Rupert Sanders delivers a stunningly beautiful cyberpunk
vision of the future to life in his adaptation of Mamoru Oshii’s anime classic,
Ghost in the Shell. Based on the manga by Masamune Shirow, Ghost in the Shell,
tells the story of the development of the perfect killing machine, Major Mira
Killian, played by the lovely Scarlett Johansson, whose sole purpose is to be a
counter-terrorist solider. In a scene straight out of Frankenstein, Mira’s
brain is inserted into a cybernetic body. She is given a body, face, and
memories that are all artificial and transcend any particular race. As Oshii
expressed in an interview at IGN, regarding the whitewashing controversy that
Johansson was the lead,
“"The Major
is a cyborg and her physical form is an entirely assumed one. The name 'Motoko
Kusanagi' and her current body are not her original name and body, so there is
no basis for saying that an Asian actress must portray her.”
Ghost
in the Shell, with its urban sprawl with a distinct Japanese/Hong Kong feel, is
simply wonderful. The way the tenement apartments loom up skywards show the
overpopulation problem only getting worse. The inventive way large virtual
people stand among the skyscrapers create a unique surreal style as the people
perform simple motions. All this draws you into the cyperpunk world that is
ruled by evil corporations, slick and subtle cybernetic implants, and the
criminal element best represented by the Yakuza with their bizarre torture
fetish.
However
all that great eye candy would dissolve if it was not for Scarlett Johannson’s
acting and athletic ability as Mira. Johannson proves she can handle the Ghost
in the Shell franchise with solid acting, empathy to her plight, and being a
total bad ass. Mira’s perfect companion is Batou, played by Pilou Asbaek, a no
nonsense tough cyborg who is handy with his gun.
My
favorite scenes in Ghost in the Shell are those the show the philosophical
angle as Mira tries to remember her past
and confronts question that we have all thought about at some point, like who
am I? What is my purpose? To attempt to come up with a workable answer, Mira
must get in touch with her own ghost or soul that is the only thing of her
former self that not artificial. She has a major mental breakthrough when she
meets Hadley Cruz, an older model, who is the hacker that caused Mira to
experience hallucinations. Thus develops a strong bond between the two that
enrages Cutter, the ruthless CEO of Hanka Robotics that created Mira, Batou,
Hadley, and others.
For
arguments that Ghost in the Shell does not live up to the source material, I
propose to enjoy the anime and manga for what it is and to enjoy the movie for
what it is. I can like both without whining and complaining over some detail
that was left out, overly exaggerated, or muddled.
I
have a great time watching Ghost in the Shell when live action anime is so
harshly criticized by all the online arm chair critics. I recommend seeing it
at the movies in 3D. Even if you feel the source material was missing, go see
it for the visual look and the chemistry between Scarlett Johannson, Beat Takeshi,
Pilou Asbaek because the cast is wonderful regardless of the plot.
I hope this sparks a cyberpunk revival, particularly in books
and film.
