Review for Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade (Review)
Wednesday, 21st July 2010, 16:39

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Extras
You wouldn't think there were any extras on this disc going by the sleeve, but then again the sleeve tells us that this film comes from the makers of Ghost In The Shell and Akira. Ghost in the Shell, I can understand, with Mamoru Oshii, Kenji Kamiyama, and Yoko Kanno listed in the credits, but Akira? I think this is the same sort of labelling that puts 'From the makers of Spirited Away' on the cover of Ghost in the Shell: Innocence.

On the disc, the major additions are the Interviews, 39 minutes worth, played as one featurette. In it creator and screenwriter Mamoru Oshii, director Hiroyuki Okiura, composer Hajime Mizoguchi, and art director Hiromasa Ogura speak about their contributions to the film and more.

You will also find the Production Art Gallery with 20 white-on-black line art images, the theatrical trailer, and trailers for other Optimum product including Exiled and Appleseed, as well as a trailer reel for Optimum Asia.

Conclusion
It's a fairy tale, Jim, but not as we know it. That's what I'd like to say, but perhaps it's even more appropriate to mention that this isn't exactly anime as you would know it either. Jin-Roh comes from a more thoughtful, considered place, it is very much an adult anime in the truest sense of the word. Not because of graphic content or profanity, but because the themes, the style, and the subject matter is aimed at a thoughtful audience that likes a little more meat on their anime. That isn't too surprising given that Jin-Roh comes from the imagination of Mamoru Oshii, who gave us the Ghost in the Shell features, and more recently Sky Crawlers. What is surprising is that rather than lofty considerations of philosophy and definitions of the soul, Jin-Roh is very much about character motivations, about people, about interpersonal conflict and drama. This is blazingly intelligent, thoughtful storytelling, coming from the same sort of place as films like Wings of Honneamise and Perfect Blue. You will need your brain in gear for this one.

The story is about the Wolf and Little Red Riding Hood. Kazuki Fuse is the wolf, the paramilitary policeman from the government whose job it is to hunt down the terrorists and to kill them. The terrorists use young children to transfer weapons and explosives, the so-called Red Riding Hoods, on the off chance that a Wolf will hesitate before pulling the trigger. That's exactly what happens when Kazuki is confronted with a girl carrying a bomb. He hesitates, and she detonates the bomb, killing herself and causing significant damage. It's a hesitation that gets Kazuki reprimanded, but understandably he becomes haunted by the image of that girl, reducing his effectiveness as a killer. You can't get away from the definition of humanity in a Mamoru Oshii story, and the question of how much humanity remains in a government paid killer, and just what drives terrorists to such desperate acts never is far from the focus of the film.

But that is added to when Kazuki meets the girl's sister, and starts seeing the world from a different perspective. He's suffering from post traumatic stress, while she's grieving for her sister, while unable to come to terms with her life choices, they are both in their own ways ostracised from their groups, and seem to find some understanding with each other. If only if it were that simple. There's more to the sister than meets the eye, and it becomes a question of whether the predator can actually lie down with the prey. With Kazuki's superiors using his failure as an excuse to restructure the Capital Police, and political manoeuvring about that taking on a very underhand tone, what seems like a rather reflective and melancholy character piece slowly picks up momentum in its narrative, increases in tension and pace, and becomes a suspenseful political thriller. It builds to a climax where that question about predator and prey is answered in an absolutely jaw-dropping fashion.

You hear about shows and films that transcend their genre all the time, it's fairly commonplace for something that seems niche to suddenly appeal to a broader audience. It's rare indeed for something to transcend its medium, and I have only seen once or twice anime that can be said to be more than just simple animations. Jin-Roh - The Wolf Brigade is one such film. It's such a gripping, well told story, with compelling and rounded characterisations, that it's almost inevitable that the viewer will forget that it's an animation at all. Its slow, measured, and understated storytelling builds to a narrative peak that rivals the best thrillers, and it's close to the best film that I have seen this year. Very much recommended.

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