Godzilla

Watching Godzilla provided an opportunity for me to see where the legend began and the film surprised me by balancing the fun destruction of a B-movie with the thoughtfulness of more serious-minded fare. Takashi Shimura is one of my favorite actors, so having him in the film too was great – Godzilla’s fate rings truer because of Shimura’s masterful portrayal of sorrow (his face should be right up there on the Mt. Rushmore of wordless acting, right there with Renee Falconetti).

The posturing on nuclear warfare can come across as a little heavy-handed but that position makes sense considering the time and place. Not only were the Japanese the victims of two A-bombs, but both the US and Soviet Union continued to test bombs in the atolls and islands of the Pacific long after the war had ended, not too far from Japan itself. The film, despite the devastation that Godzilla wreaks in Tokyo, is truly an anti-war film, illustrating that guns and tanks can not save people from the ultimate destruction of nuclear weaponry. Scientists should use such advancements for the good of mankind and not use technology with the intent to harm or kill others.

Godzilla is a fun film and the way they composed shots involving the monster itself was thrilling, especially when he emerges from the dark night’s horizon to terrorize the countryside. The film works best when it shifts into horror mode and hides Godzilla in the murky shadows, highlighted by missiles and spotlights desperately searching for their mark. Sometimes, the model work is a little obvious, but that only adds to the film’s appeal. The charm of Godzilla resides in the fact that people made this film by hand and that attention to detail and care is obvious.

Bring back more practical effects!