Ghost
in the Shell (Original Anime 1995)- film review
This is something new for this blog, because the films
which have been covered have all been live-action films and have been released
by Hollywood. However, this blog post will be slightly different compared to
the other reviews and this is because this post will take at a Japanese anime
film. Japanese films are very different compared to the other films because of
the Japanese culture and therefore different things are represented different.
Anime is something which is completely different compared to the western
animation because anime is aimed at many different audiences. Ghost in the
Shell is arguably one of the most recognizable Japanese anime films that has
been released and the film would go on to influence many different films, films
such as The Matrix Trilogy. Before the live-action Hollywood remake comes out
later this month, let’s look at one of the most loved Japanese anime films
Ghost in the Shell. Ghost in the Shell is directed by Mamoru Oshii who is a
very well-known anime director and the film is based on the manga written by
Masamune Shirow, the film is about a cyborg police woman known as The Major and
her partner trying to hunt down a computer hacker known as The Puppet Master.
Ghost in the Shell is a film which is part of the
Japanese anime craze that started to emerge in Western countries, there were
anime films before this but this film started to get people in western
countries into anime. Ghost in the Shell has amazing animation; the animators
have managed to combine cell animation with CGI and they have done an amazing
job. The cell animation is some of the best animation work that you will see
put to film, the animation has had a great amount of time and focus to make
sure that it looks good onscreen. The animation feels weighted, this is
something that Mamoru Oshii does well, he makes animated films that have
excellent animation, and his animation style is excellent because he
understands that with making an animated film the details are what matter the
most. There is one scene in this film which stands out the most, there is a scene
where the main character is in the city, the character’s hair is blowing in the
wind. This shows that Oshii has likes to focus on the small details just as
much as the most, this is what sets Japanese anime apart from its Western
counterparts. Ghost in the Shell has some CGI animation in this film but it is
not used too much compared to other films, the CGI animation blends well and
this is because it is only used for a few sequences.
There is more to like about this film as well, the
characters are explored in very interesting ways, the characters are explored
through philosophy. There are excellent moments throughout Ghost in the Shell,
the reason for the title is that this film is set in the future and there has
been advancement of technology and someone can upload their mind into a program
and put their mind into a machine. Through this the film questions what it is
to be human and what does it mean to be human, this is explored quite a lot
during the runtime of Ghost in the Shell. There are other good elements with
this as well, the film explores the human and human nature through the film,
there is a scene where the character decides that she wants to go diving. When
the character comes back up, there is a sequence which explains that she
couldn’t have died, and the Major’s response to this, is that the danger is
what keeps her alive and what makes her feel human. There is loads of little
elements throughout the film and there could be an entire post just written on
the philosophy that is within Ghost in the Shell. This film explores so much of
this in such as a small amount of time.
Ghost in the Shell has some excellent action sequences;
the action is clear and easy to follow throughout the entire film. The action
is some of the best to be put to animation, the action is everything that some
could want from an action film, there are some great moments of tension and
some great moments where you feel like any of the characters could be killed
off at any point. The action is not the focus in the film and it relies more on
narrative and character than action. However, the action sequences are
excellent. The action is excellent in this film with clear and easy to follow
action with some great editing. There is more to like with Ghost in the Shell,
about a week ago there was post on this blog which looked at the importance of
sound in film, that essay concluded that sound often goes unnoticed and while
that is the case in most films. Ghost in the Shell has a fantastic score which
most people will notice, the score is amazing from start to finish it has an
element of distinctiveness that not many other scores have. The score is
amazing and the filmmaker understand because the scenes that it is used for
don’t contain much dialogue. The score and action are excellent and words can’t
sum up how good these elements are.
Ghost in the Shell is an amazing Japanese anime film,
there is only one small issue with this film which could be annoying to some
people, the characters in the film seem to know everything and this can be
quite annoying at times because it doesn’t explain how the character know the
information that is been given to the audience. This is the only issue that
Ghost in the Shell has, other than this issue this is a perfect film with deep
meaning filled philosophy the film explores the human characters in detail and
has some excellent action sequences that are excellent. The 1995 Ghost in the
Shell is a film which more people should watch and this is because people
should watch films that are outside of their own culture. If you are thinking
about watching anime for the first time and want to know where to start, Ghost
in the Shell is the film that you should start.
Rating:
8/10.
Conclusion:
Ghost
in the Shell is not only one of the best anime films that has ever been made,
but it is one of the greatest films that has ever been made. Ghost in the Shell
is a must watch for people who like anime but for people who are interested in
film in general because when you watch it, you will notice where other films
got their influence. Ghost in the Shell is an example of how to make a great action
film with some great and deep themes and excellent characters.
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