Gojira. Way off topic...

[CJB]

Got to see the original Japanese production of Gojira (Godzilla) from Toho Co. Inc. It had English subtitles (calling the monster Godzilla for us Yanks)

#1. NO RAYMOND BURR

This is not the monster action movie you saw a as a kid. Holy crap, totally different movie. A company in the USA reworked it with additional footage of Raymond Burr, and nixed oh... by estimate, a good 50 to 60 percent of the orginal movie, keeping most of, but not all of the monster scenes.

The soundtrack, the original.... very dark, very somber. Overall, the movie is one of despair, not triumph, although they do kill the monster at the end and the scientist does commit suicide to atone for his shame at devising such a deadly weapon. Not Seppuku, but....then again aluded to with his knive (while in a heavy diving pressure suit).

The scenes of utter destruction, despair, profound helplessness and yet hope in the face of immense adversity, could have been straight from a documentary on the bombing of Hiroshima, and thats exactly what its producers were trying to convey, even in the shape of Gojira, which looks quite like the lingering black plume of the mushroom cloud, after the cap has dissipated with high elevation winds.

This is not monster action and adventure genre, but instead some of post war Japan's best film noire, and really worth seeing in its original uncut form.

[b4uqzme]

So if I understand the imagery...Gojira = the US and Japan finally conquers? Or is it the reverse. Gojira = Japan and America destroys it but with a weapon worthy of shame and condemnation?

Interesting.

We had a very bright young Japanese exchange student one year. And he explained, that if I ever had a hard time understanding his English, all I had to do was reverse the R's and L's and it would make sense. Good kid. He still calls once in awhile.

[CJB]

The imagery is that Gojira (Godzila), is a thematic surrogate for the atomic bomb. The destruction and waste are complete. The human toll is devistating. The ability to defeat Gojira is non existant. The Japanese people, the country, are brought to their knees in every way imaginable, and their only solace is eternal hope. Until.... one scientist comes up with an even more evistating weapon, which he uses to defeat Gojira, but is so ashamed at himself, remorseful for having created and used such a devistating weapon, he takes his own life.

This illustrates the Japanese post war mindset in many ways. Polite as a people, they do not blame the nuclear powers individually for the atomic bomb that "awakened Gojira", but instead, say that "mankind created the atomic bomb". The movie is a statement about how its makers felt, not only about atomic weapons, but about the next wave, the yet unseen wave of newer even more powerful weapons to counter act atomic weapons. It should be noted, that the weapon devised in the movie was aquatic in nature, and rendered living things in sea water to their boney remains, and that such a weapon would really not be tactically useful in a war - except perhaps if invaders swam to Japan. This too may be an allusion to the protected feeling that Japan has because of being an island country, dunno. They might view the sea as their great protector, which failed them against Gojira.

At any rate, its a film worth seeing, as it was originally made. Wikipedia says that the remake from the original footage, did very well in Japan. I suspect this is why movie makers Toho Co. Inc., then began to include a western actor in many of their later productions.

[SlowBurn]

Interested to see it. Where/How?
I've never seen the movies but I always heard the monster is awakened and empowered by nuclear radiation so that visual is consistent. But I also got the sense the people brought the monster on themselves. Maybe the scientist symbolizes Japanese authority taking responsibility. Or, maybe not.

[CJB]

Very astute. The scientist creates his weapon, and burns the "formula". He is morally caught between saving the people, the nation, and actually using such a terrible force. In the end, he uses it, and atones for his acts, keeping honor, with his own demise.

[Planedude]

Is that on Netflix???

Might be an interesting way to spend two hours of a too hot afternoon. Thanks for the suggestion. I have worked with some Japanese people on the F-2 program. Nice enough folks, but very set and rigid in their thinking. When they are right, they are very right. When they are wrong, well, they are still right...

[CJB]

Is that on Netflix???

Might be an interesting way to spend two hours of a too hot afternoon. Thanks for the suggestion. I have worked with some Japanese people on the F-2 program. Nice enough folks, but very set and rigid in their thinking. When they are right, they are very right. When they are wrong, well, they are still right...

On the latter, so true! They could build a car that has its wheels fall off suddenly, and the press release would read "It has been brought to our attention that some customers have expereinced less than full expection of our vehicle....."

My own Japanese insight was from the 1970s when I had a (certifiable psycho) boss who went to Japan at least yearly. Fast forward, and I still find that things have not changed much. Vendor/customer relations are generally not what we'd expect in North America. Totally opposite really. Here, the customer is the master - he has the money. There, the vendor is master - he has the product.

I am not sure if its on Netflix. Worth a look under the title Gojira, I saw it on Dish at a friends house late last nite, but its a rare find.

[mr.ed]

Okay, it's a movie, just a movie. In movies things aren't what they seems, pistols hold 47 bullets, all of the heros live and extras die, and no body, and I mean no body, ever says anything that's true, because it's a movie! Can't wait to see this flick.