As an old driver who has read countless movies, if you ask me which movie is my favorite, I may not be able to answer it for a while; but if you ask about cartoons, then on my favorite list, it will definitely be have it-
[Ghost in the Shell]
When it comes to the movie version produced in 1995, we have to say the original book first - "Ghost in the Shell" by the cartoonist Shirou Masamune in the Kodansha youth cartoon publication " Weekly Young Magazine " Pirate Edition in May 1989 No. — Comics serialized in the November 1991 issue. Since the content of the comics focused on the discussion of the relationship between the Internet, machinery and people, in the 1980s and 1990s, when the bloody comics and shoujo comics were overwhelming, it did not cause much repercussions; it was not until it was put on the big screen by Oshii Mamoru. The age of animation.
"Original Crusher" Mamoru Oshii
It can be said that without Oshii Shou, there would be no future success of [Ghost in the Shell]; but it can also be said that it is this work that really contributed to Oshii Shou.
In fact, Mamoru Oshii has always been a controversial director. Unlike Hayao Miyazaki, he can always maintain a consistent style, and his works are suitable for all ages; he is also not an academic, he only started animation at the age of 26, and he is not very good at using pictures to narrate. However, in his heart, he There is also a large amount of information stored, and it seems that there must be some medium in order to continuously transmit its own energy to the outside world.
Perhaps it is because of this that he is determined to express his own ideas in the works of others.
Oshii Mori's [Ghost in the Shell], what did he say?
The story takes place in the year 2029. With the continuous development of science and technology, the innovation of artificial intelligence and prosthetic technology has led to the establishment of a special department dedicated to combating high-tech crimes-the Nine Sections of Public Security (Ghost in the Shell). In an incident to hunt down programmers to flee, the captain of the Nine Lessons and Major Kusanagi Motoko intervened in the investigation of the legendary hacker "Puppet Master". However, in the process of tracing, Motoko questioned the meaning of existence and the boundary between the human body and the prosthetic body again and again. Until the accidental encounter with the "puppet master", everything is heading in the direction that seems to be out of control, but is actually inevitable.
Interestingly, [Ghost in the Shell] did not receive much attention in the early days of its existence, the box office was always flat, and it did not win any international or significant awards; but in the minds of many fans, it was It is an undisputed real masterpiece, and directly influenced the Wachowski brothers of the year. It can be said that it is the inspirational muse of [The Matrix].
So, [Ghost in the Shell], where is the cow?
From today's point of view, the CG scene of this work, which was born 23 years ago, may be a bit outdated, but in terms of the compact plot, the focus of discussion, and the extension of the core, it has not fallen behind, even far ahead of the times. It seems that there are still places where the chills can be felt.
Its goodness is reflected in at least three different levels, which not only complement each other, but also gradually progress and deepen:
The first level is that pictures, stories, and music are highly relevant and perfectly integrated.
From the beginning of the story, Motoko took off his clothes, used the stealth function of the prosthetic "thermal optical camouflage", and jumped down from the roof. This classic scene has set the tone of the whole movie: behind the lively chase, with With endless doubt, loneliness and sadness.
Then a "Puppet Ballad" sounded, whether it was a lyric that alludes to the final fate of Suzi, or a tune like a "sacrificial sacrifice" in a religious ceremony, it adds a bit of ghostly charm and a touch of provocation to the original dark and jerky atmosphere of the movie. .
The second level is to explore whether the rapid development of science and technology is good or bad for the survival of human beings?
Due to the existence of the prosthetic body, most of the members of the nine classes have unparalleled strength, speed, and agility, which greatly improves work efficiency; Why did he choose to join the Nine Lessons, Motoko replied: If all parts of the same system react the same way, then it is the fatal flaw of the system; whether it is individual or collective, too singleness will only lead to destruction.
At this level, what movies show us is always the two sides of high-tech: on the one hand, the various conveniences brought by human beings using high-tech; , until one day, it was attacked by technology, thus reaching the third level of this movie.
At the third level, the film begins to ask: what is human?
Except for the brain, the other parts of the body have been metamorphosed, and it was originally thought that human beings depend on precious memories; but when she discovered that human memories can also be implanted, modified or even rewritten, she She gradually believed that the difference between humans and machines may lie in the irreplaceable "GHOST"; however, when she finally met the "Puppet Master", she discovered that it turned out to be an artificial intelligence that has self-awareness, or has begun to awaken.
When this stage is reached, where is the difference between man and machine, or the boundary between the two?
At the end of the movie, Motoko and the "puppet master" are combined, and the prosthetics of both no longer exist. Instead, a girl prosthesis is used, which coincides with the birth of this new character. When the girl looked at this unknown world, "Puppet Ballad" sounded again:
If I dance, the beauties are all intoxicated.
If I dance, Haoyue also chimes.
God descended on the wedding night, and the thrushes sang at dawn.
The last sentence of the lyrics means "the precursor to the mutation". Although the rebirth of Suzi is only an individual, it seems to remind all viewers: what you think of the distant future may already be the present; what you think of as a tool may easily replace you one day.
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