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    1. 'The Ghost in the Shell' just ended, what are your thoughts?

      Warning: this post may contain spoilers

      I've only watched the 1995 movie before, so it was a pleasant surprise this closer adaptation turned out to be straight crime drama with dense political intrigues and social commentary. The world feels more detailed and not just backdrop for philosophical musing, and so the questions being raised are more multi-faceted.

      A particular highlight for me is the child-trafficking /ghost dubbing subplot. Not only does it further blur the lines between artificial and organic intelligence, but does so in a way that put more emphasis on the ethical dimension and not leaving it abstract.

      Another example is her court statement questioning whether her shooting the kid or whoever brainwashed him in the first place should be more responsible for his death. The philosophical question is whether the death of a person should be marked when their mind or their body ceased to function, but the context of this being a defense for police unlawful killing gave me second thoughts.

      Major's more lively characterization here also makes for an interesting contrast especially regarding her final act. In the 1995 version, I interpreted her merging with the Puppet Master as due to her being coerced by the Puppet Master, or her not being particularly attached to living much and so this is akin to suicide, since she was morose since the beginning and generally passive.

      However, this version of Major is sexually active and enjoys indulging in life many pleasures. Crucially, merging (which was heavily implied to be analogous to digital procreation) was her choice, which makes that final decision more as embracing the call to adventure and choosing to enjoy new experiences, hence more life affirming.

      Most of the political conspiracies went over my head though so if anyone can help explaining that side of the plot to me that would be great.

      5 votes