Review: Gojira

Created out of man’s usage of nuclear technology during WWII, the title giant radioactive creature emerges from the Pacific Ocean to cause havoc across Tokyo. Eye-patch sporting scientist Akihiko Hirata has created a potentially Gojira-killing weapon dubbed the ‘Oxygen Destroyer’, but is hemming and hawing over releasing such a destructive device, should it end up in the wrong hands. Hirata is also one part of a love triangle including military man Akira Takarada and Momoko Kochi. Kochi is the daughter of palaeontologist Takashi Shimura.

Although I’m personally more partial to the all-star “Destroy All Monsters”, if it weren’t for this 1954 original from writer-director Ishiro Honda (“Destroy All Monsters”, the similarly underrated “Godzilla vs. Monster Zero”), the entire long-running Godzilla phenomenon wouldn’t ever have existed. It’s a terrific, stark piece of disaster/sci-fi entertainment instead of the usual fun and silliness the series would often serve up subsequently. Godzilla ain’t no friend of the kiddies in this one, with talk of sacrificing girls and eating humans. Yikes. I see plusses and minuses in this approach, but there’s a lot to appreciate here.

The scenes of devastation and destruction have a gravitas to them and starkness you just don’t get in the later, colour Godzilla films. Even Godzilla himself looks actually rather ugly in this, perfect for a creature born/revived out of humankind’s use of nuclear warfare. Shot in stark B&W by Masao Tamai & Choshiru Tshii it’s the film’s chief asset, though the completely bad arse music score by Akira Ifukube is a very close second. The use of intimidating camera angles is particularly effective camerawork. The Godzilla theme is one of cinema’s coolest and most easily recognisable. The entire sound design of the film is excellent and very effective, and even the model work is fine for 1954 if you ask me.

The downside here is that it moves a bit slow, it’s a little too talky, and with all due respect to the normally fine Akira Takarada (in his first of six appearances in Toho Studios kaiju films), the romantic leads are the least interesting in the film. The best performance comes from Kurosawa veteran Takashi Shimura as Yamane, a good actor doing good work in a film you might not expect to see good work in. In fact, aside from the aforementioned leads, this is the Godzilla film with the best acting ensemble by far. Meanwhile, you can have your Mizoguchis and Kurosawas all you like, but I reckon this film is culturally and cinematically important, too. That is so long as you don’t watch the American print with inserts featuring Raymond Burr. Make sure you watch the Japanese original, preferably subtitled if you’re not a native Japanese speaker.

The original and easily one of the best, hell I’ll even sound like a fool and suggest it’s a more enjoyable watch than the same year’s “The Seven Samurai” (a solid film in its own right). Stark, relatively serious for this kind of thing, it looks and sounds amazing. A tad slow, though.

Rating: B+