Innocence...

Follow me to a land across the shining sea
Waiting beyond the world we have known
Beyond the world the dream could be
And the joy we have tasted.

Follow me along the road that only love can see
Rising above the fun years of the night
Into the light beyond the tears
And all the years we have wasted.

Follow me to a distant land this mountain high
Where all the music that we always kept inside will fill the sky
Singing in the silent swerve a heart is free
While the world goes on turning and turning
Turning and falling.

Lyrics of the Theme Song, Follow Me for Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence




Another interlude to my life-story. I accidentally bumped into the website of the upcoming anime movie Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence. The theme of the movie strikes me deeply as it reflects my innermost thoughts about the philosophy of humanity, all from the meaning for our existence to the reason of the pervasion of mankind to replicate life through DNA replication and invention of human-like robots. My search for the answer had brought me to the study of the Bible and several other ancient texts and in the deep of the night, I sometimes wonder about the meaning of life...This movie shows an aspect of the answer from Mamorou Oshii's perspective. To view the Japanese trailer, click here! I really liked the gothic feel of the trailer and the song. Hope it will be showing in Singapore cinemas.


PHILOSOPHY FOR THE GHOST

In his restless investigation into the meaning of existence and the human soul, Oshii draws on literature and philosophy, spanning the globe and the centuries, and quoting from such far-flung sources as the Old Testament and the Analects of Confucius, as well as such legendary thinkers as Isaac Asimov, René Descartes, and Jakob Grimm among many others.

Oshii deals with a moral and spiritual crisis he sees as stemming from the advent of ever more powerful technology, noting "With cell phones and the Internet, people's perceptions have expanded, but they're unaware of how this has made their bodies obsolete."

"Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence" envisions a day when humans are just a minority surrounded by robots, cyborgs, and people who have chosen to transfer their "spirits" into artificial and genderless bodies. Batou, Oshii's self-proclaimed alter ego, guides the audience through his vision of year 2032, where he grapples with different choices of "LIFE".

MAMORU OSHII SAYS... Life and death come and go like marionettes dancing on a table. Once their strings are cut, they easily crumble.

"Economic recession... corporate downsizing... violent crime... We live in a cruel and frightening world. For some time now, I've been working in the animation industry--a sinful world unto itself--and frankly, have gotten tired of dealing with people in general. Sometimes, I imagine eliminating all human interaction and spending the rest of my life at home in Atami, relaxing and soaking in a hot spring. I feel old--every day, I have to force myself to go to work. It is this culture of fear and anxiety that I want to depict cinematically. This film is about the future of humanity, which I'm very much interested in."

"There are no human beings in "Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence. The characters are all human-shaped dolls, i.e., robots. For some reason, people have always created robots in their own image. I wonder why? I don't suppose that the human figure is the most practical shape for industrial robots. What is it about people that make them do such illogical things? I thought that exploring this question from the doll's point of view would help me better understand human nature."

"Batou, the main character of Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence, is our guide throughout the film. While investigating a case involving malfunctioning androids that went berserk, Batou encounters various types of dolls: a broken android who has gone mute; a female robot who looks exactly like a human; a group of dolls burned in effigy by a mob of humans; and a man who willingly transforms himself into a corpse and flatters himself that he has transcended human limitations. Through this experience and a series of battles, Batou is wounded and further mechanizes his body--gradually becoming more and more like an inorganic doll. The dolls that Batou meets have their own outlook on humanity. Each doll, from their non-human point of view, examines such human traits as arrogance and deceitfulness. Batou and his partner Togusa (who is mostly human and thus representing the viewer) embark on a journey through hell that forces them to ponder the meaning of human existence. Batou's function is to drive the narrative forward, leading the audience vicariously through Togusa."

"This movie does not hold the view that the world revolves around the human race. Instead, it concludes that all forms of life--humans, animals, and robots--are equal. In this day and age when everything is uncertain, we should all think about what to value in life and how to coexist with others. We all need friends, family, and lovers. We can't live alone. In the year 2032, when this movie takes place, robots and electronic beings have become necessary companions to people. Actually, that time has come already. What we need today is not some kind of anthropocentric humanism. Humanity has reached its limits. I believe that we must now broaden our horizons and philosophize about life from a larger perspective. With this film, I hope to reflect upon the uneasiness that pervades the world today. Under such conditions, what is the meaning of human existence?"