Gojira
Director: Ishiro Honda
Actors: Akira Takarada, Momoko Kochi, Takashi Shimura
Year Released: 1954
Genre: Kaiju
See Also: Godzilla, King of the Monsters, Godzilla Final Wars
It's hard not to think of Godzilla as the cuddly, loveable critter he eventually became in the late-'70s but the monster in Gojira (the original Japanese title) is a far cry from what we grew up with in the Godzilla Power Hour. Rarely seen outside Japan until recently, the original, uncut Gojira is something of a revelation. While the US version, Godzilla, King of the Monsters, only hinted at the connection between the monster and the atomic bomb, Gojira makes this extremely plain. Gojira is Japan's anger and pain at being bombed made into cinematic flesh, and witnessing it is a harrowing, moving experience.
Fishing boats are being routinely sunk in the Pacific Ocean south of Tokyo. Inhabitants of Odo Island say it's Gojira, a god to whom in the past they appeased with female sacrifices. It is indeed Gojira who's causing all the trouble, but it's not female sacrifices he's after this time. Radiation from atomic testing has mutated him and he's understandably pissed off. He wrecks Odo Island with the force of a hurricane and then heads for Tokyo.
The monster in Gojira is terrifying and feral, entirely different from what he would later become. Director Ishiro Honda, who would go on to helm many more Godzilla films, shoots the monster from far away, keeping distance between us and this terrifying force of nature. There's no personality in him except rage, and this distancing effect highlights this. There are few close-ups, and when we are brought in close we see only crazed eyes and a snapping jaw. He is anger: psychotic, uncontrollable anger.
Gojira's destruction of Tokyo is slow, methodic, and terrible. Making his way across the cityscape, the 50-meter-tall behemoth topples any and all buildings in his path. Fleeing citizens are crushed under rubble. When Gojira unleashes his radioactive breath, people are incinerated in a flash. If there was any lingering doubt as to what Gojira really is, it's been blown away in a hot flash of fire. When the monster finally heads back out to sea, Tokyo is left engulfed in flames. It's devastating, and only nine years after the fire-bombing of Tokyo, and the dropping of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
The aftermath of Gojira's rampage is given equal weight. Rows upon rows of patients, living and dead, crowd a hospital as the film's stars, Akira Takarada and Momoko Kochi, tend to the wounded. A girl cries as her dead mother is taken away. Another girl is so radiated, she sends a Geiger counter into a tizzy. This is not your usual monster movie. It's catharsis for a nation.
While watching Gojira I couldn't help but think of the current situation with North Korea. With its proximity to, and hatred for, Japan, the fear of nuclear attack is once again a reality. Japanese politicians have recently made comments to the effect of, "Countries with nuclear weapons don't get attacked," statements that have been stifled by new prime minister Shinzo Abe but are still cause for nervousness. Given Gojira's anti-atomic message, maybe it's time to organize a screening for the Diet, the Japanese parliament. Ishiro Honda would approve: before his death he stated that he hoped Gojira would bring an end to nuclear testing and arms proliferation. Maybe that's a lot to ask from a guy in a rubber suit but really, can we afford to take any chances?
Otaku Alert: Haruo Nakajima, the man inside the incredibly heavy Gojira suit, reportedly lost 20 pounds during the shoot.
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