Ghost in the Shell (1995)

A cyborg policewoman and her partner hunt a mysterious and powerful hacker called the Puppet Master.

Director:

Mamoru Oshii

Writers:

Shirow Masamune (based on the manga by) (as Masamune Shirow), Kazunori Itô (screenplay)

Stars:

Atsuko Tanaka, Iemasa Kayumi, Akio Ôtsuka

5 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Atsuko Tanaka	...	Kusanagi Motoko (voice)
Akio Ôtsuka	...	Batô (voice)
Kôichi Yamadera	...	Togusa (voice)
Yutaka Nakano	...	Ishikawa (voice)
Tamio Ôki	...	Aramaki (voice)
Tesshô Genda	...	Nakamura buchô (voice)
Namaki Masakazu	...	Urisu hakase (voice)
Masato Yamanouchi	...	Gaimu daijin (voice)
Shinji Ogawa	...	Gaikôkan (voice)
Mitsuru Miyamoto	...	Daida Mizuho (voice)
Kazuhiro Yamaji	...	Seisô kyokuin (voice)
Shigeru Chiba	...	Seisô kyokuin (voice)
Hiroshi Yanaka	...	Kenshi-kan (voice)
Ginzô Matsuo	...	Ossan (voice)
Takashi Matsuyama	...	Jikkô-han (voice)

Storyline

It is the year 2029. Technology has advanced so far that cyborgs are commonplace. In addition, human brains can connect to the internet directly. Major Motoko Kasunagi is an officer in Section 9, an elite, secretive police division that deals with special operations, including counter terrorism and cyber crime. She is currently on the trail of the Puppet Master, a cyber criminal who hacks into the brains of cyborgs in order to obtain information and to commit other crimes.

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Plot Keywords:

anime | cyborg | hacker | investigation | policewoman | 

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Taglines:

People love machines in 2029 A.D.

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Genres:

Animation | Action | Crime | Drama | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

Japan UK

Language:

Japanese

Release Date:

29 March 1996 (USA)

Also Known As:

Ghost in the Shell

Box Office

Budget:

JPY600,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$2,736, 4 February 1996

Gross USA:

$515,905

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$515,905

Company Credits

Production Co:

Kôdansha, Bandai Visual Company, Manga Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

83 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo (Original Japanese) Dolby Digital (5.1 surround) (English Dub)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

There are multiple references to Oshii's earlier film "Angel's Egg" in the final climax. The tree of life in a room filled with fossils is taken directly from Angel's Egg. Also the feathers are in the climax of both films.

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Goofs

In the opening assassination scene, after the police infiltrate the building, a number of policemen do not have "Police" written on their helmets like the other officers do. It is safe to assume this is an error, seeing as there are no other visual distinctions between officers with and without "Police" written on their helmet.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Title Card: In the near future: Corporate networks reach out to the stars, electrons and light flow throughout the universe. - The advance of computerisation, however, has not yet wiped out nations and ethnic groups.
Dispatcher: [on radio] To all units: Code 2-0-8 in district C-13, Newport City. Air space is closed. I repeat...

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Alternate Versions

The original Japanese version has the song "Reincarnation" played over the ending credits. This song was replaced with "One Minute Warning" by Passengers (a collaboration between U2 and Brian Eno) for the English version.

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Connections

Followed by Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence (2004)

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Soundtracks

One Minute Warning
Passengers (Brian Eno and U2)
Featuring vocals by Holi
Engineering by Dave Danton Supple
Assisted by Rob Kinwan
Published by Blue Mountain Music (UK), Mother music (Rep. of Ireland), Taiyo Music (Japan)
Polygram Music International Music Publishing B.V.
(R.O.W)/Opel Music except in North America by Upala Music Inc./BMI
P 1995 Polygram International Music B.B.
Holi appears courtesy of Resurgence and Funhouse Inc., Japan
Licenced courtesy of Records Ltd.

User Reviews

A masterpiece of Art, Technology and Culture...

I would highly recommend this cyber-political-industrial thriller that envisions our future in a hyper realistic (idealistic?) way. The plot is excellent, though I did not get it the first time. The quality of the graphics surpasses any anime available on the market and the soundtrack is beautiful. The creative team did an amazing job providing the movie with fine details, harmony in this very descriptive world of high technology (AI) and traditional Japan. I thoroughly believe it is a masterpiece, a unique audio-visual experience. (cf. Blade Runner, Akira)