On the first level, this provides yet another level of the emphasis of artifice that exists in the film, as it demonstrates that the bodies actually being viewed are not meant to be bodies in control, but rather are very much like puppets in that they have been instructed to perform in a certain way, in order to convey other people. That is, the actors are substitutions for puppets in a very real sense -- they are the puppets of the cinematic storytelling mode, and represent the changes that have occurred in Japanese storytelling as traditions have grown old. On a deeper level, when the characters themselves are seen as puppets, this becomes a statement about the lack of real control that exists in human lives. Through both the puppet theatre and the use of the kuroko, there is a heavy influence by a force of fate on the directions of the character's lives, such that their own actions are seemingly out...
This makes their ultimate tragedy and
sacrifice all the more poignant.
There are many different ways to make a movie: many styles, many narrative structures, an endless supply of cinematographic techniques, etc. Shinoda's ability to blend very different styles and techniques of storytelling, including many that would not be considered part of the standard repertoire that exists in film-making, is quite engaging and profound. He creates a
marriage between traditional and modern storytelling techniques that allows for a union on this
earth more perfect than his characters could achieve.
