It fully encompasses what the film had been trying to achieve from the moment it opens with Major looking out into the city. The climax is by far the best scene, and it will leave you with more questions than answers. While it can appear to drag on at moments, that does not take away from the overall enjoyment of the film. So much is layered within one scene that it will take more than one viewing to digest it all. While the plot is quite straightforward, it can get quite a bit confusing at moments since it transitions back and forth from the overarching plot to the personal conflict Major has with herself. We see this struggle especially present in Major, whose cyborg body, or ‘shell,’ seems to limit her own identity, which she hopes is as natural as that of a human being. Constant pairing of technology with nature in multiple shots, especially with water in the film, seems to depict this relationship as well. The cool color palettes that often consist of blues and purples help to build the atmosphere in which the spiritual and the harshness of technology are trying to merge into one co-existence. The stunning animation has aged so well that it’s shocking to know that this movie was released more than 20 years ago. Truly reminiscent of Blade Runner (1982), Ghost in the Shell envelops the characteristic, noir tone and familiarity of alienation. One of the things one notices right away is the visual style of the film. Throughout her journey, Agent Kusanagi also struggles to find the answer to the question of if she is in possession of a soul, or as she calls it ‘a ghost.’ Often considered one of the greatest anime movies of all time, Ghost in the Shell has inspired other science fiction films such as the Wachowskis’ classic, The Matrix (1999), and James Cameron’s Avatar (2009).
The film follows Major Motoko Kusanagi, a cyborg special agent, as she pursues a terrorist who has been hacking into the programs of other cyborgs. Ghost in the Shell (1995), directed by Mamoru Oshii, dives into the intricate and philosophical exploration of self-identity and belonging in an evolving technological world. “ I just have a whisper…A whisper from my ghost.”
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