December 1st: Godzilla (1954)

Before cracking on with this review I’ll break down what I am fully doing with this series of reviews. I will only be reviewing the Japanese Godzilla films, so you won’t be getting any American Godzilla’s this month. Also, I will only be reviewing the live action films, so not the animated Netflix Godzilla films. If you won’t my opinion on them here, you go: They are fine. With that said let’s crack on with this series.

Here is where it all began. I wonder if the filmmakers involved in Godzilla (1954) had any inkling that that this would take off in the way it did and become a cultural and worldwide phenomenon the way it has. Based on the tone and themes of the film I would guess not. But that is exactly what has happened, so much so that Godzilla himself will be getting pride of place at Haneda Airport in Tokyo. However, as previously mentioned, you may not have imagined Godzilla gaining a cult like status based on the tone of his first appearance.

I think it is very fair to say that this film is bleak. Obviously, with it being about a giant monster stomping through cities you are expecting death and destruction, but this film doesn’t just leave that to the background, it puts it into focus. On more than one occasion we are introduced to characters in their last moments, one being a TV reporter who bravely signs off to his audience one he knows Godzilla is going to kill him, and another where a mother cradles her children and exclaims that they’ll be with their father soon. Giving these small moments really heaps on the helplessness and mood of the theme and they work a charm, especially when you view them through the lens of the films themes and the metaphor of nuclear weapons. Now, anyone who has studied film for more than two minutes is aware that Godzilla is a metaphor for the nuclear bomb, but I had forgotten how very on the nose it is throughout the film. The very start of the film references the disaster of the Daigo Fukuryū Maru, a fishing boat that was affected by American nuclear testing off the coast of Japan, with the fisherman on the boat being exposed to the radiation and the horrors that came after. But this is only obvious symbolism if you are aware of the event. What is more obvious and really drills home the anti-nuclear weapons messaging of the film is the fact that several characters just straight up mention nuclear weapons, and specifically the bombing of Nagasaki, with one line being ‘ Godzilla is no different than the H-bomb still hanging over Japan’s head’. They’re not trying to hide it, but it also does not feel forced and feels very much like it fits within the narrative.

But lets steps away from the themes for a moment (as many of these sequels are going to do) and focus on the film as a film. And guys, it slaps. I have always liked this film, but now going back to it having seen the rest of the Showa era films I have gained a much deeper appreciation for it. I love the tone personally, and it makes the film work much more as drama than an sci-fi action film that many of the later films would become, despite clearly having those elements to it as well. This is helped by the inclusion of Takashi Shimura, a legend of Japanese films and a frequent collaborator of Akira Kurosawa, who brings a real sense of heft to the film. It is also beautifully shot, with some really brilliant visual sequences. I honestly believe the fact is in black and white helps it visually and if it was to be transferred to colour it would not work the same, visually or tonally. And finally on to the main man himself, Godzilla. Now look, we all know that he is just a man in a suit, but the film does a brilliant job at giving him a weight and scope that you genuinely do forget that this isn’t a real monster. This is helped massively by the miniature work that for the most part is impeccable. There a couple of sequences where it looks like they have thrown toy cars around the set but other than that the miniatures do a brilliant job in making Godzilla seem huge. Godzilla himself, on close ups leaves something to be desired, but in wide shots he looks wonderful. It is possibly to this day the best design for the titular man, and to have achieved that in 1954 is a massive achievement.

I could go on and on with this, and I realise I haven’t even spoken about the music (but don’t worry, I will) but I feel like this could ned up being a super long review, and also what is there to say that has not already been said. This film is an undeniable classic, and if you haven’t seen it I cannot recommend it enough.