The Role of Anime in Western Filmmaking

Ivana Simonovicova

Throughout history, Japanese art has played a significant role in the West with anime being no exception. The unique style, diversity of genres, exploration of complex themes, and incorporation of Japanese culture are all features which make anime stand out and appeal to a global audience. Thanks to its popularity in the West, anime plays a significant role in shaping the Western cinematic landscape. Two significant roles of anime in Western filmmaking are identified in this dissertation: anime as a source of inspiration, and anime as a source material for adaptations.

Anime has had a profound impact on creatives like the Wachowskis, Guillermo del Toro, James Cameron, or Steven Spielberg. By closely analysing the impact Ghost in the Shell (1995) had on The Matrix (1999), the first chapter explores the role of anime as a source of inspiration. The Wachowskis took specific scenes and anime techniques and successfully translated them into a live action film. The second chapter delves into the role of anime as a source material for Western adaptations. By analysing the live action adaptation of Ghost in the Shell (2017), the chapter identifies issues linked with adapting a work from one culture to another such as appropriation or whitewashing.

This dissertation aims to highlight anime as a significant cultural export and a valuable source of inspiration, and provide a deeper understanding of the complex relationship between anime and Western cinema.

Are the Political Implications of Representation Visible in the Museum?

Irene Zajmann

This dissertation is, above all, the outcome of critical studies research based on the premise that museums have an integral role in preserving monuments, material culture and archaeological sites, thereby influencing collective values and social understanding. The study examines the ideological representation of the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford and the British Museum in London based on the premise that these museums are not neutral frames. Moreover, representation in these museums is in danger of continuing to glorify the British colonial past.

The production of knowledge assigns western colonisers as hierarchical, and devalues social meanings, language, viewpoints, contexts, and the politics of a given region and/or its people. Since these museums inception they have been embedded within and represented by power structures. Politics is linked to the workings of power, so these museums are inherently political. Evans et al. argue that museums have never been neutral and even in their earliest forms, someone had set forth some objects for other people to view and experience.

Who is being seen?

Who has the power to see?

Who is being represented?

Who represents?

I have chosen these two museums as they were initially founded during the colonial period, and there has been some suggestion that these museums continue to promote imperialism. Therefore, this research aims to explore to what extent these institutions have embraced the politics of repatriation through an exploration of Margaret Lindauer and Henrietta Lidchi’s theories of museum history and practice.

BA (Hons) Fashion and Dress History