Ghost in the Shell (1995)

“Ghost in the Shell” questions the idea of existence, debating on whether it’s a human quality or if human-like machines, like robots or cyborgs can develop this notion of existence. It addresses questions like, what does it mean to actually exist? Or, what makes ‘something’ alive?

This anime transports us viewers to a technologically advanced future full of possibilities, including ones that seems distant in today’s technology. It presents the idea that a machine (the program, Project 2501) can create another machine (the Puppet Master) able to act on its own free will—and even against its programmed function. This makes the viewers imagine what it would be like if ever machines could have this kind of power (to create, decide and act free will)… How would human beings be able to control it? Moreover, what would happen if machines could question their existence? Then what would differentiate humans from cyborgs?

The Puppet Master not only escaped Project 2501, but managed to be imperceptible, like a ghost. Moreover, it was even able to live in human form, within a human body, and experience human qualities such as mortality (this through Kusanagi). This started when the Puppet Master began to contemplate his existence, questioning why he could not die… He wanted to be human, even if it meant to be mortal. At the end the Puppet Master merged to Kusanagi’s body, as its only way to escape was through a physical body. Kusanagi ultimately was a combination of her own self and the Puppet Master’s ghost. 

The Hacker's Manifesto / When Sysadmins Ruled the Earth

Both “The Hacker’s Manifesto” and “When Sysadmins Ruled the Earth” presents hackers as rebels, acting according to their views despite society’s conventional views and misconceptions. In Hacker’s Manifesto they expose themselves as if they were in a whole different social division. They do not follow the limitations that the governments, organizations, and society had established over the use of internet (for security reasons, to protect system information that’s supposed to be confidential and that could be used against a business or government)… Hackers believe they are unstoppable and that any limitation is against (their) freedom of expression. They as well aim to make the point that, as the internet is spread worldwide and it’s impossible to control its use, people cannot stop hackers as a whole…because, either way, they are all spread out everywhere, acting so alike that they can disguise: “You may stop this individual, but you can't stop us all.  After all... we're all alike.”

“When Sysadmins Ruled the Earth” is an interesting story, which makes us think of technology as a weapon that can be used for destruction. In a selfless world, we might imagine technology used for the common good, to make this world a better one, and be connected worldwide to unite us instead of to divide us more. However, we have created something so big and powerful (technology, the internet…cyberspace), that when we think we control it, the immensity of that technology falls out of our control and starts to control us. I think we might be reaching a time in which technology is power, as if becoming our new social division or standard, meaning how many we have may determine our social status:  The more technology, and the more knowledge you have about technology, the more power you have…and therefore, socially above the rest of society. Throughout this story, a debate emerges on whether the technology should be regulated (as possible) and its use inspected, or if it should be part of our freedom of expression (meaning we may use it as we may want). 

Westworld (1973) Ideologies

Westworld (1973) Ideologies 

“Westworld” (1973) explores the ideology that human beings can create human-like complicated machines able to do anything to make their lives more easy and pleasurable, wrongfully believing it’s risk-free. The film presents how the greed o further explore what advanced technology may allow us to do drives us to develop ambitious projects without considering any repercussion it might outcome if that technology ever gets out of control. In this movie, the whole concept of Delos was to offer people the chance to make their fantasies come true and have their dream vacation, within a safe environment (the program was set to keep human beings out of danger, so they could kill androids—for example—but it could not happen otherwise); this, as well had a lucrative purpose for the company. However, the androids were so complicated machines that when malfunctions started to emerge, Delos administrators/company members realized they did not know how to fix it. As a matter of fact, they initially ignored safety signs when something was clearly going wrong; they just care about the lots of money they were making with Delos, and therefore they were unable to control it when incidents continue to happen more often. The androids started to act at they own will, even against their respective programmed function they were designed to. People got killed…and still the company’s economic interests were more important than people’s safety. 

"They Live" (1988) Ideologies

"They Live" (1988) Ideologies

The movie “The Live, They Think” presents the ideology that those who have power (due to politics, status/ social class) has control over the rest of the population. While I was watching the film, I was constantly thinking that if we could see the world through glasses that allow us to see the real meaning behind things (ads, TV, magazines, businesses…), we would probable see the same kind of revelation as the main character of the movie. We are constantly surrounded by messages from power entities whose system controls our lifestyle. Everything that business creates and sells, for example, is done with the sole purpose of making the consumers believe they need more than they have and that what they have is never enough… Moreover, most of those products and services only advantage those who have money, those who created them…and most of them are not made to satisfy a need but vain desire or commodity people could live without. In this shot, we can see some of the messages the main character gets to see when he puts the glasses on. All of those messages seek to establish that the powerless common people in society are ruled by the powerful corporations, business, industries, government or entities that wants people to consume, buy, submit, obey… so they influence what people “should” do, accordingly to their convenience.