instead of "mamma aiuto" and "L'bambie" instead of "Le bambine", second newspaper "vivo a morto" instead of "vivo o morto", third sign in Piccolo's office "non si fo credito" instead of "non si fa credito".

Quotes:

Ferrarin: There are warrants out on you for treason, illegal entry, decadence, pornography... and for being a lazy pig.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Heisei tanuki gassen pompoko (1994)

Soundtrack:

Tokini wa mukasi no hanashi wo

It's a Miyazaki Ghibli... What else is there to say?

If somebody were to start up an all-Ghibli network on television, I'd leave the set on that channel unless I heard a nuclear attack siren. Kurenai no Buta is one of those films that could fill up much of the schedule, as I could watch it over and over again.

Set in Fascist Italy in the late twenties, the story is about a cursed WWI Italian fighter pilot, Porco Rosso, doomed to live out his life in the form of a pig. He spends his leisure hours basking on his secluded private beach with his bright red monoplane. He makes his living by tangling with air pirates, collecting rewards for recovery of valuables.

Porco Rosso has a lot to deal with in this story. He has the pirates to contend with, a swashbuckling American mercenary looking for a good dogfight, an increasingly intrusive Fascist presence eyeing his activities, a finicky airplane, and two women in love with him. Other than the vaguely appearing Fascists, there are no real villains in the film.

Mamma Aiuto is a heavy-set bearded chap, somewhat reminiscent of Bluto in the Popeye cartoons. He and his gang of bungling pirates have honor, if not exactly fastidious bathing habits.

Donald Curtis, an American mercenary, seems driven to glory and fame-and falls in love with every pretty face he sees. He's after notoriety and feels an air duel with Porco Rosso is the ticket to get there.

Gina, Porco's childhood sweetheart, runs a popular island resort. She's still in love with him, but he doesn't quite get it. All the pilots of the Adriatic love Gina, who was married and widowed thrice. Donald Curtis is right in there with everyone else vying for her attention.

Fio Piccolo, a 17-year old American aeronautical engineer, is commissioned by a reluctant Porco to fix his plane. She also falls in love with him as she gradually sees his character. He gets it, but he's not really interested in that kind of arrangement--especially with one so young.

A working, radio-controlled scale model of his plane hangs in the Ghibli Museum in Mitaka, Japan, along with photos of it in flight as proof that the airplane depicted in the film actually could fly.

This story weaves together beautifully and leads to an ending that is a topic of discussion among those who have seen it. This is a must-see film. I give it an easy 10.