Gojira: the original film, the one that started it all. I am referring to it here as Gojira to help distinguish it from both the American re-release/edit called Godzilla, King of the Monsters and two American releases decades later also named simply Godzilla. We'll get to that.
Gojira was released in 1954, directed by Ishirō Honda with both Haruo Nakajima and Katsumi Tezuka as Godzilla.
If You Haven't Seen It Before
- Godzilla has been woken up by hydrogen bomb testing.
- He's pissed.
- Godzilla destroys lots of shit and can't be killed despite numerous attempts.
- Reluctantly, a scientist named Serizawa develops an incredible weapon which can presumably kill Godzilla by causing the hydrogen bonds of oxygen molecules to separate: The Oxygen Destroyer.
- Not wanting the world to get its hands on yet another super-weapon after nuclear power, Serizawa destroys his research and swears that he won't be the cause of more human suffering.
- While deploying his one and only Oxygen Destroyer against Godzilla, Serizawa allows himself to be a victim to it as well, so that his weapon will never fall into the hands of humanity.
Kaiju Notes
- Godzilla's famous Atomic Breath appears to have a fire-like effect in its first appearance, melting metal and setting building ablaze. Big G also uses it directly on scrambling civilians, which should be an interesting thing to keep track of.
- Godzilla's eyes are definitely the weakest part of this suit. They look pretty goofy compared to the relative badassness of the rest. It's an inconsistent problem though, apparently caused by the use of a full suit and a smaller puppet used for other shots.
- Even when it's clear the dorsal fins/spinal are made of rubber, the dorsal spikes themselves look dope and are, for me, one of Godzilla's better design choices. Lighting them up when he uses Atomic Breath is an inspired choice which only looks better as the films transition from black and white to color.
Gojira has an extremely dark, almost bleak, tone. The only respite we get from Godzilla wreaking absolute havoc is watching a couple have difficulty finally becoming engaged because the woman's father is a top scientist and is too distracted by the impending doom of Godzilla to have a conversation about whether marriage would be appropriate. Civilian death is emphasized quite a bit in this first outing, making it clear that Godzilla is not simply here to destroy electrical lines, buildings, and bridges but will explicitly and intentionally target scrambling human beings as well. I think the typical pop culture perspective of Godzilla is somewhat similar to The Incredible Hulk: he will leave you be if you leave him, only destroying tanks and planes when they attack first. But his first major attack on Tokyo is repeatedly punctuated by unnecessarily choosing to kill people who are simply trying to get out of his way. In fact, when the military engages him with airplanes during the attack on Tokyo Godzilla retreats with no military casualties. Combined with the emphasis on the consequences of Godzilla's appearances, showing orphaned children, a full-scale mobilization to repair buildings and help the injured, Gojira has a certain unmistakable grimness at its heart.
The central message of this film seems to be focused on the scientist and hero of the story, Serizawa. Reflecting the somewhat despondent undertone of the whole film, Serizawa is pained to have discovered a weapon capable of destroying Godzilla. He directly compares his Oxygen Destroyer to the H-Bomb, which not only created Godzilla but is a constant preoccupation of the characters of the film, with nearly every mention being negative and/or fearful. Seemingly accepted as the next evolution of nuclear weaponry, the concern that the Japanese characters have that the H-Bomb spells the end of humanity can't be taken as anything other than a condemnation of the entire concept of an arms race. When Serizawa reveals to one character his creation of the Oxygen Destroyer, a weapon which destroys oxygen on a molecular level, he swears her to secrecy until he can find a purpose for it other than destruction. Perhaps understandably, Godzilla's existence and attacks drive her to break her promise in the hopes that something can be done to stop the destruction of Japan. When confronted with its existence by her and her well-meaning fiancee, Serizawa immediately moves to destroy his research rather than allow its existence become widely known. In regards to his invention, even as a tool to use against the destructive force of Godzilla, Serizawa speaks only of how it will inevitably be used and abused by politicians. "A-bombs again A-bombs, H-bombs against H-bombs... as a human being, adding another terrifying weapon to humanity's arsenal is something I can't allow."
While discussing the usage of the Oxygen Destroyer just once to end Godzilla's threat, Serizawa also points out that humans are weak creatures. Even if he destroys his own research and refuses to create another, he acknowledges that there is no guarantee that he can't be coerced into using it again. He clearly struggles with his decision, knowing that it is their best hope against Godzilla but also believing that he will be releasing pure chaos into the world by revealing the existence of a such a device. In this moment we are also treated to several images which mirror the impact of the nuclear weapon attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, clearly setting a dichotomy between what Serizawa can help to prevent but also the assumed result should his weapon be made public knowledge. In his mind, these images are nothing compared to what might happen should be allow politicians to get their hands on his new Oxygen Destroyer. Unable to face the television screen any longer, he has a moment of reflect and declares that this will be the first and last time that the Oxygen Destroyer. He immediately destroys his notes, watching carefully to ensure that no information survives.
On the day of reckoning, Serizawa asks to be given a diving suit so that he can ensure that their one chance will be successful, as this is the only Oxygen Destroyer in existence and they cannot afford to miss. Finding Godzilla resting in the depths of the ocean, Serizawa releases the Oxygen Destroyer before sending his partner back to the surface without him. Literally cutting off his own method to return, Serizawa dies with Godzilla, and the Oxygen Destroyer dies with him. The movie ends with a clear message: Godzilla was the last of his kind, but if nuclear testing continues then another can and will appear (so obviously stop nuclear testing).
In the grand scheme of kaiju movies, Gojira is a strong start. While one might argue the metaphor is ridiculous and on the nose, it would be hard to argue that the points they are hoping to make are entirely untrue. When it comes to clarity, I would argue that the current state of culture has made it clear that sometimes one cannot afford for interpretation, so the over the top nature of the film truly just future-proofs the message. With later kaiju movies embracing the fun aspects of giant monsters, it can be difficult to decipher exactly how that trend began if you start here. Gojira is joyless and bleak, clearly intended to send a message and not necessarily to start an enduring and kid-friendly franchise (and genre). Given this starting point, tracing the evolution of Kaiju movies will be an interesting endeavor. Stay tuned!
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