A few weeks ago I watched a movie, this movie was one of the Japanese greatest masterpieces of all time, Godzilla. Godzilla was directed by Ishiro Honda but everyone has to recognize that the landmark special effects for the time of the movie were done by Eiji Tsuburaya. This pinnacle of films was one of the first Monster movies and is definitely one of the best of all time. This led to many remakes and sequels which gives it a spot in not just Japanese culture, but in the entire world. Be wary young padawans, by clicking on this article you are entering the land of spoilers, which you will not be able to undo.

Godzilla opens with an attack of fishing boat, the source of it’s destruction is unknown, only a flash of light is given as an indication. A search boat it sent out to find what had occurred but also is attacked and soon after another also is doomed. As I watch in anticipation for the actual sight of Godzilla, it never comes, only a foreshadowing of what is come is revealed, and for that I am quite impressed that like many of the modern monster movies in which the opening scene reveals the beast.

Meanwhile on a near by island, the natives are unable to catch any fish. Almost all of the island’s population are confused as to the predicament they are in, but an elder knows the true cause is Godzilla and makes it known to the rest of the natives. Later on during the night a storm develops, it is unlike any storm they have seen before and completely demolishes the coast where the natives live and a few people died in the storm.

News of this reaches Tokyo and paleontologist Dr. Kyohei Yamane travels to the island with his daughter Emiko  and investigates the cause of the storm, an extremely large and radioactive footprint and a trilobite which should have been extinct are discovered. This discovery is met with the site of Godzilla and a resulting mass panic on the island.

Yamane conducts some research and concludes that Godzilla is a prehistoric reptile and is the result of radioactive testing. The committee researching Godzilla asks for the government to keep the public in the dark, the government agrees but naturally, the information is leaked and all across Japan panic spreads. Godzilla also appears at Tokyo Bay for a brief minute but this also causes an incredible impatience of how to deal with Godzilla, while the government and military attempt to intervene, but to no affect.

Despite major efforts Godzilla storms through Tokyo leveling almost every building to the ground, the fire from missile and the hundreds of men all firing on him only seem to irritate. He is invincible, no longer is it just a man in costume walking around tiny buildings, but it is Godzilla in all his fury.

The only thing that can stop Godzilla would be the Oxygen Bomb, invented by Dr. Serizawa which is more powerful than any nuclear bomb. Dr. Serizawa, the scorned fiance of Emiko who loves another man, doesn’t wish to use such a device because he knows that it will only be applied to for military purposes, but reluctantly decides to use it. Dr. Serizawa along with Ogata, the man whom in which Emiko truly loves dives into the ocean to try their only chance at ridding the world of Godzilla. They are successful but at a cost, Dr. Serizawa, being the only man in the world who knows of how to construct the oxygen bomb, decides to kill himself so the information he knows could never be extracted from him. The whole world breaths a sigh of relief, but Emiko and Ogata stare off into the sunset, still nervous as to what the future holds, Godzilla might just be the first of many problems due to nuclear testing.

Godzilla is riddled with political statements on nuclear testing and nuclear warfare, Godzilla, an invincible beast is the result of nuclear testing which completely destroys a city. Dr. Serizawa is extremely reluctant to use a weapon which would probably just add to the worlds mounting fear of the constant need for an unbalance of power. This is also evident as the 1956 remake of edited scenes removed a large number of scenes that had an obvious political view. Watching this epic tale unfold while sitting in my living room I could not help think of the dangers of which Godzilla warned us.

Tags: godzilla, Japan, movies