Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade (2001)

This was one of the best animated movies I have ever seen, with possibly the best animation ever (Japanese characters looking Japanese, people looking different from each other, breathing, having little human quirks, and truly wonderful urban landscapes); the story, motivations, noir/western touch of the ending etc. were also great, but such unobtrusively vivid animation I have never seen before. In addition to everything, it was one of those movies one likes to think about after having seen them, because there are many ideas and meanings yet to be discovered. It also seems to be a movie built in such a way that each further viewing will be very different from the last one, because each time, by the end of the movie, one has discovered new sides of the story that will change the meaning of the next viewing from the beginning...*Big Fat Spoilers from now on* It is important to underline that this movie is not a retelling of "The Little Red Riding Hood" in a modern context; it is a story by itself, using the Riding Hood tale to clarify elements of the plot and character features. The point of interest is not to see an updated version of the folk tale, or to see how the tale can also fit in a modern surrounding, but to use the folk tale in order to help us understand the story of the movie. Our reactions are not "oh look, there's the wolf! and there's the mother! and there's the path of pins! yes it fits, the story can be applied to a modern world!", but "the story is connected to this movie, so he must be the wolf, so the girl had always been in the presence of the wolf, she was never in the presence of the man she was in love with (the mother in the tale)!". The French tale is molded to, or chosen in order to explain the Japanese story, like a (rich and meaningful) analogy, not the other way around, like a retelling. And the way various elements of the tale were used in order to express a new story was extremely well done, as good as the way in which Leone used various elements from old westerns in order to create his "Once Upon a Time in the West". And there's another big source of inspiration used by Oshii for this movie, just as well integrated within the main narrative...What we see in this movie is a young wolf going through a rite of passage and becoming a full-grown beast. Him having visions of the various girls being chased by wolves was not him "being afraid of the beast inside", but him knowing that the beast was inside and will devour the girl, yet getting on with it because that was the only thing he knew to do.The way I saw it, this was not a movie with a message, it was just a movie that presented a story – the story of a man who was actually a wolf in human skin, and whose only place in the world was within his pack, no matter how bitter this may have tasted at times. If you want it (and, from what I saw on forums, some people really want it), it may be a movie about what it is to have an inner nature, or a prescribed social role that cannot be betrayed, but not more.I have also read somewhere that Oshii's constant preoccupation concerns "the beast that hides in the human heart", but I disagree. On the contrary, I think that he is interested more to investigate the weak, sensitive, human, warm spots that linger in the heart of the beasts, as it is the case with Motoko, Ash, Yuichi, and definitely with Fuse (though, in his case, we witness the lingering humanity flickering and dying). Anyway, in his movies, the beast is usually the first thing we see, so it is not something that could be said to be hiding. There are lots of "Vertigo" allusions in this movie, which I had not spotted until I saw a passing mention of Hitchcock's flick somewhere on this forum; and my jaw dropped – of course! The love-with-complications part of the story follows almost step-by-step the plot from Vertigo – woman being spotted by man while standing – purposefully! – by the grave of someone very reminiscent of her, her being by sent by somebody else to seduce a certain convenient male for ulterior reasons unrelated to the two of them – they were both meant to be bare pawns, her fulfilling her role even though she falls for the male, male realizing the trap and using it to counter-manipulate her, now insensible to her feelings, all ending up with him causing her death / killing her directly; there's also a "man being scarred by woman dying in front of him" part in both movies, but in Jin-Roh it takes place differently; oh and Jin-Roh also has a protagonist psychologically scarred by a sequence that takes place in the beginning of the movie, and the people behind the female decoy use precisely this psychological damage in order to fulfill their trap. And none of this is in anyway "remake-ish", because the pieces of the puzzle are being mixed up and used to build a completely different story, like I said about Leone and his "Once Upon a Time in the West". Besides, I missed completely the "Vertigo" during the movie, which can only mean that they were really well embedded in the story, and that the story was powerful enough to not get engulfed by its own sources. The "Vertigo" discovery pretty much settled it, the flick is a 10/10, the first time I go to 10 for an animated movie since I saw "Samurai Champloo", "Mushishi" and "Texhnolyze" two years ago.

Great film one of the single best animes out there. The story is deep sad and tragic. The ending will leave you speechless. The story is set in an alternate future were japan is ruled with an iron fist and kill innocent victim's and any one in there way. And a group of rebels Who call themselves the sec. Rise to fight the government. If you like anime like ninja scroll or those others chances are you will hate this. This is a real story that is sad but very strong and is a great film. Witch is worth seeing as long as you can apprecisate the story and dialog. And not have to see a shootout ever ten seconds. It has action and its intense and it's well done. And very blood And graphic and realistic. but it only happens when the story Requires it. This is more of a character piece more of a drama than an action flick. But there is a action sense at the start the middle and the end. And a few in between. However it does move at a slow pace after the begging and then is fairly slow till the end. the twist is amazing. Overall this is a very thought provoking and moving piece that will stay with you for quite some time. I hope you give this a chance because the story is amazing. The plot is a soldier witness a young girl commit suicide. And his superior's Say he hesitated and should have shot her on site because she was one of the rebels fighting against the government. but he feels diffidently about and is having trouble living with himself after this ordeal. And meets a mysterious girl that says she is the sister of the the girl he killed and a web on intrigue and suspense shoots off like a blot of lighting. Overall at the end you will feel drained and be begging for more to this masterpiece of cinema. Even if you hate anime cartoons or any thing of that short give this a try its moving well written and a superb story.

One of the best film I've ever seen and one of the more readable ones from Oshii.The difficulty in reading seems to lie in the post-war history of Japan, which is hardly known to people except its economic growth.The detailed history I myself is not very clear yet. The story is mean to project the period around 60s or early 70s, when Japan still has a large group of extreme left wing "communist" activists. That is what "red hat" really are in this movie. Under American's help, the government managed to give them a bad fame among the public. They also used some secret army (the one which the hero stays) to fight against them. On the other hand, as left wingers starts to vanish, the army itself become a problem. Some politicians would like to create some scandal to clean them out. I think that is the start of the story: an abandoned army from government and a group of activists who are considered as terrorists.

Jin-Roh, is a very impressive movie from a technical stand point. What is perhaps, most impressive about it, is the plot twists as well as the story. Jin-Roh gives new meaning to the word "Betrayel". It's truly a frightening movie from that point of view. It has a strange artistic look to it. It doesn't seem very Japanese. It's much to dark, gloomy and depressing. The action is far and in between, but when it comes, it is very good. The plot is not the most important thing about the movie. It's more the relationship between the characters. I guess, to be fair, the weakest aspect of Jin-Roh, is definitely that it can feel very slow and stretched out. It has this calm and gritty feel to it, but when things start to happen, the viewer sits on the edge of their seats and wait what will happen.Jin-Roh is betrayal in a movie. It's a very unique anime that totally goes away from the anime mainstream, which makes it difficult to compare it to anything actually. And while it may be slow and a bit at drag at time, it's definitely worth watching, just for the sake of it.7/10