Ghost In The Shell – What the Shell Was ScarJo Thinking?

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  • There was a cat in the middle of the film named Pumpkin. She was the best part. I’m not exaggerating.
  • Water Symbolism – The idea of ‘washing away impurities’; esp. a moment in the opening credits when Major’s “body” emerges from a vat of dripping porcelain white goo. (See the irony? The idea of ‘white-washing’ is literal here!)
  • “Mythology and Continuity Consultant”. Interested in what this person’s specs were.
  • “Casting” – Four seperate people, even a woman! All of them green lit this??
  • The character of Makoto, who we do indeed see AS A JAPANESE FEMALE in the movie, is both literally and now figuratively erased by the films’ conclusion. ScarJo even tells Makoto’s mother “You don’t have to come here [Makoto’s grave] anymore.” Now that you have a shiny new caucasian daughter vessel!
  • It’s interesting because nearly every aspect of the movie draws from Asian culture; especially Chinese and Japanese culture; and even employs many POC on the staff. So why were even throwaway roles like Dr. O and the big dude who was Major’s “sidekick” white people???
  • The setting is never defined, only made allusions to. Is it America? Is it NeoTokyo? Does it matter?
  • No significance is paid to the fact that only “Boss” speaks in Japanese with subtitles, yet everyone else obviously understands him but speaks nothing but English.
  • The hope of the executives, I’m willing to bet, was that ScarJo’s presence and the audience her name could draw would supersede any niche comments about her, a VERY white lady, portraying a Japanese woman. It didn’t work.
  • The make-up on ScarJo is even done in a way to bring attention to her eyes in a way that to me seems like it’s attempting to mimic a stereotypically shaped Asian eye.
  • Tropes from most “action flicks” still present – female oversexualization on not just Major but every femme in the film, F/F homoerotic moments inserted not to contribute to the story but to appeal to cis/het men (and she’s a woman of color, too. Because diversity!!)