|
When considering Japanese cinema, I always begin with one of Toho’s 1954
classics, “Gojira”. I say “one of” due to the existence of another Toho classic
from 1954, “Shichinin no Samurai” (Seven Samurai). In fact, the two films are
forever linked by one of the greatest Japanese actors of all time, Takashi
Shimura. In this film, Shimura-san portrays Dr. Yamane.
Another important point before embarking on the review is that the review is
of the film “Gojira,” not the American release “Godzilla.” The American release,
while it is important for bringing our giant friend to US screens, is basically
a raped version of the original. After viewing the original, it is understood
why. “Gojira” harbors a certain amount of anti-American sentiment, which is
quite understandable. Historically, it is common knowledge that one of the
endpoints for World War II was the bombing of Hiroshima. Regardless of your
nationalistic standing, this was a lasting hardship on the Japanese peoples.
What you may not know is the story of Bikini Atoll.
From 1946 - 1958, the US was actively testing atomic bombs far off the coast
of Honolulu, Hawaii in a zone nicknamed the Bikini Atoll. In March 1954, the
largest of the tests occurred (The Bravo Test), a 15 megaton explosion that
vaporized 3 islands and threw radioactive material for over 50,000 miles.
Unfortunately, a Japanese fishing boat, the Daigo Fukyuryu Maru (Lucky Dragon
#7), wandered into this zone. The crew was exposed to the radioactivity and some
died due to the resulting poisoning. Worse yet, the cargo, contaminated tuna,
was dispersed throughout many markets. When all of this news surfaced, the
Japanese press nicknamed the crisis “The Second Atomic Bombing of Japan.”
Tomoyuki Tanaka used this inspiration, combined with the Japanese box office
interest of “Beast from 20.000 Fathoms,” and penned the first big Japanese
sci-fi hit.
The opening scenes of the movie pay eerie homage to the events at Bikini
Atoll as a crew of naval investigators are obliterated in a flash of light. The
crew is the most recent in a stream to fall prey to mysterious circumstances in
the Pacific. A group of scientists are dispatched to investigate, this time by
helicopter. The group, including Dr. Shimura, Dr. Serizawa, Emiko (Shimura’s
daughter and Serizawa’s bride-to-be), and naval officer Hideto Ogata, find more
than they bargained for. The island is home to very superstitious people who
believe the tragedies are the result of an angry monster named “Gojira.” This
silliness becomes grounded in fact when giant footprints are found on the
island. The big reveal when Gojira makes his first appearance via a headshot
coming over a mountain is a classic.
What follows is, of course, mass destruction. Tokyo is utterly destroyed and
a plan is hatched to take out the daikaiju (big monster). What makes the
original so poignant is the fact that you can invest yourself in the fear and
tragedy of the Japanese people more readily. When you can fully experience the
intended sound effects, the full score composed by Akira Ifukube, and the
original, un-dubbed voices, you are drawn into a much darker version of what you
remember to be a big, goofy popcorn flick. The air of seriousness and tragedy is
quite imposing. Its like hearing about a piece of bad news second hand, but then
later seeing it with your own eyes on the news.
There are quite a few instances of scenes that were changed, cut, or
basically deleted to make the American release a good B-movie. There is even a
character, who supposedly died early on in the film, who is part of a later
scene and not even regarded. This was due to the thoughts of Hollywood that most
Americans considered Japanese people too similar looking to notice. The scene
where the Japanese government meets to discuss the situation is also very
important to the original, but absent in the US version.
“Gojira” is a must see for anyone interested in Japanese history and culture.
There are too many tidbits to discuss in one brief review, but they add realism
to the film. Certainly the later installments of the 50-year old franchise had
some silliness and intended camp, but the original was an unapologetic allegory
to the times, trials, and tribulations of a nation struggling to rebuild its
economy and way of life. How ironic that a film and creature created from the
fears, horrors, and negative sentiment of atomic tragedy have become icons,
endearing millions to the very same people who suffered those tragedies.
- FACT #1 – Gojira is a combination of the terms for “gorilla” and “whale” (kujira).
- FACT #2 – The cry of Gojira was produced by combining the sounds of a lion’s
roar (in reverse) and an upright bassist running a rubber glove along his low E
string.
For more info, check out the following:
|
