Ghost in the Shell

                The Ghost in the Shell addresses quite a few questions about the nature of humanity and construction of identity.  What does it really mean to be human in an age where technology enables us to create so many fantastic and bizarre beings?  The movie challenges the notion of separate spheres of human and cyborg and the long held basis for creating one’s identity.

The protagonist, Kusanagi, is unsure of her constitution as a cyborg and questions her existence outside of her robot body.  The “ghost” refers to consciousness and is the essence of an individual. The ghost cannot exist separately from the body and once destroyed, it is incapable of restoration.  This is similar to death in real life; we cannot bring back the dead.  The movie depicts a surreal diving sequence where Kusanagi plunges into the water, an extremely risky act as her cyborg body is not designed to spend time in water.  She is seen to merge with a mirror image until she emerges through the other side and onto the surface of the water.  This mirror image can be seen to reflect the two conflicting sides of Kusanagi—her cyborg side and human side—and her struggle to create meaning of them.  Perhaps she is destined to be inseparable from them as she is shown to blend with the mirror image and go through it. 

However, it is clear that she longs for some closure and might even prefer humanity to the life of a cold, empty cyborg.  She states that the only time she ever feels alive is when she dives.  That is the only time when she feels “fear, cold, loneliness, and even hope.”  These very “human” feelings can be directly attributed to her throwing herself into a dangerous situation, i.e. diving, in order to feel something real and vulnerable.  Getting close to death is the only time she can really feel anything close to being human.  The movie implies that one of the main differences between humans and cyborgs is the capacity to feel beyond which is programmed and logical.  Although death is guaranteed for both humans and cyborgs, perhaps the former is more acutely aware of its destiny and has feelings that anticipate it. 

There are many conversations where Kusanagi and Batou debate the nature of existence.  She questions her inherent value and feels completely bewildered about her true nature.  The film’s drawn out shots, close ups and eerie soundtrack all lend to create an unsettling and atmospheric environment.  The viewer is forced to see the lingering, slow images of the characters’ expressions, thereby getting a strong dose of their emotions without the aid of too much dialogue.  There are also many shots of the city, done in a deliberately slow pace, creating a sense of being lost in the world that is infinitely bigger than its inhabitants.

A defining scene in the film occurs when Project 2501 explains his unique position as a cyborg that has its own free will. He is independent and not under control by a human.  He questions the authority of the humans when he states that “neither modern science nor philosophy can explain what life is.”  What power does the human have over the cyborg when neither party can explain its origins?  Project 2501 presents an interesting dilemma in that it is a blend of both human and technological worlds. It also exhibits the dire consequences of over computerization of the world, in which humans detract power from themselves by creating ever more powerful technological inventions.

 It is implied that free will is the sole defining factor of being human.  However, the film does little to reassure this fact as Project 2501 is a completely self-aware cyborg.  Many existential questions involving the marriage of humans and technology are posed.  Although this is not probable in real life, there is much parallel to reality as humanity has become irreversibly dependent on technology. The film forces the audience to question its relationship with technology and the very nature of being human.