Ghost in the Shell (Teaser)

[Kramodlog]

I disagree with Goldomark's assessment that GitS is more about aesthetics than it is about character or plot. The whole movie is the Major trying to figure out who she is.

It is there, buried in the action and the aesthetics. It is an afterthought and doesn't go into much dept. Mystery is mistaken for dept. But that is a regular trope in Japanese sci-fi. So is blending mystecism with sci-fi.

Don't get me wrong. It is great piece of art to look at, but you do not have much to mull over after.

 

[Kramodlog]

Meanwhile, while I like the anime, I much preferred the original source manga. I found the anime needlessly compressed multiple stories and lacked some of the whimsy and wonder, replacing it pretension, over-seriousness, and T&A.

The TV series they did, Stand Alone Complex, was pretty solid. And interesting early look at meme culture.

But between the original manga, first anime, Innocence, SAC, Rise, the couple manga sequels and more there's a *lot* of GitS and a lot of people doing their own take on the characters. This movie has just as much right to the series. Happy to see a live action one, which could be cool.

The teasers are doing their job: teasing. Too often teasers are just short trailers. Teasers are almost an announcement. Getting people aware the movie is a thing.This does that.

My teen self loved the anime as it reminded me of other great films like Akira and Ninja Scroll, but it was the TV series that really made me a fan thanks to more world building. I bought the manga, but I found it childish and lacking compared to the TV series or the first film. The series lost some of its oomph along the way and Arise was a bit of a let down, but I'll definately check out any GitS film and TV series. Not mangas though.

 

[Joker]

It is there, buried in the action and the aesthetics. It is an afterthought and doesn't go into much dept. Mystery is mistaken for dept. But that is a regular trope in Japanese sci-fi. So is blending mystecism with sci-fi.

Don't get me wrong. It is great piece of art to look at, but you do not have much to mull over after.

I can't disagree with you more. Her attempting to understand her own character and her place in the world is the premise of the film and the reason for the climax. I don't know what sort of depth you're looking for if this doesn't qualify as character development.

 

[trappedslider]

But between the original manga, first anime, Innocence, SAC, Rise, the couple manga sequels and more there's a *lot* of GitS and a lot of people doing their own take on the characters. This movie has just as much right to the series. Happy to see a live action one, which could be cool.
.

^This....

I've never read the manga, but I do own one of the movies (there's four rember) and the anime (both GitS:SAC and GitS:SAC: 2ndgig) I've watched some of Arise on netflix. I look forward to the trailer.

 

[Imaculata]

It is there, buried in the action and the aesthetics. It is an afterthought and doesn't go into much dept. Mystery is mistaken for dept. But that is a regular trope in Japanese sci-fi. So is blending mystecism with sci-fi.

Don't get me wrong. It is great piece of art to look at, but you do not have much to mull over after.

Then you clearly did not understand the movie. The movie is literally all about the main character trying to figure out if she is really a person, or if she is just another shell.

This is why the movie has a very long scene in the middle FULL of symbolism, where the main character gazes at mannequins in a window, and spots a woman in an office who looks identical to her. This scene also has several close ups of garbage floating in the water, which is again symbolic for the feeling of self worth that the main character struggles with. And the climax of the movie is all about the central question of personhood. It is not mere afterthought that the movie ends with a climactic battle between an arachnid-robot and a human, and the mech fires shots that destroy fossils on the wall, and destroys an image of the tree of life, but ending just short of man-kind on said tree. The message of the movie is pretty obvious.

It's literally all there right from the opening in which the main character is born. The way she rises from the fluid is later mirrored in a scene where she goes diving, and rises to meet her own reflection. And it is not mere aesthetics that we see her in the fetus position during the opening either.

The movie is all about what makes us human. Are we human because we have a unique face, unique voice, unique memories, and because people treat us as a fellow human? If not, then what does make the difference between a human and a cyborg? This is explained in this scene. The movie also has a heavy theme of reflections. We often see the Major gazing at her own reflection, especially during scene in which the afore mentioned aspects of being human are questioned. For example, in the scene when they interrogate the armed suspect whom they arrested after the big chase scene, and find out his memory has been wiped, and false memories have been implanted in him. It is not strange that the very next scene is of the Major diving, to meet her own reflection and get in touch with that intangible feeling of what makes her a person.

This leads us to the goal of the antagonist, the Puppetmaster; To become something new.. something greater than a mere cyborg, and to merge with the main character. And this central question is literally woven into countless scenes throughout the movie. It is not mere aesthetics or directionless Japanese mysticism.

I think you just assumed the movie was shallow in its message, when it was in fact too complex for you to understand on an initial viewing. You are not alone. Many people don't understand the movie at first, because it is about a very complex topic that seems almost beyond the scope of just a mere animated movie. I didn't get the movie either the first time I saw it. It took me many viewings to fully understand the film.

And once you understand the film, you can start to try and figure out the ending. It is all about reflections...

 

[Kramodlog]

Then you clearly did not understand the movie. The movie is literally all about the main character trying to figure out if she is really a person, or if she is just another shell.

Yup. It was pretty obvious. And that is pretty much it. A question. You can ask it in many ways, but that doesn't mean it was deep. You can pause and contemplate an answer, but contemplation does not equal dept or development.

Philosophers have been asking that question for a long time and are beyond those.

The movie is all about what makes us human.

It wants to project that, but it does it superficially. It is done beautifully, but beauty is only skin deep.

I think you just assumed the movie was shallow in its message,

It was. It doesn't really propose any meaningful reflection on identity or the human state aside from cliches. "Does having a unique face make me human?" It is a question that is literally and figuratively just about the surface.

 

[Kramodlog]

I can't disagree with you more. Her attempting to understand her own character and her place in the world is the premise of the film and the reason for the climax. I don't know what sort of depth you're looking for if this doesn't qualify as character development.

I've seen many films about identity and contemplation. Often with little dialogue and in black and white! Cinephile street creed, yo. Anyway, at some point you just realize many directors often have little to say, but say it beautifully.

 

[Imaculata]

Yup. It was pretty obvious. And that is pretty much it. A question. You can ask it in many ways, but that doesn't mean it was deep. You can pause and contemplate an answer, but contemplation does not equal dept or development.

Philosophers have been asking that question for a long time and are beyond those.

It wants to project that, but it does it superficially. It is done beautifully, but beauty is only skin deep.

It was. It doesn't really propose any meaningful reflection on identity or the human state aside from cliches. "Does having a unique face make me human?" It is a question that is literally and figuratively just about the surface.

You seem to be suggesting that the movie does not provide any meaningful answer to the question it poses to its audience, and that it there for lacks 'depth'. Whether it is a deep thought provoking movie is subjective of course. But the suggestion that it doesn't offer any meaningful answers to its central question, I strongly disagree with.

 

[Kramodlog]

You seem to be suggesting that the movie does not provide any meaningful answer to the question it poses to its audience, and that it there for lacks 'depth'. Whether it is a deep thought provoking movie is subjective of course. But the suggestion that it doesn't offer any meaningful answers to its central question, I strongly disagree with.

You are of course free to do so.

 

[Flexor the Mighty!]

Really loved the 1st Manga, the first two flicks and SAC but I wouldn't call myself a purist. But so far this looks like poop.