Godzilla [Gojira] (1954) (Movie Review)

    It goes without saying that the 1954 Sci-Fi classic “Godzilla” … or “Gojira” as it’s also known … is the most famous picture to ever come from Japan, and arguably the most well-known foreign film. That’s not to say it’s the most universally loved or even the most watched, but by in large, most are familiar with this title even if they’ve never seen the movie. 

Godzilla himself is a cinematic pop-culture icon in the same vein of Superman and James Bond, and has one of the longest running franchises in movie history. However, over the decades, Godzilla has been associated with cheap B-Movie entertainment that can only appeal to select crowds. While his franchise as a whole dose fit the description, the original 1954 “Godzilla” classic is nothing less then a quality motion picture in it's own right. Yes … it is still technically a monster movie, but just like how “Jaws”, “Alien” and “King Kong” can be branded as A+ motion picture classics … the original “Godzilla” deserves the same respect. I should first make clear, this isn’t one of my all-time favorite movies, or anything like that, but I know a good movie when I see one, and I don’t want it filed away as some cheap creature feature. On top of that, I have genuinely loved the character my whole life, and have more then enough fondness for this film to put it in my wheel house of movies I want to analyze and discuss. With all that said, let’s look back at the original 1954 classic to see why it stands above conventional B movies.       

    As the opening credits role, we are greeted with zero music or visuals … just a monstrous growl that slowly builds, to the point where we hear Godzilla’s iconic roar paired with the title card … now that’s how you start a quality creature-feature. Of course, I have to mention Akira Ifukube’s classic music score, which along with Indiana Jones and James Bond is one of my favorite music themes to go with a famous movie character. It’s such a unique score too, as it almost feels like a triumphant anthem for a superhero as opposed to a giant monster. 

Like the best of monster movies, we don’t see the beast right away, and we spend a good deal of time building-up the anticipation ... but there’s one other element thrown in the mix that’s also worth noting. Right off the bat, a fishing boat sinks, and in the aftermath, we see both families and loved ones eager for any news on possible survivors. The situation then escalates when the rescue boat is reported missing as well, and now the anxiety builds as even more people are concerned for missing loved ones. Thus, the movie isn’t just building-up the excitement of the monster … it’s also focusing on the human condition, which set’s the tone that any lose of life is meant to be taken seriously. We then hear an old-man tell a local legend of a great Sea-Monster called Godzilla, who he fears might be responsible. We then get a terrific scene in a rain-storm, in which a family’s home is destroyed by the monster, yet the only indication of it being Godzilla are these loud footsteps in the distance … which get louder every second. It’s some of the best build-up of any monster, and it’s this lingering sense of dread which sustains the films striking sense of atmosphere and mood. The humans follow a trail of footprints on a nearby island, along with the mysterious remains of prehistoric aquodic life-forms. The sound of footsteps then signal that the Big-G is finally going to make his grand appearance rising over a hilltop. This first creature effect is admittedly kind of laughable as it’s clearly a hand-puppet, but everything else leading-up to this was so good that I’m willing to let it slide.   

    Besides, the remainder of the monster effects feature Godzilla in his signature rubber suited glory … and I mean that in the best way as the suit effects still look amazing all these years later. There are even moments when he looks kind of intimidating, although most of that can be attributed to the gritty cinematography, and black & White esthetic. Just about every shot of Godzilla is from a ground level perspective, which gives him a sense of size and dominance. There is however this one goofy close-up in which his eyes are bulging-out like a cartoon character, but aside from that he looks great. The big show-stopper is this lengthy sequence when Godzilla lays waist to Tokyo, which goes on for several minutes, and still feels like a spectacle in our modern age of technology. The image of him rising from the ocean is one of the most iconic visuals of the whole genera. My favorite shots of Godzilla are when he’s seen from a distance, and silhouetted against both the flames and destruction he’s caused.

    While the whole premise may seem very conventional on the surface, there ‘s actually several layers of potent, post-war commentary laced throughout the film. Over the course of the movie, Godzilla is depicted as an unstoppable, radioactive force of destruction, who even in the wake of his attacks still causes harm from toxic exposure. In a nut-shell, Godzilla is a walking symbol for nuclear destruction, and a metaphor of what the Japanese people endured less than a decade earlier on August 6^th and 9^th of 1945 … with the nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The key element dignifying this allegory is the films sobering mood, tone, and consistent focus on human drama. My favorite scene of the whole movie is this montage focusing on the horrifying aftermath of Godzilla’s lethal attack. There are disturbing images of people crushed under rubble, a quire of girls is seen singing in despair, and there are even down-right horrific moments of children watching their parents die in hospitals. None of the acting feels hockey either, as all the characters emote, and carry themselves with a sense of weight … like these are events and situations to be taken seriously.   

    Even some of the dialogue threatened to come-off as cheesy, yet still feel effective when conveyed by such straight-face performances. 

For instance, there’s a scene when someone asks … “Can anything stop Godzilla?” Which our lead professor named Dr. Yamanea (Takashi Shimura), responds to by saying … “He was baptized in the fire of the H-Bomb … nothing on this earth can destroy him!” The brilliance of this movie is that it’s a story uniting science with morality, and things are about to get even better with the introduction of a young Scientist named Dr. Serizawa (Akihiko Hirata). This character had been lurking in the shadows through all the events of the film, and is an old acquaintance to the films female lead named Emiko (Momoko Kochi). At first glance, this Dr. Serizawa looks like a Bond villain, with a signature eye-patch and hair style. However, like the movie itself, he’s far more complex and layered then his outward appearance would suggest. While the rest of Japan was focused on Godzilla, Dr. Serizawa was developing a new way to breath below sea-level, which slowly got deconstructed into an element that will destroy all organic material under-water. The doctor calls this little creation of his … The Oxygen Destroyer. Naturally, our hero’s want to use this as a means to vanquish Godzilla, but Dr. Serizawa is hesitant, as he’s ashamed of his creation.

    This leads into a griping moral dilemma revolving around the implications of what such a weapon could bring about … are we stopping an evil with an even greater evil … even if we succeed in stopping a current threat to this one town, could we figuratively be opening Pandora’s Box upon the whole world? With Godzilla being symbolic of Nuclear Destruction, the debate of the Oxygen Destroyer could just as well be interpreted as an allegory for The Manhattan Project. In that instance, scientists had to face a critical choice to proceed with the development of the first nuclear weapons during World War 2, which even if successful had the dual risk of making Germany an even greater threat if such weaponry fell into their hands. It once again takes this movie a step above typical B-movie conventions, and the acting once again supports the moral choices being discussed. In the end, the Oxygen Destroyer is used against Godzilla, reducing him to a skeleton, and subsequently, it’s one of the most unique sequences of a monster being destroyed on film. Dr. Serizawa however sacrifices himself in his own creation to prevent anyone else from continuing his work, which brings this story to a victorious, if still somber finale.

    This movie was such a smashing success that it warranted a wide-theatrical release in America … but with some noticeable alterations. The American cut of “Godzilla”/“Gojira” was retitled “Godzilla: King of the Monsters”, and featured new scenes, including a new journalist character, played by American actor Raymond Burr. This version of the film is fine overall, and Raymond Burr delivers a solid performance, without stealing too much attention from the original Asian cast. However, while I was introduced to this movie through the American-cut … I personally prefer the original Japanese release, as I find both the atmosphere and pacing to be more consistent. Normally, I'm the kind of guy who prefers extended or altered versions ... but sometimes, you just can't beat the original cut.    

    Objectively, this is the best of Godzilla’s movies by far … but I personally wouldn’t call it my absolute favorite either. There are other entries that appeal to me for different reasons, but regardless, this is the exceptional entry in the series that I’d absolutely recommend to viewers not familiar with the character. Godzilla will always be one of the great movie monsters, and his 1954 picture is absolutely a terrific classic in its own right. Obviously, rubber suited monster movies will always be an acquired taste for different views, but I still regard this film as a step above typical B-movie fluff, and would encourage anyone to see it at least once, as it may just give you more then what you’d expect from the genera. It’s surprisingly human, it’s consistently engaging, it’s genuinely exciting, it’s effectively atmospheric, and it’s even tragic without relying on bland soap-opera cliches. For me, Godzilla is one of those special monsters that’s stuck with me as a favorable movie character, and this film will always be a welcome reminder as to why he’s remained a favorite.

Thanks for reading my review of the 1954 monster movie “Godzilla” … and continue to enjoy the movies you Love!