[WARNING: I’m going to delve into MAJOR {pun intended} SPOILERS in this post. If you want to see the film clean {and I highly suggest you do} please save this post for another time. Thank you!]
“GHOST IN THE SHELL (2017)” is probably the most important film you will see this year. Reflecting on it now, it’s probably the most important film of the decade! Most people won’t recognize that yet, if ever, over insane internet anti-logic.
Before this adaptation {and in my mind the superior upgrade} of the 1995 anime classic even hit theaters, many people had written it off as Hollywood exploitation. Particular reason being the casting of white actress Scarlett Johansson as the traditionally Japanese Major Motoko Kusanagi. Now I agree that Asians don’t get proper representation in Hollywood anymore, a fact that I don’t understand.
That being said there are three reasons why this casting choice happened:
- The character never looked Asian, but Scarlett looks exactly like the character.
This is the smallest point of fact, but a fact none the less. The next is the most real-world reason that’s created issues throughout modern film as a whole:
- The film is co-produced by 2 Chinese production companies. The Chinese don’t like the Japanese, hence why the film is set in an un-named melded culture country. There is ZERO WAY they would allow a Japanese actress to play a lead role here. Why you ask? It would lose money in China and the Chinese film market is where 95% of Hollywood looks for ticket sales now. That market likes White and Chinese faces. It’s why Marvel does so well there.
That idiotic reason is why they “white washed” the cast. HOWEVER! there is another, far more important reason for the casting. A reason that unless you watched the film you wouldn’t get {MAJOR SPOILER HERE}:
- The Major and the film’s supposed villain are both Japanese characters who were kidnapped by a White company who used a White Scientist to create White weapons. WHITE WASHING IS LITERATELY A PLOT POINT FOR THE VILLAINS!
All the Social Justice Warrior’s railing against this film long before it came out was in vain, the film agrees with you! All the negative reviews are from people who either can’t/refuse/are scared to deal with the philosophical questions presented in the film, or are to interested in virtue signaling to recognize what they watched.
I recognized and understood it despite being some of the WORSE theater conditions I’ve ever had to deal with!
I loved this film and unless “JUSTICE LEAGUE (2017)” delivers some secret deeper meaning I’m not expecting Ghost In The Shell will be my Top Film of the year. This film spoke to me in a way that hasn’t happened since “MAD MAX: FURY ROAD (2015)” and like Fury Road, people are going to be talking about this film for YEARS to come!
The themes this film deals with a so important in our ever growing digital world.
- Privacy of thought.
- By making tech such a huge part of your life, what does that do to your humanity?
- What part does your memory/your past play in making you who you are?
- Does your heritage truly matter to who you are?
- What makes the people in your life trustworthy?
- Can you trust people in power?
In the world we occupy now, these are questions everybody has to answer for themselves. It’s great to see a film ask these questions not only thoughtfully, but stylishly and entertaining on top of it!
My hat’s off to director Rupert Sanders for delivering an adaptation I’ve been dreaming of for a long time. You good sir knocked it out of the park for me!
My mind is still in shock at this film’s brilliance so I’ll end things here. One final thought about anime adaptations for the future: Use Ghost In The Shell as an example on how to do it right. This is important to me since these themes repeat in my favorite anime of all time: “THE BIG-O (1999)” and if this film does well I’m sure some studio will get around to my favorite. I want it done properly!
Short-Story-Long:
Ghost In the Shell (2017) is a masterpiece. In order to grow as a human being you MUST SEE this work of true art!
~_M.H._~
Follow Me on Twitter: @MHSmith22
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