In my pop culture class on Wednesday and Friday, my professor popped in the Japanese version of Godzilla rather than lecturing. Immediate thoughts: "Awesome...but uh oh." As a Japanese film from 1954, I have to say I was expecting it to be ridiculous, campy as can be and ultimately, cheesy. However, I was delightfully surprised and very impressed.
For the few people that do not know the story of Godzilla, or Gojira in this case, it tells the story of a two million-year-old beast reawakened by large amounts of radioactivity. For the activity present in the first place, think Hiroshima and Nagasaki. From there, Gojira terrorizes Japan and the people inhabiting it, mostly by setting things on fire.
The "special effects" certainly reminded me that I was watching a movie from 1954. I smirked and giggled a bit when smoke pouring from Gojira's mouth automatically lit things on fire. However, that kind of stuff had nothing to do with forming my opinion. What I loved was the feel of the movie. With so many different locations, showing the different ways the Japanese reacted, I felt as though it could really happen. In giving a believable atmosphere, director IshirÅ Honda struck gold. He followed so many different mindsets and points of view: the horrified reporter, the average Japanese resident who wants to know what's happening and why, the armed official who wanted to take Gojira down to save the Japanese, the paleontologist who wants to study Gojira, the scientist who thinks he has a solution to get rid of Gojira. By surrounding the viewer with so many different pictures of what's going on, the circumstance starts to look increasingly realistic, even if it is a gigantic lizard rising from the depths of Tokyo Bay.
With such a full-circle perspective, I truly admire this film, especially since it was made in 1954. Sure,
the effects are laughable at times and some of the acting is second-rate, but it's about the full picture.
Out of four, I give it:
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