Streaming Gems: Godzilla (1954) - Opinion
Photo from ComingSoon
From Shane Conto
What a time to be a fan of Godzilla, right? There are multiple places to find new content and in multiple different cinematic worlds. Legendary Pictures and Warner Bros have dominated the Godzilla market since the release of Godzilla back in 2014 which launched their MonsterVerse. This cinematic universe has contributed a nice group of films to the overall filmography of this beloved franchise as well as a series on Apple TV+. But there have been Japanese releases such as Shin Godzilla as well as one of the best films from 2023 in Godzilla: Minus One.
But where did it all start? The origins of this franchise lie a lot closer to the results of Minus One which is a more serious and intense parabol for the United States and their nuclear might during World War II. The original Gojira (Godzilla in its native Japanese form) came out way back in 1954 which was not even 10 years after the horrific destruction done to Nagasaki and Hiroshima. The origin approach to this giant lizard tale is one of serious disaster films which is a far cry from the camp of the 60s and 70s as well as where the MonsterVerse has gotten (especially with the most recently released Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire). This is a poignant allegory for the world power that the United States had grown into with its impressive nuclear power. Godzilla is a giant radioactive lizard born from the nuclear tests of the US military. There is plenty of depth that adds weight for this original outing.
What is the biggest complaint for most Godzilla films throughout its long storied existence. The human characters. You can count on one hand (with some fingers left over) how many deep and interesting characters who have graced the screen in this new MonsterVerse. But that is far from the case with this original film. You have a group of villagers who feel like authentic people who are in fear of these “natural disasters” destroying local ships. Others look for meaning and belief in this grand and powerful being which adds some depth to the overall themes of the film. You have a paleontologist and his daughter who get deeply invested into this story. The audience can get behind them as they have discernable human emotions and have motivations that are understandable. They get into conflict with other scientists, military men, and government officials who all have their complex array of motivations and desires to resolve or take advantage of Godzilla’s presence. There are real emotional stakes as well as intriguing that make this film so much more than one man in a giant lizard suit destroying city models.
Speaking of a man in a suit and models…how does Godzilla set the tone for decades of giant monster movies to come? There is so much care and detail that goes into the work on this film. The costume for Godzilla is detailed and distinct. If you see a photo of Godzilla, there is no mistaking it for any other creature. Godzilla has become such an iconic image of pop culture and it all started with this perfectly designed and unique creature that really connected with audiences. The models are so detailed that the destruction of them feels so real and delivers the impact to continue to build tension and excitement along the way. Sure there are moments where those models look SUPER fake…but the filmmaking from director Ishiro Honda makes the audience feel the scale and danger of it all. Honda minimizes the noticeably fake elements and creates such impressive scale with the action. This film still wows in 2024 despite being 70 years old this year.
Why is this classic creature feature so much more all these years later? There probably wouldn’t be 70 years of Godzilla films if it were not for the pathos and thematic impact of this original film. We can connect with the characters and that just elevates the sense of tension and weight of everything that is done by Godzilla. Godzilla is a trend setter and a miraculous achievement of genre filmmaking in its own right. It takes a special film to offer up a genre creating concept while being so endlessly engaging and entertaining on its own. The music from Akira Ifukube has penetrated the deepest depths of pop culture with a single listen you can whisked back to this crazy and dangerous cinematic world. Godzilla himself has been synonymous with disaster flicks and creature features alike. Godzilla stands tall and still delivers 70 years after its release.
You can find Godzilla (1954) streaming on the Criterion Channel.
