TIFF ‘08 Preview: “The Sky Crawlers”
When most people think of anime, one name immediately comes to mind: Hayao Miyazaki, and understandably so. However, there are many masters of the craft, and Mamoru Oshii is at the very top of that list. While Miyazaki may be best known for spinning fantastic tales full of child-like wonder and whimsy, Oshii creates darker, more adult works that blend together technological fascination with heady philosophical and existential ponderings (e.g., the Ghost In The Shell franchise).
The Sky Crawlers looks to continue that trend. Based on a novel by Hiroshi Mori, the movie is set in an alternate history where children are given eternal life so as to wage wars for the entertainment of adults. The movie follows one of these children after he arrives at an airbase with no memories aside from his name and his piloting skills. There, he begins to struggle with a burgeoning relationship, and since this is an Oshii film, other existential crises. Also, since this is an Oshii film, you know that the animation is going to be absolutely stellar.
More info on the film can be found on Production I.G’s website. You can also watch a nearly six-minute promo clip courtesy of Twitch.
Comments
Daniel Giesbrecht
August 20, 2008 10:32amsounds really interesting. I don’t understand how children with eternal life works(does that mean they don’t grow up to become the adults they’re entertaining either?).
Emily
August 20, 2008 11:51pmNamco Bandai is bringing Ghost in the Shell director Mamoru Oshii’s latest film, “The Sky Crawlers,“ to the Wii in the form of a flight combat sim. The genre makes for a perfect fit given the movie’s focus on a group of fighter pilots, albeit in an alternate setting.