1995 cyberpunk anime written by Kazunori Itô and directed by Mamoru Oshii.
In a hypothetical futuristic Japan, Major Motoko Kusanagi, robot body and human mind, leads a Section 9 public security assault team, which is assigned the mission of finding and capturing a mysterious computer terrorist known as Puppet Master, who is also wanted by Section 6, a political-social organization with which Section 9 maintains diplomatic disputes.
Don't be fooled by the synopsis, which promises an action thriller, when it is more of an introspective thriller, although its plot oscillates between archplot and miniplot, the visual narrative privileges the instrospection of the miniplot. This way Kusanagi's external and internal conflict converge, her approximation to the Puppet Master leads her to resolve her personal dilemma, which is the central theme of the film: philosophical reflections on the nature of life.
As is characteristic of cyberpunk films of the past decades, Ghost in the Shell has a plot that takes place in a future that never existed, a place where superior technologies are used, but in which there are elements that are now obsolete too.
The film makes great use of every single visual and sound element, combining great animation with a beautiful soundtrack by Kenji Kawai.
In a beautifully realized part of the film, the slow pace, the music and very long shots transmit a sense of a reflective nostalgia, something like taking a selective selection of Edward Hopper and Nigel van Wieck's paintings, especially those that show urban areas, and visualizing them one after the other with what would probably be some specific but unknown piano piece.
Ghost in the Shell is an unrepeatable film, an anime gem, one of the best cyberpunk science fiction films, a movie that every fan of this genre should see, and an excellent film for people who are prejudiced against anime to give this type of movie a chance.
Let me know in the comments what you think of the film, and if you haven't seen it yet, let me know if you'd be interested in seeing it or why you'd rather see something else.
A sci-fi psychological thriller written and directed by Alex Garland.
A fantasy comedy-drama film directed by Spike Jonze.