Movie Review - Ghost In The Shell

Ghost In The Shell

(1995)

Kodansha / Bandai Visual Company / Manga Entertainment : Metrodome Distribution / Anchor Bay Entertainment

10 / 10

I had quite forgotten how wonderful, inciteful, imaginative, and beautiful this film is.  Since Hollywood is making their own version of this film I thought I would revisit the original itself.

America will ruin this movie.

What writer, Masamune Shirow (Manga Author), and screenwriter, Kazunori Ito, give the audience in Ghost In The Shell is a deep and thought-provoking story of a world on the edge of great change.  It's the year 2029 and most of the population have been augmented with machinery and computerisation.  People are able to send thoughts through the wires and electronic ether to each other as well as verbally.  Cyborgs are used to help to police the civilisations.

Major Motoko Kusanagi is one of these cyborgs.  She works for Section Nine who are on the trail of The Puppet Master; a hacker who can infiltrate his way into a person's shell and use their ghost to assassinate officials.  Though, The Puppet Master is not what he seems.

As the story progresses and the truth is revealed we asked a question...  What actually represents life?  This looks to be a simple question, however, in the context of the story it expands to absorbing and provocative magnitudes.

This is a story with heart and thought.

What makes this movie and story even more substantial is the animation.  Within this film are some great shots and scenes.  I love the way that even the backgrounds are so detailed and add to the feel and atmosphere of the film itself.

This is a visually stunning piece of work that should be viewed for that fact alone.  In addition, the musical soundtrack of Kenji Kawai is superb as it matches the artwork and feel of the film.  In one montage, Kawai's music and the accompanying images emote a feeling of sadness, despair, and hope in the viewer.

If you haven't seen this movie yet then do yourself a favour and find yourself a copy to watch.  Now in my top ten movies,