DVD Review: Godzilla (1954) - The Criterion Collection

The new Criterion Collection edition of Godzilla is a two-DVD set that includes both the 1954 Japanese original Gojira and the 1956 Americanized recut Godzilla, King of the Monsters!. From the pop-up Godzilla inside the cardboard case to the supplements included on each DVD, great care was obviously taken in presenting the definitive edition of this seminal monster classic. The main attraction is the unaltered original film, directed by Ishir? Honda and written by Honda with Takeo Murata. With the series of sequels and rip-offs that quickly followed and continue to this day, it’s easy to forget the stark power and cultural significance of the original. Godzilla emerged from the waters of Tokyo Bay as a living, breathing embodiment of the nuclear bomb – a justifiably paranoid by-product of the Cold War era.

What the DVD supplements do a superb job of is helping put the film in historical context. While Gojira is enjoyable on its own as a well-crafted sci-fi/monster movie, knowing a little about its inspiration adds considerably to the experience. Of course, the references to the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki make the overall Atomic Age allegory very obvious. But somewhat lesser known is that the direct inspiration for Gojira was the U.S. hydrogen bomb detonation known as Castle Bravo that occurred March 1st, 1954. This was the single largest nuclear device ever detonated by the U.S., with a 15-megaton yield that exceeded expectations by two and a half times. The bomb was 1,000 times more powerful than those dropped on Japan during World War II. It was a terrible mistake – a runaway explosion that resulted in nuclear fallout contaminating a far greater range than originally planned. A Japanese fishing boat named The Lucky Dragon came in direct contact with the fallout ash and sickened the crew of 23. The chief radio operator died seven months later from radiation poisoning.

And so Gojira opens with the destruction of a fishing boat by some unknown surge of powerful energy. As more and more boats are sent to investigate, all fall victim to the same mysterious destructive force. It is eventually discovered that as a result of rampant nuclear testing, a prehistoric lizard that has survived two million years beneath the ocean has mutated from all the radiation. Once Godzilla has surfaced, the creature demonstrates fearsome powers – most notably super-heated breath capable of leaving entire cities in flames. Nothing the Japanese government can think of is enough to defeat the monster. While the story is not complex, the tension is kept high as all of Japan fears an impending doomsday as all attempts to stop Godzilla prove futile. Meanwhile, a scientist named Daisuke Serizawa has created a powerful weapon he dubs the Oxygen Destroyer, whose power when deployed under water may be Japan’s only hope. But Serizawa is intent on keeping his creation a closely guarded secret, convinced that it could lead to more harm than good.

Article Author: The Other Chad

My name is Chaz. A former co-worker (Dave) always misheard my name as "Chad." Complicating matters was a third co-worker, who was in fact named Chad. So Dave habitually called me the "other Chad."

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