Porco Rosso: De-Assurance

Porco Rosso is the most "de-assuring" of the films by Miyazaki that I've seen thus far.

Even from the strange, 'typed-out' introduction, the film seemed to be playing with my expectations, subverting what I have come to take for granted in Miyazaki films.


Some more examples...

1. The main character was not the girl, Fio, but the pig, Porco. Moreover, Fio didn't show up for quite a while.

2. The film took place in the real world, albeit one with a strange 'underground' society of air pirates.

3. The dogfights, especially the final one, subverted my expectations of a dogfight because Miyazaki seemed to refuse to show much real aerial violence. He had no problem showing the fistfight, though.

4. Although Porco ostensibly got what he wanted in the end (to become human again), the moment was not focused on in any conventional way. I expected to see Porco's human face at the very end of the film, but I was "de-assured" yet again.


Because of all of these oddities, I wonder greatly about the circumstances of this film's creation. I suspect it was more than Miyazaki simply wanting to make a film about pilots.

Kiki's Delivery Service

In my opinion, the most memorable moments from Kiki's Delivery Service are:

1. The granddaughter's dismissive, thankless attitude to her grandmother's pastry that Kiki delivers to her. This is built up to have a very strong emotional impact because of Kiki's bonding with the grandmother and her subsequent journey through the storm.

2. Jiji still only being able to meow at the end. It's unexpected, strange, and de-assuring, as has been pointed out in class discussion.

3. Kiki preparing to fly; her hair rippling upward and the determined look on her face, plus the absence of sound in this moment. Miyazaki creates a cyclical structure by doing this at the beginning of the film as an introduction and at the end for the climax. It works very well.

I've also noticed something of a trend in Miyazaki's heroines - they each seem to have one 'mystical' special talent or ability which turns out to be directly useful in that film's story.

1. Nausicaa can communicate with animals. (Of course, Nausicaa has lots of abilities, which I suspect has to do with Nausicaa being such an early film by Miyazaki.)

2. Sheeta has the Laputan jewel and the ability to use it.

3. Mei and Satsuki can see the Totoros.

4. Kiki can fly.

Also, speaking of Nausicaa, this is a travesty. It's rather shockingly horrible.