Gojira was the original movie in the Godzilla franchise, where this fantastic series erupted. In 1954 after the United States performed nuclear testing off the coast of Japan a prehistoric creature named Gojira was awoken. It begins to wreak havoc on Japan and ultimately leads the Japanese government to silence this untamed beast. Serisawa, a Japanese scientist creates an Oxygen bomb that has the potential to kill Gojira. Although his creation has the potential to kill Gojira he wants to make sure that the Oxygen bomb is used only for this one instance. This is a wonderful premise for a film, especially for its time period. Japan had been hit 9 years earlier with two atomic bombs, so this is very relevant for all Japanese citizens at the time.
Understandably this movie came with many downsides. It was released 57 years ago in an era with little to no special effects and corny acting. Unfortunately it was also in Japanese and not to mention black and white. I felt as though the acting pulled away from the message of the film because in every serious scene there was a form of acting that was either unbelievable or just plain crap. I can forgive the film for having lack lustre special effects, but the performances were terrible.
I felt the film would have been more enjoyable without any voice acting. I would have personally been able to understand the premise of the film and the message it was trying to give. Not the entire film disappointed me though. I particularly enjoyed when Gojira went on his mad rampages and destroyed the city. That being said I also enjoyed the realism the film gave, I could really see the panic on their faces, the sheer terror that they felt. I felt that it was interesting when Serisawa gave his own life because he took Gojira’s life. That particular scene illustrated that he really was against the using of the Oxygen bomb but knew it had to be done.
The physical appearance of the actors was believable for the time period and I felt as though the costumes added to the realism of the film. That is what the film had going for it, it was realistic and applied to the era. Though we cannot imagine a prehistoric creature wreaking havoc on Thornhill, it was believable because of the circumstances. The camera movement throughout the film also added to the panic and realism of the film. It illustrated what the Japanese must have been feeling the day the two bombs were dropped. It gave insight into the chaos that must have followed after Hiroshima and Nagasaki were hit.
All in all I enjoyed the comical special effects and the corny acting. The film really brought insight into the time period and I would recommend it to all history buffs and anyone who enjoys good black and white film. I would rate Gojira 8/10 stars for its realism and the message it portrayed. May the Godzilla series continue for years to come.
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