Godzilla: King of the Monsters! (1956) may be the film that introduced the world to Godzilla, but let's not forget about the film that truly started it all.
If you watched the American recut then this film, it is truly a haunting experience. The director, Ishiro Honda, captures the tragedy of post-war Japan based on his own haunted experience after he went home after World War II where he saw Hiroshima in ruins. Godzilla's raid of Tokyo is a clear reminder of it and the Tokyo Fire Raids during World War II.
The film doesn't sugarcoat its message that nuclear weapons creates victims, and that's what Godzilla (the monster) truly is. Godzilla isn't just a giant monster set loose in a major city. He was an innocent victim. Which is very evident with his scene underwater at the climax. The infamous scene of a mother holding her children and telling them they'll see their father soon is a very sad scene to behold if you thought this film is a mindless "giant monster on the loose" story.
The film has the most gray areas regarding the Oxygen Destroyer, a weapon as dangerous as the nuclear weapon, as Daisuke Serizawa makes it painstakingly known that he never intended to use it as a weapon of science. He ultimately relented after the destruction Godzilla caused.
If you're tired of the "monsters fighting in a miniature city set", but want more emphasis of the story, this film is for you.
Film A legendary film that's both a horror and tragedy.
Godzilla: King of the Monsters! (1956) may be the film that introduced the world to Godzilla, but let's not forget about the film that truly started it all.
If you watched the American recut then this film, it is truly a haunting experience. The director, Ishiro Honda, captures the tragedy of post-war Japan based on his own haunted experience after he went home after World War II where he saw Hiroshima in ruins. Godzilla's raid of Tokyo is a clear reminder of it and the Tokyo Fire Raids during World War II.
The film doesn't sugarcoat its message that nuclear weapons creates victims, and that's what Godzilla (the monster) truly is. Godzilla isn't just a giant monster set loose in a major city. He was an innocent victim. Which is very evident with his scene underwater at the climax. The infamous scene of a mother holding her children and telling them they'll see their father soon is a very sad scene to behold if you thought this film is a mindless "giant monster on the loose" story.
The film has the most gray areas regarding the Oxygen Destroyer, a weapon as dangerous as the nuclear weapon, as Daisuke Serizawa makes it painstakingly known that he never intended to use it as a weapon of science. He ultimately relented after the destruction Godzilla caused.
If you're tired of the "monsters fighting in a miniature city set", but want more emphasis of the story, this film is for you.