Gojira (1954)

Director:

Ishirô Honda

Writers:

Ishirô Honda (writer)
Shigeru Kayama (story)

Release Date:

7 May 2004 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

The legend begins....

Plot:

American nuclear weapons testing results in the creation of a seemingly unstoppable, dinosaur-like beast.

Plot Keywords:

Monster | Japan | Nuclear Weapon | Monster Terrorizes City | Giant Monster

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Akira Takarada	...	Hideto Ogata
Momoko Kôchi	...	Emiko Yamane
Akihiko Hirata	...	Daisuke Serizawa-hakase
Takashi Shimura	...	Kyohei Yamane-hakase
Fuyuki Murakami	...	Professor Tanabe
Sachio Sakai	...	Newspaper Reporter Hagiwara
Toranosuke Ogawa	...	Nankai Shipping Company Manager
Ren Yamamoto	...	Masaji the Fisherman
Miki Hayashi	...	Chairman of Diet Committee
Takeo Oikawa	...	Chief of Emergency Headquarters
Seijiro Onda	...	Parliamentarian Oyama
Tsuruko Mano	...	Shinkichi's Mother
Toyoaki Suzuki	...	Shinkichi (Masaji's Younger Brother)
Kokuten Kôdô	...	The Old Fisherman
Kin Sugai	...	Ozawa-san

Also Known As:

Godzilla (International: English title) (USA)
Kaihatsu keikaku G (Japan) (working title)
Kaitei ni-man mairu kara kita daikaijû (Japan) (working title)

Runtime:

98 min

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Certification:

Australia:PG | USA:Unrated | West Germany:12 (nf) | Sweden:15 | UK:PG (re-rating) (2005) | UK:X (original rating)

Filming Locations:

Toba, Mie, Japan

Company:

Toho Film (Eiga) Co. Ltd.

Trivia:

There were three cables coming out of the back of the costume. Two were for the operation of the eyes, and one was for the operation of the mouth. Eizo Kaimai was responsible for the movement of the eyes and the mouth. Batteries were installed in the Godzilla costume that was made for the second Godzilla movie. They were for the operation of the eyes and the mouth. The batteries made the costume even heavier than the one that had been constructed for the first Godzilla film.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: The scene where the mom is in the corner of the building with her daughters, telling them they'd be seeing Daddy really soon, when the camera tracks in, you can see its shadow cast on them.

Quotes:

[last lines]
Kyohei Yamane-hakase: I can't believe that Godzilla was the only surviving member of its species... But if we continue conducting nuclear tests... it's possible that another Godzilla might appear somewhere in the world again.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Last American Virgin (1982)

The first and original Godzilla.

This one started it all: the first and original Godzilla (Gojira), and the beginning of a long series of sci-fi and monster movies from Toho Studios. This film ranges from drama to suspense, from thrills to horror, and from despair to hope. All the monster movie elements are here: a fire-breathing creature, buildings topple, a city in a wall of flames, fleeing and screaming citizens, storms and seas, tanks and the army, and scientists and their creations and theories.

The love triangle between the character leads blends in very well with the monster plot. Godzilla, making his first attack on Tokyo: haunting scenes of death and destruction, poignant moments of dismalness in the aftermath of Godzilla's wake, and powerful scenes of hope and light. Director Ishiro Honda did his finest and Composer Akira Ifukube scored one of his best film music masterpieces. An outstanding story by Shigeru Kayama, marvelous screenplay by Takeo Murata, and superb special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. Actors Takeshi Shimura, Akira Takarada, Momoko Kochi, and Akihiko Hirata gave outstanding performances. And, Haruo Nakajima, Katsumi Tezuka, and Ryosaku Takasugi did a terrific and realistic job on portraying Godzilla.

It is good that the crucial consequences of atomic bomb testings are depicted in this film; it sends a message into the real world. This is a creative way to explain Godzilla's origins.

Unlike some sci-fi flicks, all the elements in this movie are throughly connected, leaving no room for loose ends and plot holes. Above all, this film is not just a "monster-on-the-loose" movie. It's a true classic, one that stands out above many sci-fi movies in cinema history. A great movie to begin a long and successful (in most cases) line of Godzilla and other monster/sci-fi films from Toho Studios.

Grade A