Hi, everyone. "Moriarty" here with some Rumblings From The Lab...
Last week, I had an opportunity to send one of our chatters on a very cool adventure. He’s a good guy who sent us in a FanTasia report recently, and I’ve spoken with him about his love of anime many times. As a result, when Dreamworks asked Mr. Beaks and myself about interviewing Mamoru Oshii, we both felt like the best person to do the job would be a serious anime nut, someone who lives and breathes the genre, since they’d be more likely to ask the questions that an anime fan would want answered. So that’s how CbabbittRain ended up on the Glendale campus of Dreamworks talking with one of his heroes. Check this out:
GHOST IN THE SHELL 2: INNOCENCE
Innocence is one of the most anticipated events in anime history. It’s the sequel to a geek classic that has inspired many important filmmakers, from James Cameron to the Wachowski Brothers. Nine years after the release of the original film, Mamoru Oshii has returned to the universe of Ghost in the Shell. Now, I’m a huge fan of Oshii’s work and absolutely love anime.
INNOCENCE IS THE MOST AMBITIOUS, FANTASTIC, FRUSTRATING, CONFUSING, BEAUTIFUL, AND BRAIN-BENDING ANIME EVER MADE!!!
Some people will hail Innocence as a masterpiece of the genre while many will walk out of the theater shaking their heads in frustration and disappointment. I’m really not sure what even the most die-hard anime follower will think about this film. It’s a challenging film that raises many interesting questions about the human soul, machine soul, and the struggle for self awareness, but keeps its answers ambiguous. For those of you who despised the bombardment of philosophy in Matrix Reloaded, I’m telling you right here and now to stay the fuck away from this film. Innocence is an onslaught of the most complex philosophical questions, which for someone as curious as myself, is fascinating. The thematic content is what drives this film. My main problem is that there are so many references it’s difficult to assimilate each concept before the next one arises. Much of the dialogue is either poetry or philosophical and religious quotations from sources as varied as the bible, Confucious, Descartes, and probably some Japanese and Buddhist thinkers that I’m not really familiar with. It’s an overload for anyone who is not a scholar. The plot follows the characters Batou and Togusa as they investigate the case of a gynoid (“sexaroid”) that murders its master. This leads to many interesting discoveries about machines, dolls, and humans.
Innocence is a visual triumph. This is arguably the most astonishing work in anime history surpassing even the incredible animation in Rintaro’s Metropolis, although Steamboy does look pretty fucking amazing. Each image is breathtaking in its beauty. For example, there is a festival segment in the middle of the film that was so awe-inspiring it nearly brought me to tears. You anime lovers will understand what I mean when you see it. Innocence is also much more haunting and atmospheric than its predecessor. The overall design of the film is heavily influenced from a 40’s/50’s-ish noir sensibility. It’s really a sight to behold. Those of you expecting a lot of action will be very disappointed. That being said, the few sequences of violence are gritty, fast, and brutal. The Yakuza sequence should make many of you very happy. Oh, and I fucking love the score in this film. Haunting and beautiful.
Innocence is the most ambitious film released this year. I admire Oshii for following his vision and creating a film that actually stimulates its viewers. I doubt this film will have the same kind of following as the original. This will not be considered an instant classic. I have a feeling this is the kind of film that grows on you on repeat viewing. Innocence is the kind of film that only a master storyteller could accomplish. I can’t wait to see it again and again.
And now.....
Oshii Interview:
I had the great opportunity of spending some time with one of the most influential minds in Japanese filmmaking. Even though time was limited, I managed to get in a few questions. Working with a translator proved very difficult, and this was my first time interviewing a filmmaker. I tried my best to explore the meaning of the films and ended up running out of time for some of the geek questions, which sucks, but hey, this was still cool.
Anyway... here’s what Oshii had to say!!!!
Cbabbitt: I want to start by talking about the thematic content of the film. The Ghost in the Shell stories raise questions about human responsibilities towards the technologies we create. Are these meant to give us pause before pursuing technological advances whose ramifications we do not yet comprehend, or are they more of an ethical musing about a future you feel is inevitable?
Oshii: So, you’re talking about the Ghost in the Shell universe itself?
Cbabbitt: Yes, both films.
Oshii: Well, many people misunderstand me about this topic. I’m not denying technology through my films and I’m very positive about humans turning into cyborgs... and I’d actually prefer humans receiving transplants to become machine.
Cbabbitt: What is it about Machine intelligence, or consciousness that fascinates you?
Oshii: Well, machines having intelligence isn’t that big of a deal, but what intrigues me is the concept of machines having spirits that drive their intelligence.
Cbabbitt: And how does a machine create its own spirit?
Oshii: Any question that focuses on spirit is making the assumption that we have spirits. An intriguing subject is proving how humans have spirits. You cannot make a spirit for something that is not yourself. It’s a matter of how the receiver feels about it.
Cbabbitt: Do you think the medium of film is the newest way to bring philosophy to the public?
Oshii: Well, if you look at philosophy as a field of study, the answer is no, but I see movies as a medium to communicate images that have a reference to thinking. But if you talk about philosophy as a question about what humans are, then you don’t have to call it philosophy, so in that way, my answer would be yes. To me personally, no film has to be philosophical, but it can deal with philosophy. Fahrenheit 911, that movie was political, but it wasn’t about politics.
Cbabbitt: While many people recognize your work as an anime director, you’ve also made many live action films. The Red Spectacles was extremely effective as a live action film in the way that Innocence was effective as animation. How do you choose between the two styles?
Oshii: You’ve actually seen The Red Spectacles?
Cbabbitt: Yes, I have.
Oshii: (laughs) I’m impressed. Even the people who worked on Innocence thought it was similar to Red Spectacles or even Angel’s Egg. To me, it’s a way of simply making the same movies with different appearances depending on budget and script.
Cbabbitt: So when you write a film, do you already have it planned as animation or live action, or do you wait to see what the actual production will be like? Like the budget?
Oshii: I distinguish whether I’m writing for animation and whether it’s live action. For animation, there is no limitation, anything can happen. For live action, you have to realize what kind of actors will appear and, that’s also what makes the live action writing interesting, because of the limitations. So, with animation I think about what I need to achieve and then work backwards.
Cbabbitt: The use of color and tone to emphasize confusion between alternate realities is quite striking, for example the shift to a realistic tone at the conclusion of Avalon or the infusion of yellow in some of the more surreal scenes in Innocence, what is it about these contrasts that appeal to you?
Oshii: Well, as for color, each color doesn’t have a specific meaning, so whether it’s red or yellow, in my mind I want to call the attention of the audience that is a symbol of some kind and it doesn’t have to be red or yellow specifically. And basically, I use red and yellow because they work better in animation, and opposed to that purple and green are very difficult to work with and they can only be created with additional work. It’s more of a stylistic approach, not so much of a deeper meaning. I usually like to use gray or grayish colors and my treatment of colors can only be achieved because of the digital technology.
And just as I was about to ask about the action sequences, his take on contemporary Japanese cinema, his plans for the future of Ghost in the Shell, and his favorite movie, my time was up. Unfortunately, they had to cut my time due to schedule. Hopefully, some of this was interesting to you Ohsii geeks. He was very polite, and it was a pleasure to report for AICN.
Innocence is a fascinating film that will divide even the most faithful anime lovers. It comes out Sept. 17!! As you all know, it’s a must see!!
-CbabbittRAIN
Thanks, man, and I appreciate you doing the interview. It’s a good read, and here’s hoping we have more opportunities to send you to meet people in the future.
"Moriarty" out.
