Hayao Miyazaki is famous for creating films that can be watched by audiences of all ages. But what escapes many of these comfort seekers via Ghibli movies is that these films often have thinly veiled political commentary in them.
Ghibli’s Poro Rosso is far removed from the comfort that people seek in fantastical movies. The protagonist is a pig who smokes, drinks, and maintains an air of not caring about anyone and the movie is a commentary on the Mussolini-era of Italy.
Miyazaki Explains Why He Chose a Pig as a Protagonist in Porco Rosso
In an interview, Hayao Miyazaki explains how pigs are creatures who might be loved but never respected. The word ‘pig’ is often used as an insult as they are synonymous with greed, obesity, and debauchery. In his comments, it is clear that Miyazaki is angry at the society that parades itself as righteous.
The righteousness of the U.S., the righteousness of Islam, the righteousness of China, the righteousness of this or that ethnic group, the righteousness of Greenpeace, the righteousness of the entrepreneur…. They all claim to be righteous, but they all try to coerce others into complying with their own standards.
-Hayao Miyazaki
Miyazaki then begins to explain how he himself believes a number of things to be right. He is a man who is often angry at different notions but always believes that humans are foolish to think of themselves as the ultimate beings.
I’m disgusted by the notion that man is the ultimate being, chosen by God. But I believe there are things in this world that are beautiful, that are important, that are worth striving for. I made the hero a pig because that was what best suited these feelings of mine.
-Hayao Miyazaki
If you look beyond the flying machines and the beautiful sceneries and understand the hidden theme of the movie, you will come to understand Miyazaki’s commentary on the lurking darkness that is fascism.
The Porco Rosso Line that Inspired Many
There is one dialogue from Porco Rosso that explains Miyazaki’s sentiments about the world at large and has become a war cry for many in real life. This line was delivered by the defiant protagonist himself as an explicit refusal to engage with fascism.
I’d rather be a pig than a fascist.
-Porco Rosso
In Porco Rosso, the protagonist is a man cursed with a pig’s head. He meets up with an old buddy, Rory, who informs him that the Italian Air Force wants to recruit Porco, and they won’t take no for an answer. So far in the movie, the only headache Porco had was to meet the cost of his plane and keep up his lifestyle. But suddenly, he is met with a choice to make.
He can either join the Italian Air Force and be a slave to the government or remain an outlaw and live with threats looming over his head. Thus, he can either be a human (fascist) or remain a pig. However, with his response, Porco proves that he would rather live a lawless life than participate in fascism.
Porco Rosso‘s famous dialogue has found its place in real life. In the 2023 Spanish general elections, this line became a rallying symbol for Spanish artists as they encouraged people to vote against far-right conservative parties. In 2024, the line also appeared in protests against Italian Prime Minister Giorga Meloni. The line was used soon after in an editorial to decry Meloni’s regime and its violent treatment of North African immigrants.
Miyazaki’s genius has always been astonishing, and Porco Rosso showed people that they always have a choice to make. The movie has no explicit mention of fascism other than the famous line, and it shows how Rosso stays aloof from humanity in an attempt to save himself from the fascism that increasingly defined humans in that era.
Porco Rosso is currently streaming on Max and Hulu.
