Watching this in theatres was a surreal experience... (And the loudest)

I LOVED the visuals which were so stylised and detailed I was in awe the entire time. In particular I really like how they weren't afraid to use all black for the shadows, making each scene feel all the more atmospheric and suspenseful. The sound design was also really nice as it felt in line with how the girl was feeling, and how the world and different objects interacted with one another, the sounds of which blurred and morphed together at times.

I was however, about to fall asleep... I mean that's kind of on me for sleeping late and choosing an early show, but still, some of the scenes dragged out for so long and if they didn't, the movie would've probably only been an hour long. I get it if they did it to add suspense and to let the audience take in everything they can. (Plus, if they've spent so much time drawing such detailed scenes its understandable that they would want to use it to its full extent) But in the end, it made for really slow pacing and I was this close to closing my eyes...

In terms of plot, there really was none... I thought there would be a climax after the man cracked her egg, but nothing happened, and I was left a little confused and TO BE HONEST unsatisfied.

But I suppose the film focuses on its symbolism and audience interpretation. It feels more like a series of artworks or a very old picture book rather than a movie with a traditional structure. Although I am a sucker for media that touches upon religion or rather dismantling the grim parts of it, UNFORTUNATELY I am neither knowledgable nor smart enough to fully understand the extent of Oshii's artistic intentions or the myriad of symbolisms in the film, especially vague references to Christianity. Moreover, I am not used to abstract or extremely theoretical media... Which is why I want to start consuming more stuff of this style, and hopefully one day, when I'm older, I'll truly understand this film to its full extent.

~

However, if I had to try to formulate a guess based on my own minimal understanding, here it is:

During that last bit when the man was staring at the spaceship, I lowkey thought she was supposed to be the virgin mary or something... The girl seemed young and small, yet her voice and her motives seemed so out of place and strange. The placement of the egg for most of the movie was deliberete, simulating pregnancy. There is a contrast between the two sides (and I was lowkey not liking it...), and for whatever reason it may be that the girl had to look like a child, I suppose this contrast highlights her innocence and her humanity within such a bleak and gothic world. Thus, the hope and the care she gives the egg is also all the more important in face of disillusionment and the futility of reaching for the impossible. Moreover, her faith is contrasted with the man's skepticism. He represents exactly what the world they are living like is, a shattered wasteland with no where to go and no one to go to. In comparison to the girl, the man has no purpose and is only seen wandering and following the girl as he pleases.

Going with what I personally believe the girl to be, perhaps a symbol of life itself (not only is she a symbol of the future as the only youth, but her caring for the egg also plays into the idea of bringing and hoping for life in this world), and in religious context, she is the guardian for the "bird" that would hatch and seek new land. I'm not familiar with what the bird means in Noah's ark, but from what the man had said, the bird was supposed lead them to land, to a new world, to life itself. But in the end, they are met with empty promises. Similarly, the fishermen are also latching onto this false hope, that they would be able to catch the "fishes" that are nothing but shadows that lead them on, literally alluding to its falsehood and non existence.

If I were to visualise this relationship, the egg would stand between the two people, while the girl stands above them, the man is looking up at them... In the end, the man's skepticism leads him to break the egg, unconvinced of the "saviour" that is contained within it. To me, his skepticism towards faith and the possibility of life itself overrides the girl's own hopes and dreams, her fragility is apparent in contrast. What's interesting to me is the staff that he carries. I noticed how it resembled a cross from the beginning, and during the sequence of him following her around the city, the visual of the cross walking with them is apparent, especially as it follows the girl from behind. To "kill" the last symbol of hope and faith with the cross is quite ironic, especially since the staff should represent protection. The same ideal that should've served as light at the end of the tunnel is the reason for these results, and while it definitely ended worse for the girl, did it serve the man any good?

I personally think that the egg had nothing to begin with. I'm a little biased due to personal reasons, but when the egg shattered, there was nothing inside to hint at any life or object that was contained. The man had consistently questioned the existence of a bird in it, which is a pretty human and logical question to ask. Is THE bird really in there? I think he was proven correct. There was nothing physical to begin with, and everything from the girl's faith and the man's skepticism were theoretical and intangible. To me, that perfectly symbolises what religion and especially Christianity is-- It is just an idea, a concept to latch on to. And whether or not you believe in it or not, or lost hope in it completely, in face of god, in face of life and death, in face of the nature of this world, you are still dragged into a world where "belief" is such an integral concept. Who am I to say if it is right or wrong? Though personally, the film showed both the beauty (albeit, short lived through the girl's journey) and grim sides of a "faith" driven world. It was truly bleak form start to finish...

What was before this endless abyss and darkness is confusing to me, and I really don't know why they are the only ones in this world. Is it purgatory? But in that case why is the young girl in there as well? Maybe the rain water that never drains symbolises the drowning of humanity and the bit of hope and life in of itself... There is no better place, and there will be no saviour. And if god is real, we are only pieces on the chessboard for him to play and control., (I saw some theories on the meaning of the tiled floors, which showed up twice from what I remember)...

I suppose trying to understand something so abstract from my point of view is a little futile... In the end, the religious symbolism is shown in mechanical and unconventional manners and it truly is beyond my understanding...