Godzilla: Lizard of Peace - Page 4

When you compare the American version, you'll see some laughable scenes. If these were funny before, now they are funny because they were created out of fear--fear of anti-nuclear sentiment. Actors were hired based on how they looked from the back to play Yamane or Emiko. Japanese is spoken at odd times and in the added scenes, the Japanese is too simplistic. Other discrepancies include the behavior of government and local officials. Since when do such people invite and fully cooperated with the press (Burr plays a reporter).

Honda and Murata made a movie with moody lighting, difficult family relationships, dashing Japanese heroes who were heroic just by being honorable, a musical sound track that was actually quite good and a message springing from current events that was lost to a larger, non-Japanese audience until now.

Ironically, the lovers of hokey horror and sci-fi fare have enabled Honda and Murata's message to be seen by another generation. Sure it's 50 years later, but in a world still filled with Weapons of Mass Destruction, the message is still valid.

Article Author: Purple Tigress

Former theater critic for the LA Weekly and Los Angeles Times . For the last five years, an editing slave at a dot-com but recently laid off. Currently an under-employed freelance writer and artist.

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