I am quite a fan of anime. The art style is beautiful and incredibly detailed, and manages to convey emotion unlike any Western animation. However, I’ve tended to prefer TV shows over films when it comes to anime, as they allow for a wide and branching story arc to unfold and for characters to develop over a prolonged period of time.
That being said, sometimes a shorter experience can be just as compelling as one sprawled out over dozens of hours, and on that note, it’s time to talk about today’s film; Ghost in the Shell.
The film follows Major Motoko Kusanagi, a special taskforce operative with a cyber-brain and artificial body referred to as a shell, working in a future Tokyo. When a new case arises that causes Kusanagi to question the nature of her existence, she must face huge physical and psychological challenges, and determine just what she truly is.
The setting and atmosphere of this future Tokyo is one of the first things that comes to mind. Strangely enough, it doesn’t appear particularly sci-fi, instead being run-down, crowded and grimy, and accompanied with an eerie yet distinctly memorable soundtrack that will stick with you long after the film finishes. You really get the sense that a thousand different stories are going on at the same time, either with the government officials or the citizens, and that what you do see from the perspective of Kusanagi longs to be a part of them but cannot, creating many lonely and atmospheric shots of the locations.
Kusanagi is also bizarrely empathetic. She is clearly specialised to be a ruthless killer, yet she has no discernible personality. She is a blank slate, without any sense of belonging or identity, and it is because of this that she is somehow likeable. She isn’t simply dedicated to the mission as you would expect, but searches for her lost humanity along the way. It is some truly captivating character work that combines seamlessly with the writing, voice acting and animation, perfectly encapsulating the idea of living in an unflinching world without a sense of self-identity.
In terms of the plot, I can’t reveal much here, but I will say that the film starts off relatively simple, but builds on layer upon layer of complexity as the story progresses, allowing for a steady transition from a story about cybernetic soldiers fighting crime (as fun as that is) to something much more nuanced. It does delve into high-concept philosophy and themes, but it never ceases to be understandable. In fact, the film establishes every conflict and motivation so well throughout its short run, that you not only understand the events playing out, but are deeply invested in them.
It’s usually by this point that I mention some flaws in the film, but honestly, that is really hard for me to do on this one. Everything that sticks in my mind is positive, from the incredible animation that is both highly detailed and nostalgic, to the questions it poses about humanity and artificial intelligence that no film has ever been able to explore in quite the way since. If I had to be the most precise of nit-pickers, however, I could say that certain creative choices, like the long establishing shots and scenes or the nudity, may not be to everyone’s tastes, both in terms of style and content. They don’t bother me, and I’d say that the film is all the better for them, but they may put off a wider audience, specifically in the West.
Another thing to bear in mind is that the focus is on Kusanagi, which means that some aspects of the film may seem underdeveloped, but again, that is a pretty subjective assessment, and any further exposition would be unnecessary and detract from the main focus of the film, not to mention its perfect runtime.
In short, Ghost in the Shell is the pinnacle of science-fiction, animation and psychological and political thrillers. Its art, music and story are all beautifully realised, and make one of my favourite films of all time. Ghost in the Shell gets a 10 out of 10.
10 OUT OF 10
SPOILER SECTION
Before I go through this, I highly recommend you watch the film. I don’t usually say this in the spoiler section as you already know what you’re getting in for, but I like this movie so much that I have to say this now. Going into this completely fresh is the best way to view it, and you won’t be disappointed.
The puppet master is an intriguing character. He is a product of the government, like Kusanagi, and also struggles with the ideas of being alive and exactly what that means. He is a parallel to Kusanagi, so when he takes possession of a Section 6 shell, of the same manufacture that created Kusanagi’s, and sought out Kusanagi, the nature of the case becomes personal, and the story really kicks into gear.
A tense escape and chase results in Kusanagi taking on, but ultimately being bested by a spider-tank in an awesome moment where her body disturbingly shatters, the old museum being destroyed in the fight.
Batou finishes off the tank, and helps Kusanagi to dive into the Puppet Master, who proposes that they merge together; Kusanagi’s human mind, and his computer consciousness and wealth of information. Both of them feeling incomplete and out of touch with the world, confined by a single perspective, but combined, they could find some meaning.
This is a great ending for the film, and goes much further than any typical action film. The idea of transhumanism, of humanity merging with the machines it creates is incredibly thought-provoking, but I have never seen it explored in a way that feels authentic and genuine. No human being has more experiences than their own life, which is limiting and frustrating, so synthesis with an artificial intelligence could be appealing. However, while Kusanagi and the Puppet Master synthesise together, it leaves the fate of this new lifeform ambiguous, whether or not she finds the fulfilment Kusanagi sought for.
You could look at the film as a metaphor for the human condition. Kusanagi’s robotic ‘shell’ being the human body, her ‘ghost’ being the soul. The possibility for interpretation is endless.
Anyway, those are my thoughts on what I consider to be a masterpiece of a film. But what do you think?
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