JIN-ROH
by Moné Peterson

Jin-Roh (subtitled The Wolf Brigade in the U.S.) was written by Mamoru Oshii, who directed Patlabor, Stray Dogs, and Ghost in the Shell. The latter film's animation supervisor, Hiroyuki Okiura, is here given his first directing assignment. The film is atypical of most of the Japanese animation that has reached our shores. Part political thriller, part cop drama, it's a stark and introspective work that dispenses with cartoonish characterizations, and leaves the usual anime fireworks to a bare minimum.

Set in an alternative, mildly high-tech post-WW2 Tokyo, this time Japan has lost the war to Germany (don't ask - it matters little, really), leaving the nation beset by economic collapse and urban terrorism. The methods of peacekeeping are handled by two organizations -; the Tokyo police, and an elite paramilitary unit (the "Special Unit") that gets to wear nifty combat outfits with glowing red eyes and carry around high-caliber weaponry. The organizations are at odds with each other, and naturally, political machinations ensue.

In the line of duty, Kazuki Fuse, a Special Unit trooper, encounters a young, female terrorist runner, a "Little Red Riding Hood." He has an opportunity to shoot the girl, but doesn't, and she detonates her package, blowing herself up and nearly killing him in the process. Because of his failure, Kazuki is relieved of duty and sent back to basic training, but he finds himself unable to get past the experience. Complications ensue when Kazuki meets and strikes up a relationship with the dead girl's sister, and the plot develops a case of Vertigo (Hitchcock-style).

The serpentine plot (which incorporates as its narrative the story of Little Red Riding Hood) contains various twists, turns and surprises which are intriguing in their resolution, but I have to say I found the journey dull for the most part. A good deal of the film is spent with the stoic Kazuki listlessly going through the motions, or men in suits advancing the story with their behind-the-scenes plotting, or a character (any character, pick one) lost in a contemplative gaze.

It might have worked anyway, except that the dialogue, whether because of flaws in the script or the translation, is incredibly simplistic. The political situations and underlying motives are described only in the broadest of terms, with some pedantic metaphors involving beasts and wolves thrown in for good measure. More damaging, the lead characters (heck, all the characters) are devoid of personality, and the emotional impact of their respective situations is therefore less affecting.

In keeping with the film's theme, the animation is toned down from typical anime, more realistic and muted. The effect is somewhat flat and inexpressive, however, with attempts to render Tokyo in a gloomy, neo-realist style only partly successful. The most striking aspect of the art is the characters' Asian features, the details of which are impressive in their subtlety (of course, for all their realism, they still burst like ketchup packets when riddled with bullets, but I digress).

The film has its finer points. There is one especially haunting nightmare scene, and there is a certain poetry in the film's slow delivery and shot sequence. It might have all come together if the script allowed for any depth behind those long, meaningless stares. As it stands, it's nothing more than an exercise in tedium. I have yet see, however, a negative review of this film yet. All the critics' comments seem to have been positive, with some going so far as to call it a masterpiece. Judge for yourself.

©2001 Moné Peterson
CineScene