Little Red Riding Hood retold as a psychological thriller from the director of Ghost In The Shell and Patlabor – but just who exactly is the wolf?
That’s the thing with Anime. You think you know exactly what to expect, all the clichés, expect that so often not what you get. Take Jin-Roh, for instance, easily not what you’d imagine from an Anime – a psychological thriller that has more in common with Vertigo than Akira…
In a time of political unrest Kazuki Fuse is a member of special armed police force unit who becomes traumatised when a young girl bomber, a ‘riding hood’, blows herself up in front of him.
By chance he meets her sister, and begins to fall for her. But while his superiors argue over the future of his special force unit, all is not as it seems. Can a wolf ever be a man? And just who here has the big teeth?
A follow up to Jigoku no banken: akai megane (The Red Spectacles) and Jigoku no banken: kerubersu (Stray Dogs), both written and directed by Mamoru Oshii (Ghost In The Shell, Ghost In The Shell 2), Jin-Roh returns to the focus of those stories, the paramilitary police force, for one last script by Oshii.
Oshii obviously draws on memories of the political riots in Japan of the late sixties that would have taken place while he was a teenager, like so many of his contemporaries, yet here decides not to elaborate on the motivations of the terrorists, who appear to come from normal backgrounds. Instead he centres on those of the special force, and both those who want to keep and lose the unit within the force itself. Indeed, this parallels much of his work, from Ghost In The Shell through Patlabor. And it’s all wrapped up in a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood.
It has the intelligence you’d expect from Oshii’s work, but the behind-the-scenes discussions won’t suit all viewers, particularly those expecting more Manga-esque action. Instead the blossoming romance has the resonance of some of Hitchcock’s work, such as Vertigo. You become aware that all is not as it seems, a game is being played, but not who holds that cards. It’s tremendously effective, without the need for excessive violence or sexual content.
Long-time Oshii collaborator Hiroyuki Okiura gains one of his few credits as director, but it’s hard not to see the guiding hand of Oshii all over this production. Lushly animated with a soft focus effect much as Hitchcock used on his leading ladies, and with a soundtrack to match, this beautiful film is well worth a viewing. Particularly if Anime is not usually your bag.
DVD details
Distributor: Optimum Home Entertainment (UK)
Great transfer of the film with good sound quality and optional English soundtrack to boot. Extras include a 40 minute featurette of interviews with teh cast and filmmakers, and a production gallery of character sketches. All in all a solid release.
