#godzilla

joedunkelheit@diasp.org

In the original Godzilla 1954 Japanese film, the monster was used a symbol of the war and the nuclear power that unleashed its destructiveness on Japan. The focus is not on the monster itself but the effect on the people. The political aspect of it has been lost in most of the newer adaptations. It's fascinating to see that even then the American version of the movie ended with a contrived joy that the monster is dead and life can be back to normal. In contrast to this, the Japanese original concluded with the somber note that Godzilla is always already on the verge of appearing :

"..if we continue conducting nuclear tests...
...it's possible that another Godzilla might appear somewhere in the world again"

The original Godzilla is after all not about Godzilla at all.

#movies #history #ww2 #godzilla #japan #classiccinema