Gojira (1954)

User Rating:

7.3/10   

Director:

Ishirô Honda

Writers:

Ishirô Honda (writer)
Shigeru Kayama (story)

Release Date:

7 May 2004 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

The legend begins....

Plot:

American nuclear weapons testing results in the creation of a seemingly unstoppable, dinosaur-like beast.

Plot Keywords:

Monster | Japan | Nuclear Weapon | Monster Terrorizes City | Giant Monster

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Akira Takarada	...	Hideto Ogata
Momoko Kôchi	...	Emiko Yamane
Akihiko Hirata	...	Daisuke Serizawa-hakase
Takashi Shimura	...	Kyohei Yamane-hakase
Fuyuki Murakami	...	Professor Tanabe
Sachio Sakai	...	Newspaper Reporter Hagiwara
Toranosuke Ogawa	...	Nankai Shipping Company Manager
Ren Yamamoto	...	Masaji the Fisherman
Miki Hayashi	...	Chairman of Diet Committee
Takeo Oikawa	...	Chief of Emergency Headquarters
Seijiro Onda	...	Parliamentarian Oyama
Tsuruko Mano	...	Shinkichi's Mother
Toyoaki Suzuki	...	Shinkichi (Masaji's Younger Brother)
Kokuten Kodo	...	The Old Fisherman
Kin Sugai	...	Ozawa-san

Also Known As:

Godzilla (International: English title) (USA)
Kaihatsu keikaku G (Japan) (working title)
Kaitei ni-man mairu kara kita daikaijû (Japan) (working title)

Runtime:

98 min

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Certification:

Australia:PG | USA:Unrated | West Germany:12 (nf) | Sweden:15 | UK:PG (re-rating) (2005) | UK:X (original rating)

Filming Locations:

Toba, Mie, Japan

Company:

Toho Film (Eiga) Co. Ltd.

Trivia:

Not only was the movie inspired by the Lucky Dragon incident, where the fishing boat known as the Lucky Dragon strayed to close to what was named the most powerful nuclear test ever and was contaminated with radiation, but the opening seen in the movie was mostly based on that accident. A crew on board a fishing boat, going about their normal day, suddenly a bright flash of light catches their attention, and they are soon bombarded with radioactivity. The only difference is that the boat catches fire and sinks in the movie.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: In the close-ups of Godzilla's head and upper torso as he's breathing fire, it's obvious that he is a hand puppet, and a pretty bad one at that (notice how small his arms are, and how big and round his eyeballs are, compared to the full-size suit).

Quotes:

[last lines]
Kyohei Yamane-hakase: I can't believe that Godzilla was the only surviving member of its species... But if we continue conducting nuclear tests... it's possible that another Godzilla might appear somewhere in the world again.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Galaxy High School: It Came from Earth (#1.13)" (1986)

Haunting, eerie, monster classic.

The original "Gojira" is one of the best. Unlike the American version with Raymond Burr, this one is very haunting, with the eerie images of destroyed Tokyo, and the music score is unbelievable. While the American version is good, this one is superior, with good acting, and the special effects were much better than then those that were to follow. The whole documentary feel is what really stays with you, and it is a powerful message against nuclear war that remains once the film is over, not the monster-destroys-city-people-destroy-monster idea. Far and away much better than the 1998 update, even with it's black and white photography and 50's era special effects. An absolute must-see, not only for monster fans, but for people who want to see the nuclear warning message from Japan's point of view. A true classic.