The special effects, depressingly tossed aside as a man-in-a-suit stomping cardboard buildings to those who have never even viewed the first film, sell the destruction on an even higher level. Nothing is left standing in Godzilla's ferocious and uncaring wake. Tokyo is leveled, and that's not an exaggeration. It's the only appropriate end for the city given the film’s purpose.
Scenes of smoldering streets the next morning, children setting off Geiger counters as they enter a hospital, and the entire city in flames shown from its shoreline, are all images that burn into your mind.
Two suit actors portray the monster, Haruo Nakajima and Katsumi Tezuka. While Tezuka's career wouldn't be as vivid as Nakajima's, their performances here are incredible. Neither actor could take being in the suit for extended periods (thus the need for two people in the role), but this handicap benefits the movie.
Godzilla's lack of movement comes off as unflinching, willing to stand up against anything humankind has to try and stop him. His lumbering pace only serves to create a believable size and mass.
Every aspect of this film is near perfection. With a meager budget compared to those of Hollywood efforts, it's acceptable to see a few missed special effects shots. The heart of the film is still there, even when a wire coming from a miniature plane makes it on film. The purpose simply overpowers the flaws.
Akira Ifukube's downbeat and heavy soundtrack creates a true sense of dread. The theme played along with Godzilla's final rampage is a flawless accompaniment to the on-screen mayhem. The filmmakers wisely avoid using music to carry certain scenes as well, instead using sound effects or eerie silence as Godzilla looks to his next victim. The use of silence is at times more horrific than anything else in the film.
The accomplishments of everyone who worked on this film are easily appreciated. Over 50 years later, the message not only works emotionally, it's perfectly relevant to current events. To brush this movie aside as a monster movie is a tragedy. To view this as anything less than a masterpiece shows a lack of knowledge of how powerful films can be as a medium.
Sadly, the film's message was lost when it was brought to U.S. shores. Classic Media has also included the American version in this release. While it's been a long-standing debate as to why the film was changed (the popular theory is political in nature), it's still a solid movie. Raymond Burr was inserted into the film to give it a character the audience could relate to. This was a logical step and, to an untrained eye, it's tough to pick out how the American crew worked around the stumbling blocks.
Article comments
1 - duane
What misnomers?
2 - Matt Paprocki
Those that place the film in the same category as the campy child-friendly 70s disasters. I've met many a person who have no idea what the original film was/is.
3 - duane
Oh, you mean misconceptions. OK, thanks.