Plot Details: This opinion reveals minor details about the movie's plot.

In Japanese folklore, the jin-roh is a "man-wolf"--not a werewolf, a human who turns into an animal and back again, but a mockery of humanity, a beast that walks on two legs. Hiroyuki Okiura's Jin-Roh examines an elite-force policeman's conflict between the human and the bestial in an alternate-history post-occupation Japan. A fascinating and beautifully animated fusion of political intrigue, historical science-fiction, fairy tale, action, and quiet romance, Jin-Roh kept me on tenterhooks until the very end. The film paces along at an easy stride, but when all the subplots come together, it springs with its claws out and its fangs bared.

A long voiceover explains the premise: after World War II, Japan suffered under Nazi occupation, and it has learned the wrong lessons from it. Ten years after the end of this occupation, traces of the regime remain in the firm-handed government. Splinter groups of terrorists have coalesced into the massive Sect, which uses women and children called "Red Riding Hoods" to deliver bombs. An elite police strike force called the Capital Police (CAPO) has risen to eliminate the terrorist threat. However, the anti-terrorists seem to be no better than those they combat, and the increasingly wealthier and more comfortable public would just as soon both groups just went away.

Capital Police officer Kazuki Fuse stalks the sewer tunnels on a mission to stop the terrorist responsible for a riot above. When he meets a Red Riding Hood, he finds himself unable to shoot. Eyes locked on Fuse, the girl detonates her bomb. The events of this film revolve around that horrific moment.

A board of inquiry sends Fuse back to basic training as punishment. Although he appears impassive, it's clear that something's going on beneath the surface--something that may interfere lethally with his work. His superiors would prefer that he act as a beast who would kill without hesitation, but it's clear that something about the young woman haunts him. He visits the grave of the Red Riding Hood who died before his eyes, and gets a shock when he finds her older sister, Kei, mourning there. Kei gives him a German copy of Little Red Riding Hood, and it is Kei's voice he hears reading it as the events of the film unfold.

The attachment between Kei and Fuse quietly strengthens as the government tightens its net around them. Much of the film's plot is delivered by middle-aged government officials in both public and clandestine meetings, and that's where the power lies. They scheme, and they murmur about a rumored black-ops CAPO unit called "The Wolf Brigade."

Mamoru Oshii (Ghost in the Shell), who wrote the script, placed it in the alternate setting he used for the live-action films Akai Megane (Red Spectacles) (1986) and Kerberos Panzer Cops: Stray Dog (1991), as well as the manga translated as Hellhounds: Panzer Cops. The German influence stands out in every detail, from the vintage Volkwagens and Mercedes to the surprisingly accurate German on the signs to the disturbingly stormtrooper-like CAPO "protect gear". The solidity of the setting rivals Akira's--in fact, it's better than that of many a live-action film I've seen. The backgrounds show the setting to excellent effect. When Kei and Fuse look out from behind a chain-link fence, the fence becomes the most solid thing in the world: a symbol too perfect to be accidental.

Tetsuya Nishio's character designs look so realistic and distinct, one wonders if they were drawn from models. The spare lines of the unshaded figures give them an iconic look, but each character stands out. They move very naturally, but Okiura keeps the animation dynamic, especially in the few (but heartstopping) action scenes. Okiura even insisted on animating with hand-drawn cels only, completely without computer assistance--something even Hayao Miyazaki no longer does.

I'd been expecting Hajime Mizoguchi's soundtrack to feature his cello work, such as the haunting work he composed for The Vision of Escaflowne, but the Jin-Roh soundtrack uses electric instruments and a harder sound. I liked it quite a bit, and it fits with the anachronistically advanced weaponry of the film, but it certainly was a surprise.

Viz made a shrewd move by asking Okiura to approve the voice casting. Japanese tastes run towards deeper, more resonant male voices, and that's exactly what Jin-Roh commanding policemen and government officials require. Despite a slightly stilted English-language script (ironically, it's at its most awkward during voiceovers and off-camera monologues), this is one of the best dubs I've heard.

To me, the real genius of Jin-Roh is the pacing--the gradual spiral of the converging subplots, the careful timing of the images revealed. When the film sprang into action in the last half hour, I realized how well it had set me up to follow the final twists...and how hard and fast it could hit. I still feel a chill when I think of certain moments: the Red Riding Hood's round eyes as she shakes her head and detonates her bomb, the last time Fuse's face disappears beneath his red-lensed helmet, the dream-image of wolves padding through the sewer hunting ground, the moment a character intones, "We are not men behaving like mere dogs. We are wolves disguised as men." I'd seen and heard much of this in the previews, but the placement of these moments multiplies the force of their impact.

Jin-Roh is not always an easy film to watch. The Sect are terrorists, not freedom fighters; the fascist government is too eager to crush dissenters as well as dissent. There is no "good guy," and Oshii hadn't planned for a hero at all. Okiura's decision to make the seldom-visible Kei and her restrained relationship with Fuse the heart of the film adds warmth and humanity, but means that the audience can go a long time without relating to the characters. Although the action scenes are excellent, they're sparingly used and aren't the focus of the movie--action junkies may shuffle their feet during the talkier scenes. None of these things bothered me greatly because the payoff was intense.

When I saw Jin-Roh at San Francisco's art-house Lumiere theater, the entire audience seemed very taken with it--quite a contrast to the hoots of derision the more troubled anime feature X received at that theater several months ago. With its multiple plot twists, its beautiful art, and its interesting fusion of everything from folk tale to historical science fiction, Jin-Roh may be the best way to get an art-house audience to appreciate anime.

Jin-Roh may be Japan's last cel-animated feature. As much as I would regret that, I must say that if it comes to pass, it won't be due to any shortcomings on Jin-Roh's part. This is fine stuff, and I recommend it to any adult who enjoys strong visuals and a solid, sad story well told.

Movie website: http://www.jin-roh.net

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Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Video Occasion: Fit for Friday Evening
Suitability For Children: Not suitable for Children of any age