After introducing myself to the Godzilla series with a couple of the crazy 90's films where he battled the likes of Mechagodzilla and Space Godzilla, I figured it was time I see where it all began: the 1954 Japanese film GOJIRA. I sat down to watch this movie expecting more of what I'd seen so far from other Godzilla films, including massive battles and melodramatic performances, except on a smaller budget. I couldn't have been more wrong. The original 1954 film not only carried itself with the utmost dignity but it also came with a message that resonated socially with the Japanese population following the end of World War II. It begins with the mysterious destruction of some Japanese fishing boats at sea. The Japanese are terrified and an investigation is started, led by lead scientist Dr. Yamane (Takashi Shimura). The case brings them to Odo Island where they first come face to face with the menace that is Gojira/Godzilla, a 160-ft. tall dinosaur beast infused with atomic radiation and an enormous thirst for destruction. When he begins to lumber his way to the capitol of Tokyo, the Japanese buckle down and muster what forces they can to defend themselves but nothing appears to faze him. Japan's only hope lies with Dr. Serizawa (Akihiko Hirata) and his research, if he can bring himself to share his terrifying new discovery with the world. And personally, I found myself let down by the whole thing so, Godzilla fans, please don't hate me.
It's not that I demand mindless monster battle action from a Godzilla film. I can see the franchise took a major detour at some point and veered into some weird territory by the time it got around to psychic space moths and giant transforming robots. I love that the original GOJIRA is a more deliberately paced story with a message to share with its audience. My problem is that the movie was just too boring. At 100 minutes, it's just too slow to keep my interest. Maybe it's because I grew up with modern Hollywood and it's screwed with my attention span, but I doubt it because there are plenty of other movies from that era that I can still enjoy. The limited budget is quaint and I've got no problem with the production value. We can see the strings on the planes and there are obvious differences between the man in the suit and the puppet used for close up shots of the monster. It's cool. I just wish the movie had moved along at a better pace. Everything is very tense and over dramatic, and everyone seems to speak with a glassy-eyed stare and a lowered voice to emphasize the weight of the situation. GOJIRA is not your average monster movie. It doesn't revel in the mindless destruction of the monster stomping through town. It mourns it and gives pause to consider what brought them to this point and how it should have been avoided. Don't misconstrue it to seem that I have a problem with the movie's message. I actually really respect it for that and, as a result, it's got more going for it than any of the previous Godzilla movie's I've seen.
But let's face it, if this wasn't the first movie of its kind (a Japanese giant monster movie), GOJIRA probably wouldn't be as fondly remembered as it is. I might respect it for what it is, but that doesn't make it an awesome movie. It plods along at a snail's pace and the film's pseudoscience is laughable (setting the precedent for all it's future sequels, I guess). Suspension of disbelief is an absolute must when you're talking about a giant mutant dinosaur with atomic breath but, come on, I'm pretty sure the film's "secret weapon" developed by Dr. Serizawa isn't fooling anyone. You don't have to be a chemist to see it and think to yourself, "You know, I don't think that's right." I don't know. It just reeks of laziness to take advantage of your audience's (at that time) assumed ignorance and come up with a "science-y" sounding name for a weapon to explain your deus ex machina plot device to wrap up your monster movie. You can't have it both ways. You can't be a super-serious metaphor for your nation's fear of atomic weapons while at the same time feeding us corny science schlock. Your vibes conflict and it helps to kill my interest. GOJIRA is mildly enjoyable to this modern viewer and I'd recommend it to anyone who loves the giant monster genre. It's got a massive fan base so obviously there's something I'm missing here. It's got some real strong performances from its cast, the themes are intriguing, and the retro effects are fun but it's just a real drag with a third act that fizzles.
It's not that I demand mindless monster battle action from a Godzilla film. I can see the franchise took a major detour at some point and veered into some weird territory by the time it got around to psychic space moths and giant transforming robots. I love that the original GOJIRA is a more deliberately paced story with a message to share with its audience. My problem is that the movie was just too boring. At 100 minutes, it's just too slow to keep my interest. Maybe it's because I grew up with modern Hollywood and it's screwed with my attention span, but I doubt it because there are plenty of other movies from that era that I can still enjoy. The limited budget is quaint and I've got no problem with the production value. We can see the strings on the planes and there are obvious differences between the man in the suit and the puppet used for close up shots of the monster. It's cool. I just wish the movie had moved along at a better pace. Everything is very tense and over dramatic, and everyone seems to speak with a glassy-eyed stare and a lowered voice to emphasize the weight of the situation. GOJIRA is not your average monster movie. It doesn't revel in the mindless destruction of the monster stomping through town. It mourns it and gives pause to consider what brought them to this point and how it should have been avoided. Don't misconstrue it to seem that I have a problem with the movie's message. I actually really respect it for that and, as a result, it's got more going for it than any of the previous Godzilla movie's I've seen.
But let's face it, if this wasn't the first movie of its kind (a Japanese giant monster movie), GOJIRA probably wouldn't be as fondly remembered as it is. I might respect it for what it is, but that doesn't make it an awesome movie. It plods along at a snail's pace and the film's pseudoscience is laughable (setting the precedent for all it's future sequels, I guess). Suspension of disbelief is an absolute must when you're talking about a giant mutant dinosaur with atomic breath but, come on, I'm pretty sure the film's "secret weapon" developed by Dr. Serizawa isn't fooling anyone. You don't have to be a chemist to see it and think to yourself, "You know, I don't think that's right." I don't know. It just reeks of laziness to take advantage of your audience's (at that time) assumed ignorance and come up with a "science-y" sounding name for a weapon to explain your deus ex machina plot device to wrap up your monster movie. You can't have it both ways. You can't be a super-serious metaphor for your nation's fear of atomic weapons while at the same time feeding us corny science schlock. Your vibes conflict and it helps to kill my interest. GOJIRA is mildly enjoyable to this modern viewer and I'd recommend it to anyone who loves the giant monster genre. It's got a massive fan base so obviously there's something I'm missing here. It's got some real strong performances from its cast, the themes are intriguing, and the retro effects are fun but it's just a real drag with a third act that fizzles.