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Hideo Kojima has crafted not only one of the finest video game franchises ever, but over the last twenty years given us one of the very best stories ever told.
From the birth of Metal Gear, to the revolution of Metal Gear Solid, to the epic conclusion in Guns of the Patriots, Kojima-san has delivered a moving, intricate, and intense narrative that has challenged conventional methods in the video game industry, and in the realm of story telling as whole.
Captured in a sense of awe as I watched the opening sequence of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, I was mystified by the subtly of this legend that is Metal Gear; the careful cinematography, the isolated cords striking throughout a haunting score, the game’s thesis statement delivered by the aging protagonist – it was as elegant as it was striking and captivating.
Through such powerful delivery Hideo Kojima has given us more than simply innovative gameplay, and intriguing plot, he’s proven his ability to communicate in the most subtle of ways, through sight and sound, and even the unseen or unheard – his distinct style, the fingerprint saturated into every inch of what he does, is a testiment to his prowess as a story teller.
With that in mind, one has to wonder if it’s right to let anyone other than Kojima helm a Metal Gear experience, in the realm of video games or otherwise. Specifically in regards to the confirmed, but not yet dated, Metal Gear Solid movie, I can’t help but be baffled when debates break out over who should direct such a film; it’s as if asking, during the life-time of Michelangelo, under whose brush should the Sistine Chapel be repainted – it’s almost insulting to consider anyone else.
Although Kojima has already stated he won’t work on another Metal Gear game, he is working as an Executive Producer (and presumably screenwriter) on the upcoming film. The thought of another director/designer working on a Metal Gear game is different issue entirely, one which I won’t get into now. Whether or not he wants to develop another Metal Gear game is entirely up to him, but as for a movie, Kojima must direct, it simply isn’t a legitimate Metal Gear experience otherwise.
Since the announcement of a Metal Gear Solid movie we’ve heard the nonstop buzz of the rumor mill spilling over whispers of potential directors to guide the film. Kurt Wimmer (Ultraviolet, Equilibrium) was one such name that sent a shiver through the collective spine of the Metal Gear fan base. Thankfully Collider.com dispelled that rumor in an interview with Mike De Luca, one of the producers on the film. Although De Luca did state that, “Kurt is like one of many people we’re talking to about pitching us back a take on adapting the franchise.” And went on to say that Sony and Kojima were hearing the ideas of many different writers about ways to adapt the series to film.
While it’s encouraging to see that Kojima will keep a close oversight on who will shape this movie, as I explained earlier, what has made Solid Snake, Liquid, Big Boss, and the Metal Gear series so captivating is not merely the action sequences or the plot – it’s the immeasurable something that Hideo Kojima brings to the experience. Hideo Kojima is a genius, and this series the child of his genius. If the Metal Gear Solid movie is to be the quintessence of everything that is Metal Gear, it requires the secret ingredient that only comes from his mind, in the most direct way possible.
Of course, we know he will fill the role of Executive Producer, and in many ways will shape this movie, but a director has more control over a film than any other one person. And while it’s not always the case, the Executive Producer role as often been called the “do nothing producer” in jest, as it’s often seen as a far away overseeing role, with little direct involvement. As for how much or little Kojima decides to influence this film, that’s yet to be seen. What’s for certain is that the more he gets his hands on this movie, the better it will be.
Throughout the Metal Gear series Kojima has pushed the boundaries of story telling in games, and continued to seamlessly blend cinematics with gameplay. He is a director. Anyone who has played through any of the Metal Gear Solid games can attest to the fine cinematic sequences that rival, and often surpass, those seen in Hollywood movies. While often times Hollywood will shun the creator of source material in an adaptation, Kojima is the one man with the vision and experience to cross over mediums. He’s proven since 1998 (and some would argue even before than) that he understands, and in fact has mastered, a cinematic experience.
Visions of Frank Miller’s Sin City emanate through my mind as I ponder this subject. Granted the stories and creators are as different as you can get, but the situations do warrant comparison. Frank Miller is Sin City, it’s his and he created it. And although he shares the director credit for the Sin City movie with Robert Rodriguez, everyone knows (even Rodriguez) that Sin City is Frank Miller’s, and if anyone should bring it to life in any medium, it’s the series’ creator.
I’m not saying a Metal Gear Solid movie can’t be good without Kojima directing, but understand that without a WRITTEN & DIRECTED credit attributed to Hideo Kojima, it simply won’t be complete.
In the Metal Gear universe there is one singular figure around which everything revolves, his existence, and the role he has played through the most pivotal of moments has shaped everything that we know. In a real world comparison it’s easy to see, Hideo Kojima is Big Boss. To Metal Gear he is the most important person there could ever be – he always has been, he always will be. No matter what.
