by Bill Blake
The year is 1954. H-bomb tests have awoken the legendary Godzilla!
Tomoyuki Tanaka’s classic 1954 Godzilla (Gojira) is considered by some to be the first “Monster Movie” (not counting 1933’s King Kong) and despite being such an early and relatively primitive film, Godzilla still stands up against newer films of its genre.
Like other movies of its time, Godzilla raises the issue of nuclear war and atom bomb testing which causes giant monsters to appear. Similar ideas can be seen in American films such as Them! (1954, giant ants) and The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953).
Godzilla was released while WWII was still fresh in people’s minds. Its strong underlying anti-nuclear war message is understandable.
The script is basic and the special effects are sometimes laughable but Godzilla is still a surprisingly enjoyable film. Look out for screenings of the new version – Shin Godzilla.
Godzilla is screening at the Japanese Film festival nationally
