Plot Details: This opinion reveals major details about the movie's plot.
I actually wasn't aware the original Japanese version of this movie was up for review, or I would have reviewed it before I tackled the Americanised version, but upon digging out my copy taped off the TV a few years back, and with Halloween approaching, there is no better time to tackle the King of the Monsters in his most raw format.
For the record, while I will be refferring to the movie as Gojira, the monster will go by the western name of 'Godzilla', because not only is that the way the subtitles on my version go, but due to the fact that it actually sounds like what the actors in the movie are saying. It's a common misconception that the creature's name is pronounced 'Go-jee-ra', when in truth saying Godzilla the way it's pronounced in the west is probably closer to the truth.
This version is sans Perry Ma- sorry Raymond Burr, and plays in chronological order, and opens with the crew of a Japanese fishing boat finding themselves blinded by an intense light, before their ship is destroyed. A second vessel is sent out to search for them, only to also disappear. Under immense pressure from the public, the Japanese government has to organise a full-scale search, but before it can really get going, three crew members of one of the ships wash ashore on the nearby Odo Island, where the fishermen are having a poor catch, and the tribe elders are blaming their deity 'Godzilla' for the poor catch.
One of the sailors charged with finding out what happens is a young man named Ogata (Akira Takarada - Godzilla Vs. Mothra(1964)), Ogata is having some personal trouble, as he is having an affair with a girl named Emiko Yamane (Momoko Kochi - The Mysterians), who is to have an arranged marriage with brilliant if reclusive scientist Dr. Daisuke Serizawa (Akihiko Hirata - Daikaiju Baran), who has been working on experiments in the field of Oxygen.
Emiko helps out her father, Dr.Kyohei Yamane (Takashi Shimura - Seven Samurai), who takes a keen interest in palientology. He, Ogata and Emiko, amongst a group of others, go to Odo Island to try and find out what happened to the sailors, but instead find themselves in the aftermath of a hurricane which seems to have levelled the Island. But the locals make a fair point that the damage could not have been caused by a hurricane, and the scientists discover that certain areas of water are contaminated with radiation. Certain areas near what appear to be gigantic footsteps. Dr.Yamane discovers a trilobyte in one of these, a crustacean extinct since the time of the dinosaurs, but their expedition is hindered by the thunderous noise, a noise like footsteps. It's there that they first discover that the Islanders were correct, and Godzilla certainly does exist, and he resembles a gigantic Tyrannosaurus with dorsal spines. As they retreat to Tokyo, Dr.Yamane gives a lecture on what he believes about Godzilla, that he was awoken and affected by Hydrogen Bombs. It's debated if this should be revealed to the public, and another debate is raging about the what to do about Godzilla himself, to kill him or try and study him. But that choice is soon forced upon the people of Japan, as the monster comes ashore, destroying everything in his path. The question then becomes exactly how do they kill him? the H-Bomb only served to make him stronger, so what can they possibly do? could Dr.Serizawa hold the key to defeating the monster? but if so why is he so reluctant?
The first thing that needs to be said about any version of the original movie, but especially the Japanese version, is that unlike the farcical sequels, this is serious. Almost to the point of depressing. Godzilla here just destroys, destroys everything in his path. In a rare sight in a monster movie, we see the human element, people mourning their losses, people injured, the survivors being radioactively contaminated, it's generally not a happy movie. Even the monster's demise isn't celebrated by the humans, due to the loss that they suffer in beating him.
The plot of the film is solid, realistic and generally very good. The characters are all actually interesting, and even the one who wants to study Godzilla isn't used in the stereotypical sense of that character trait (granted it hadn't been invented then). There are no real story flaws at all, no conclusive origin is given for the monster, only what Dr.Yamane theorises. While there are a few glitches I noticed, I would assume they were subtitle errors (I think it was a lot longer than 2 million years ago that Dinosaurs roamed the Earth...)
The movie's story is just generally top notch, and probably the best giant monster movie plot ever. I would rate it higher than a certain monkey based monster flick, the Harryhausen movie that inspired this and every other giant monster film I have seen, and I have seen a lot. The characters in the movie are so very well written that you cannot help be drawn into the story. Serizawa, the man who has invented something by accident, something that horrifies him, something he fears people will force him to use as a weapon, killing innocents, he has a fiancee who loves another man, and is generally a tragic character without using any cheap ways at earning this. The movie also avoids making any member of the love triangle appear in a bad light, Emiko confessing that while she does love Serizawa, it's as a brother, and Ogata being respectful of him all throughout.
It's not hard to see the infamous anti-American element that some of Toho's early movies are said to have when watching this, but I wouldn't say it goes as far as being anti-American, just anti-the country's use of the bomb. I loved the scene in which it is argued that it shouldn't be made public that Godzilla is the product of the bomb, because it may lead to a breakdown in International relationships and harm Japan's economy, because some countries may take offence at being blamed.
While Im not keen on being too harsh on actors in foreign language movies in case the subs or dubbing given to their lines is terrible, because an actor's voice is an important part of his/her arsenal, but Im glad to report that it isn't a movie that requires me to consider being harsh on anyone, because it seems to be well acted by all involved, including Haruo Nakajima within the Godzilla suit, who makes it move like a real animal, not just some bloke in a rubber monster suit. It's not all that well publicised that performing in any of the Godzilla suits is difficult due to the weight and heat within the outfit, and the original suit was the worst for it because it wasn't made specificially for Nakajima, so his performance within it is all the more remarkable.
The sound in the movie is also of a high standard. Godzilla's now famous roar is load and realistic in sound, and Akira Ifukube's score is nothing short of sublime. From the memorable title theme, which begins with the thunderous footsteps of the monster, to the haunting music played as the film surveys the damage done by the monster to Tokyo, it's an epic score that is worthy of any movie.
The special effects in Godzilla movies are the butt of many a joke, but the fact is, that for 1954, these special effects are excellent. The only scenes that I felt showed their age really were some of the ones when the Godzilla upper body puppet was employed, because here the suit used is one of the best suits in any (and that includes recent) giant monster movies, possibly aided by the fact the movie is in black and white, but when it looks this awesome, it doesn't really bother me. There are also some choice scenes of Godzilla melting Electric power lines designed to stop him, and the miniatures constructed by Eiji Tsuburaya are excellent. The only other things that let the movie down effects wise were the stop motion scene of the fire car crashing, which has clearly been sped up, and Godzilla's death ray, which here is more like a death-spray.
On the whole, everything about Gojira comes together to make a dark, somber and generally superb movie, that really doesn't deserve the terrible reputation its many sequels have lumped upon it. What is rarely mentioned is that the only reason it wasn't awarded Japan's best picture of 1954 was a little movie called the Seven Samurai directed by a guy you may have heard of named Akira Kurosawa. In fact, Gojira's director Ishiro Honda often worked with Kurosawa, who was a fan of this movie, and I once read someone speculate that the only reason Kurosawa never made a Godzilla picture was that he would have demanded too much money towards making it, so Toho wouldn't allow it.
But Gojira isn't the entertainment lite of the rest of the series, and even the Americanised version pales in comparison to it. If you are looking for something silly to laugh at, this certainly isn't the film for you, its something like Godzilla vs. Gigan you are looking for, this is a 'proper' movie, that pulls no punches (the scenes of the emergency hospitals, complete with children's parents dying and the family whose mother tells her children that they will see their father soon as Godzilla rears above them), to my knowledge, this is in fact the only movie in which he deliberately kills humans, in the scene where he death-breaths a few.
If you are a fan of the Japanese giant monster genre, chances are you really want to see this, it's the genre at it's most serious, and probably it's best. Even if you aren't particularly big on the genre, Gojira is on all accounts a good movie if you don't mind having to put up with subtitles, no colour and slightly aged effects. Gojira is the giant monster movie at it's most classic, and while not the most action packed movie, the monster only comes ashore a couple of times to destroy some buildings, it's so well shot (the scenes of Tokyo ablaze are spectacular) and solid in every aspect of it's creation that you don't miss the action, because you are genuinely interested in the characters, and that makes the scenes of the monster rampaging so much more powerful. The monster also doesn't outstay his welcome, and his appearance is built up to, Steven Speilberg admits to using a method inspired by this in Jaws, and it also works well here. It builds up some suspense not knowing right away what we are dealing with.
Long story short: If you want a serious monster movie, there isn't really any better you can do than Godzilla, if you only see one series entry, make it this one.
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