The opening scene of the Ghost in the Shell film is very dramatic and helps to set the context and tone for the entire film. I always find it interesting to note the way the opening scene begins and frames the storyline. In the case of this film, the very beginning of the opening scene is charged with technology and instantly provides the audience with a futuristic, technology-driven setting. The bold green lighting of the electronic network and the glitch, hectic movement, sound effects, and flashing numbers creates a chaotic and high-energy opening (0:0:31-0:0:57). Technology is presented as both controlled and chaotic – an interesting paradox. Following this, we are exposed to an ominous dark night skyline, which reminded me of the background in the Bladerunner film. This dark, futuristic night background as well as the rest of the scene utilizes hard lighting contrast, via exaggerated shadows and deliberate lighting used to illuminate focal points, such as faces and bodies (0:01:02). Kusanagi’s body is one of the aforementioned focal points, as her pale, naked body is contrasted against the dark and foreboding sky before she plummets from the rooftop upon which she resides: a clear display of her superhuman abilities as a cybernetic body (0:01:58). The frame clearly focuses on her naked body, and lingers on the illuminated, contoured image of her form. It is interesting that her character is displayed as both very human (through the emphasis on her humanlike, womanly, sexualized form) and also superhuman (through the emphasis of her advanced capabilities and the inclusion of her pulling the cables from her neck at 0:01:50). These devices in the opening scene create and interesting contradiction surrounding her character and helps to establish this context for the remainder of the film.
I agree with your assertion that the opening scene of Ghost in the Shell really helps set the atmosphere and tone of the entire movie. The scene itself is an incredible work of art that really utilizes the medium of animation to its fullest capabilities. As evidence of how difficult it can be to create a scene as artistic and innovative as the opening scene of Ghost in the Shell, when artists decided to try and recreate some still shots of the opening scene in live action, it became a major undertaking that took the collaboration of 30 artists. Aside from the visual aspects of the scene, the song choice for the opening sequence seemed to also be a very deliberate and interesting decision. The music, rather than being from a futuristic, techno-based genre, is simple and sounds almost ancient. The instruments in the song are very basic and include drums and some chimes. I think a possible reason for choosing music that sounds primitive is to juxtapose it to the visually futuristic scene and to remind the audience that the questions and ideas this movie explores have been fundamental questions asked throughout history. The music also sets a serious and eerie mood that persists throughout the movie.
A video and blog post about the live action reenactment project can be found here: http://io9.com/it-took-30-artists-to-redo-ghost-in-the-shells-opening-1583363629
fantastic analysis