Regarding Japan, anime culture is indeed a topic that cannot be discussed. You say the rise of Chinese basketball is because of Yao Ming? In my opinion, because "Slam Dunk" sounds more believable. But it must be noted that animation and anime are two completely different concepts, and even there is a world of difference between cartoons and animated films. In my opinion, animated films are the category that is closest to the essence of films, because it truly shows the human "dream" completely without any obstacles and scruples. And when it comes to animated films, I always insist that Japan is the number one powerhouse of animated films in the world - it's not that I don't like Hollywood, but that Ghibli's way of working is obviously more difficult than Pixar's, so this kind of Persistence seems more valuable.
As far as Japan is concerned, Miyazaki and Oshii Mori have the same status, but their international reputations are far from each other (just like Kurosawa Akira and Ozu Yasujiro). The reason is that Ghibli's painting style and Hisaishi's music played a big role, but the root of this gap still stems from the difference in themes and themes. Miyazaki's universal values can be recognized by any corner of the world, but Oshii Mamoru is different. His films always contain the habitual pessimism rooted in the hearts of the Japanese people. "Air Killer" is a very representative work.
At first glance, the story setting of "Air Killer" is very simple, that is, there is no war in the future for human beings, and the fate of "Air Killer" is to remind people of the cruelty of war. Transfer to another cultured body. There are only a few characters in the story. Except for the gorgeous aerial combat effects, all the scene designs are as simple as possible.
But under such a simple picture, the thematic meaning of the work is extremely shocking: the cruelty of the lives of these "air killers" is that their bodies have been transformed. As long as they are not killed by weapons, they can never die. The biological age remains in the teens. Even if they die in battle, their memories will be preserved, so dying in battle is their eternal destiny - which is why they are called "Eternal Sons". Just like the hero Yuichi and the heroine Sui Su in the story, they don't know how many times they have died on this battlefield. Sui Su became the commander, and Yuichi was a new pilot, but Sui Su knew that she had loved countless "Yuichi". That's why Sui Su said to Yuichi, "Kill me, or I will exist forever." They have already endured too much pain, and this pain stems from endless time and the meaninglessness of life. The numerous features of the clock in the film and the theme music that appears almost simultaneously with these features reveal that this is a story about time and life. If death can be resisted but life is meaningless, if fate can never be changed, then why should we live? ——Similar to this existential philosophical viewpoint appears repeatedly in the film.
The big visions of the film are all processed in dark tones, and the characters are always placed in a corner in these big visions. The loneliness reflected by the blank space on the screen makes people feel inexplicably cold. Through these lonely shots and soundtracks, Air Killer's abstract interpretation of life's journey becomes easier to understand. And everything about Mamoru Oshii - the grim style of painting, the preference for long shots, and the pessimistic feelings about life - are also incorporated into this film. Although the setting of the story background lacks realism and the character dialogue is somewhat contrived, it still does not prevent it from becoming a masterpiece of animation movies.
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