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Originally posted by JRR
The best soudntrack is on FLCL.
the pillows rule.

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Hm, Kanno's work on the two GITS series soundtracks is amazing, such a range of styles from one person.

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quote:

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Originally posted by Saddletank
Hm, Kanno's work on the two GITS series soundtracks is amazing, such a range of styles from one person.

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The soundtrack in GITS Innocence is amazing.

im reviving this thread as i have alot of questions about this movie now i have seen it that i really want to discuss and get peoples interpretations on..

first of all, as has been said, this was brilliant.. the combination of visuals (which i dont think are overdone as they contribute to your own state of mind and perception of whats going on) and the soundtrack that followed the storyline made the movie even better. this is the type of film you could get to the end of and sit in your seat for another two hours contemplating and registering it.. and still not have all the answers you crave.

(POSSIBLE SPOILERS)Some things i was wondering about:

- whats the deal with the "oppisites" thing? near the end paprika says something along the lines of "darkness, light.. man...." "Woman?" and then proceeds to consume the dream elements merged with the real world.... why oppisites?? as far as i picked up on there is no reference to or importance placed on anything like this beforehand and yet there seems to be a significance in this part (especially considering that it concludes the plot).. is this just random or are there reasons for this that i missed?

-i am confused about the relationship between the cop (Konakawa??) and his case regarding the death of someone in that hallway..... is this real?? and if yes who is the dead person and how is this realted to anything else in the film??? how is this related to his dead film school friend? i seem to go in circles with these bits and cant even phrase my question properly really.. so any thoughs on this would be appreciated

i have many more questions but will need to watch for a third and fourth time over the next few weeks and get back to you.

Hm, I really need to see this. Another DVD to add to my Christmas list!

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Hi T.C.

Both times I've watched this movie, towards the end my mind has just stopped thinking and is just enjoying! So the opposites issue is difficult for me to explain.

There are a number of "opposites" in the story: dream world and waking world: the crazy crippled old chairman and the young and very sane Atsuko Chiba: the slim Chiba and the grossly fat Kōsaku Tokita: using the DC Mini for good (Tokita's and Chiba's intent) and for bad (greed and gain by the chairman): good against evil (and the metaphors for this) light against dark: woman against man. I am still unsure about all these pairs and opposites although it is a key element throughout the story. Kon's other works Perfect Blue and Millenium Actress both addressed themes of duality via a symbolic struggle. I would have to watch it again and concentrate on this but I think this is a device Kon uses often to represent struggle, conflict and finally conquest or completion.

The police officer, Toshimi Konakawa, originally goes to Chiba/Paprika to try to solve the murder case he is working on. The murdered man is never identified and we also never find out if the case was solved. Its possible that its just not relevant, or it's possible its not a real murder case at all but is merely a dream and is Konakawa wrapped up in his own fears about his career as a policeman. His personal achievement in the story is that he lays to rest his own demons about him not taking up a professional film making career (shades of Millenium Actrees and Perfect Blue again) and his final ability to lay to rest the memory of his college friend. He was once trying to be a film director/actor but became a cop (at the end we see his reflection in the glass of the building where he appears as the cop from his college days movie.)

I think the movie can be seen as a personal journey of enlightement for Konakawa the cop as much as anything. He is the first character we see, and the last, he "bookends" the story.

I have no idea if I'm right, these are just things I pick up from this amazing film.

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Close on the second point, but not quite, Saddle.

Well I lost memories of that particular opposites scene, but maybe Paprika was thinking up of a way to defeat that gay CEO guy? I mean, if the opposite of man is woman, the two cancels out each other, no?

Or that's how I see it anyway. Need to watch that part again.

On Konakawa, that murder case is simply a trigger to his past memories where he and his friend were shooting a detective movie which they never finished, or rather, left it to his friend to pursue his own goals instead.

He and his friend were film fanatics in their younger days and decided to produce a movie together, by the way. Hence his version of the dream world. In case anyone's wondering.

As it happens, his friend died before being able to finish their film, and Konakawa harboured feelings of regret that he was never able to reconcile with his friend nor realize their dream of finishing a movie.

In a way, finishing the movie was supposed to be his way of repenting, but he never got round to it (although he did at the end of the movie).

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Originally posted by fenkashi
Screw your opinions, they are not relevant ^^.

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so Konakawa resolved his inner issues over the death of his friend by literally resolving the narrative that came to represent their relationship. i understood that but i think i had expected (and so was searching for) more connection to the whole Chiba/Paprika vs Osanai/the Chairman thing and thought their must be something else behind the old friend and what not. The way you explained it makes me think that it has a fairly seperate functioning from the overall storyline, introducing paprika and involving other elements, but still beginning and concluding seperately.

The oppisites is making more sense too, there is a theme of it in many ways throughout the film however they are only blatantly stated in that part of the movie.

Thanks, couldnt have got better answers than that.


another thing though....
How can Paprika appear while Dr Chiba is still physically there in that bit near the end..? you dont get answeres to that as far as ive noticed and my interpretation revolves around the idea that because the dream world and the real world begin to blur and blend both Chiba's dream form and real form can exist simoultaneously.

quote:

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Originally posted by T.C. How can Paprika appear while Dr Chiba is still physically there in that bit near the end..?

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quote:

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Originally posted by Saddletank
Remember there are two Tokita's in the world as well - the sleeping one in the lab and the dream one inside the giant toy robot (although I accept one is unconscious while Dr Chiba is awake), even so it's not too crazy a plot device.

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Wow a lot of praise in here.

So, would any of you say that Paprika is your favorite Kon film/work (mine's Millenium Actress)?

If so, I won't be able to wait for my Birthday!
*cough* Christmas Eve *Cough*

Yes, I think it is. If nothing else its one of the most beautiful visual feasts of anime ever. And sorry for the spoilers.

I think Perfect Blue is his second best although I was a bit put off by teh fanservice in that.

Millenium Actress is his weakest mainly due to the annoying TV crew, although that's 100% a personal peeve and I should look at it objectively. Grudgingly I think it should rate higher than Blue.

There's also Tokyo Godfathers which I understand is humour and doesn't fit with his other three films which are all on a theme of "inner struggle".

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I have it now! I'll be watching it very soon. ^_^

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I'm not gonna pretend I understood the movie, but the visuals alone was worth the buy. And I LOVE the theme song by Susumu Hirasawa!

Millennium Actress is the better film in my opinion though.

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i was able to cling onto enough of the general storyline to follow it well enough so as to enjoy it alot, and the fact that it confused me and made me think alot only made it better. the visuals and soundtrack are very good accompanying elements indeed.
i have yet to see Millenium Actress..

i've always been very interested in seeing Paranoia Agent

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Originally posted by Lupin
i've always been very interested in seeing Paranoia Agent

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I've been meaning to see Paranoia Agent at some point. My friend has started watching it lately. And Saddles, all the DVDs are 15, except for one that's 18. Is that what you meant?

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quote:

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Originally posted by arren18
all the DVDs are 15, except for one that's 18. Is that what you meant?

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"An old man like me stands no chance fighting against a high school girl in her underwear" - Oshino Meme, Nekomonogatari (Kuro)