Ghost in the Shell. I do have to admit, I initially did not care much for the anime. The only reason I picked it up was due to the fact that there was nudity, gunfights and robots. (I was young). All the techno, neo-realism mumbo jumbo was totally lost to me. When I began to appreciate more philosophical 'thinking' movies, I re-encountered the gem I missed. Much like the Sandman graphic novels (NOT comics), it took the 'older' me to appreciate. A 'cartoon' doesn't have to be brightly colored, fluffy,sweet and/or intellectually empty. In fact, I am now deeply rooted in the belief that it is an excellent medium to deliver serious material.
This brings us to Ghost in the Shell : Innocence. The show takes place after the first movie (For the uninitiated, the movies and the series exist exclusive of each other. So while there has been 2 seasons of the TV series running between the first movie and Innocence, the movies act as if the events in the series never happened and vice versa).
Let me start off by describing the quality of the animation and imagery. In one word, breathtaking. The blend of CGI and hand drawn art was so beautiful, I could have cried. The entire movie was a moving art gallery with a powerful soundtrack.
In the movie any good? Yes, tremendously so. I am not actually going to go into the storyline. There are sentiments out there saying that it's nothing more than a normal 20 minute episode stretched out to make a movie. I have to concur there as the plot is pretty basic. After 2 mangas, a movie and 2 seasons of a TV series, there really is nothing much left to delve into in terms of characters or universe. The GitS franchise has already attained cult status among many and character development has been deeply explored. Innocence drops you into the world assuming you are already fairly familiar with the setting.
While the plot is simple, the theme is far from it. The story is mainly used as a tool to help drive and maintain focus on the underlying motif, which is a philosophical and metaphysical look into humanity and existence.
Think of movies like Terminator, The Matrix, I,Robot or countless others where the human race is threatened by machines. Robots or AI which has gained conciousness , individuality....Life! But what happends when it is the humans who have become machines? In the GitS world, technological and medical advances have made it possible for mechanical or artificial implants for every part of the human body. In fact, it is possible to transfer ones brain and 'consiousness' into a fully cyborg body. A world where everyone is connected to the Net directly through neural implants and AI (software) can be used to enhance natural abilities and functions.
It is inevietable that metaphysical and religious questions arise to the nature of humanity and individualism. What constitutes as human? What constitutes life? Are you alive or are you merely a shell with a soul? Then you will need to ask what constitutes a soul or a 'ghost'? If a 'ghost' can be transferable to a machine, is the machine now alive? Is it human? Can a machine attain a 'ghost'? These are ongoing themes in the entire GitS series, but Innocence probes deeper into the topic becoming a philosphical enquiry into the meaning of life.
The show is strewn with quotes and paraphrases from philosophers, it begs you to look at views from human, machine and even third person perspective. I don't really know how to say it, but in most stories, the theme/plot/topic advances in a linear fashion. Innocence tends to lay everything out on the floor for you to examine yourself.
The heroine of the original movie, Major Motoko Kusanagi, only makes a brief apearance here. Due to an accident as a child, the Major is a full cyborg. In the first movie, we see her questioning her existence. Though she only makes a cameo appearance, her character in Innocence extends the life-death theme and is one of the religious approximations I find intriguing. I see the Major as Buddha, she has attained peace and 'enlightenment' in the sense she has evolved beyond the needs of her physical 'shell'.
Many people seem to find it tedious, slow and incomprehensible but I was exhilarated. Nothing like a 90 minute workout in the 'Mind Gym'. I actually found it easy to understand and I could narrate to the shows terms (I must be getting really smart.. heh!). I thoroughly enjoyed it although I have to say this movie must be experienced on the biggest screen you can find.
Let one live alone doing no evil, care-free, like an elephant in an elephant forest - Buddha (Dhammapada Chapter 23 : Nàga Vagga)
