How Mamuro Oshii Tells a Story Through Space

LINK TO SCENE

https://youtu.be/ARTLckN9e7I

Mamuro Oshii’s classic 1995 Ghost in the Shell is one of my most favorite films. Not only is it considered to be one of the greatest anime films of all time, but it also served to be the next step in the evolution of the science fiction film genre. There is so much that I can say about this masterpiece, but for right now, I am going to focus on one of its aspects that are often overlooked by both filmmakers and audiences alike.

Location and space.

One thing that I have always appreciated about Mamuro Oshii is his brilliant use of setpieces to convey emotions and themes. There is a three and a half minute segment in Ghost in The Shell that shows just how effective he is at achieving this. However, before I dive into this, it is important to have an understanding of the film’s philosophy and setting to be able to fully appreciate Oshii’s direction. Ghost in the Shell follows Motoko Kusanagi, a fully cyber-augmented field officer, and her unit part of a public-security division known as Section 9. Throughout the film, Motoko undergoes a search for her own identity, often times questioning her own humanity. This is the films inherent theme. The “Ghost in the Shell” referring to the separation of the mind in a physical body. In this three and a half minute scene, Oshii captures Motoko’s internal dilemma externally through her surroundings.

From the start, we immediately open on Motoko staring blankly ahead as she rides a boat through the city. Eventually, she turns to face the camera, initiating the sequence that reflects the thoughts. Kenji Kawai’s Japanese choir sounds as a plane flies over a city very clearly modeled after Hong Kong. The plane itself takes on a very naturally avian design, almost completely birdlike. This is emphasized even more so in its reflection in the windows of a building. It’s silhouette bending and warping to give its wings a featherlike motion. Yet while it retains a naturalistic design, it is still a fully artificial product of manufacturing. The plane reflects Motoko and her world. A world that has blurred the lines between what is natural or artificial.

As the boat continues, we begin to see more of the city for ourselves. A dark and dreary color palette fills the screen in the form of a maze of distressed buildings, occupied by a sea of seemingly lifeless inhabitants. As Motoko passes a building, she sees a woman in a cafe window. This woman appears to be the same exact model as Motoko. They maintain eye contact for some time until Motoko looks again forward towards the city as if to question the difference between the artificial structure of the city and herself.

We are then shown garbage floating in the water, mechanical relics of past years. This image subsequently follows her encounter with the woman in the window, suggesting that Motoko is questioning her individuality. Is there anything humanly unique about her? Is she just another production model to be thrown away when she is no longer of use? This question is then extended to the general population, as we see peoples reflections among mannequins in store windows. The mannequins are nearly identical to the people walking by blurring any distinction between what is truly human. Motoko also once again sees another model of herself in the store window, serving as another reflection. It is all of these repetitive symbols that capture the essence of Motoko’s struggle and the overarching theme.

Motoko being almost fully machine is unable to properly display her emotions, not knowing what it is like to feel like a human being. So instead, the city weeps for her as the rain begins pouring down. While raining we are taken through more shots of the city, being able to see the old buildings reminiscent of Kowloon contrasting with the silver megastructures that make up the new city. We see children running through the rain, representing the city’s small human essence that it clutches onto, overshadowed by the giant industrial structures. This symbolism repeated in images of humans contrasting with their environment, showing the conflict between machine and humanity. Not a blaring conflict with guns and bullets, but a gradual whimpering. A cold mechanical coma. Motoko searching for a meaning lost in a cycle of technology and time. Like tears in the rain.

Ghost in The Shell is a work characterized by its profound subject matter and themes. However, it is only through Oshii’s direction that this film is able to have its intended effect. Oshii adds a visual element to the story not just to fulfill establishing shots or transitions, but to drive home the emotion that is being carried throughout the story. He proves one thing about the environment around you. You can ask a question without speaking, and if you listen for long enough, the world will answer for itself.