Gorjia, aka Godzilla

Gojira (1954) starring  Akira Takarada, Momoko Kôchi, Akihiko Hirata

Synopsis of Gojira

The ocean’s surface begins to boil white-hot. A Japanese freighter vanishes into the Pacific. And the superstitious villagers of Odo Island fear an ancient legend has come true …. The legend of Gojira! Awakened from an eons-long sleep by an atomic bomb explosion. The behemoth turns Tokyo into a wasteland of atomic fire and rubble.  Who, or what, can stop it?

Review of Gojira

Editor’s note: This review is for Gojira, the original Japanese Godzilla movie. Not the Americanized version with Raymond Burr. Read that review under Godzilla- King of the Monsters.

I’d like to contrast it with the Burr version.  In short, it’s a much tighter story. It moves slowly from something causing destruction at sea, and on Odo island. Until it’s finally seen about 25 minutes into the film.  Gojira is a devastating terror. Its a mobile natural disaster. And mankind’s technology is worthless against.  Gojira is a metaphor for the potential dangers of atomic radiation. But it’s more than that.  It’s a metaphor for humanity’s hopelessness, despite our hubris, against nature unbridled.

But Gojira is, at its’ heart, a story that deals with people.  Several protagonists, whom the audience comes to care about.  Three of whom are in a romantic triangle.

Characters in Gojira

• Hideto Ogata (Akira Takarada, Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster, Godzilla 2014).  Pilot, the first protagonist. He’s in love with Emiko.
• Emiko Yamane (Momoko Kôchi, Godzilla vs. Destroyah, The Mysterians).  Lovely, kind, young lady. She’s in love with Ogata.  But engaged since childhood to Serizawa.
• Daisuke Serizawa-hakase (Akihiko Hirata, Sanjuro, Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla).  The brilliant scientist. He may have found a way to stop Gojira.  But he fears that his knowledge is too dangerous to use. If used once, it can be used again.  And it could lead to the destruction of all life.  He also is truly, deeply, in love with Emiko.  And he knows that she doesn’t return his feelings.
• Kyohei Yamane-hakase (Takashi Shimura, Seven Samurai, Rashomon).  Emiko’s father. He’s a leading paleontologist. The Japanese government sends him to Odo island.  There, he finds a live trilobite. It’s a creature that should be a million years extinct.  He also finds large radioactive footprints. And finally, Gojira itself.  In some ways, he is the film’s Cassandra. He’s the prophet whose warnings come true. But people ignore his warnings.

A wonderful movie for adults, with adult themes

In short, Gojira is a wonderful film that has aged well, with excellent moments large and small.  For example, there’s a moment as Gojira is rampaging through Tokyo, and a mother is cuddling with her daughters.  She comforts them by saying that, in a moment, they’ll be reunited with their father.  And they’re presumed to be killed.

Clearly, not a happy moment.  But a very serious one. It underscores the death and destruction throughout the movie.  And the human cost.  It’s not only the main characters that suffer and pay a price.  Gojira himself is dangerous, deadly, imposing.  And unstoppable.  Unless Serizawa’s mysterious invention can stop him …

I rate Gojira 5 stars, an A+.  I frankly can’t imagine how any improvements.