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Saucy Cinema- Godzilla Minus One
SPOILER-FREE SECTION
So by now, everyone knows that I am a huge Godzilla fan. The franchise and genre helped dig me out of a depression over 5 years ago, and I’ve been hooked ever since. In that time, my tastes have changed a bit. I actually attempted to watch all of the films in order, which in hindsight was a bit of a mistake. Once the Showa era hit the stock footage period, it became a bit more difficult to get through. For Godzilla vs. Gigan, I ended up watching it last simply because it took longer for me to get my hands on it, and found myself pretty bored throughout the monster scenes due to familiarity of the recycled scenes. So, when I moved to the Heisei era, I was initially more impressed with the tighter continuity and lack of repeating scenes. However, the Millennium period became a bit more of a slog due to the fact that so many movies just rehash concepts and beats from the previous films in the franchise.
Nowadays, I tend to like the Showa era films like Godzilla vs. Hedorah,Monster Zero, and Godzilla vs. Megalon more than I used to, while still mostly enjoying about half the Heisei era. I’ve come to better appreciate Millennium films like Godzilla vs. Megaguirus more as well. Part of this comes from my evolving idea of what I like in Godzilla as a character. I have typically centered on the idea my preferred Godzilla is best summarized in Godzilla (1954), Godzilla vs. Biollante, and Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah. He’s a force of nature, awakened by mankind and can be weaponized or aimed but never controlled. He doesn’t care about people and the earth is his territory which he will defend from perceived threats to his dominance. This characterization continues into a few films of the Millennium era as well, which has led to a greater appreciation for some of those films.
Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoy heroic Godzilla, particularly as portrayed in Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019), I just prefer the aforementioned characterization. However, there exists another portrayal of the character, seen mostly in one film- Godzilla, Mothra, and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack (GMK). This version is a true villain and goes out of his way to harm humans. Even this version however- made up of the ghosts of those who died in the pacific theater of World War II- was not scary. At his most dire, Godzilla has been a tragic character bringing horror to Japan, but I’ve never been scared of the character.
That all changed with Godzilla Minus One.
Godzilla in this film is smaller, which was absolutely the right call. After reaching the ridiculous size of over one thousand feet in the anime trilogy, there was simply no way to make the biggest Godzilla. By scaling the kaiju down, his interactions with the humans are more intimate and frightening. For the first time outside of the Godzillasaurus sequence in Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah, Godzilla fully attacks humans. Many Godzilla films build up to the reveal, but Minus One opts for full on jump scare followed by one of the most terrifying sequences in franchise history. The subsequent destruction sequences are intense and devastating. Everything has weight to it, and the design of Godzilla may very well be the new definitive look for the character.
And yet for everything they get right about the titular monster, what makes Godzilla Minus One stand apart from every other film in the franchise are the human characters. Never before has the core story of a Godzilla film been more, well… human. Even the first film, a true classic, doesn’t quite contain the sheer amount of sympathetic and complex characters as Godzilla Minus One. The movie focuses on a deserting kamikaze pilot wracked with survivor’s guilt as he attempts to build a life after World War II. The plot description is deceptively simple- the pilot, Shikishima, meets Noriko and her adopted baby, and the three begin an unconventional post-war life until Godzilla arrives, threatening the nation of Japan and the life they have built.
The plot, however, is a vehicle for the themes of the film. Post traumatic stress, economic anxiety, and the difficulty of rebuilding are all explored in the film, and even many of the supporting characters receive engaging and emotionally moving arcs. Godzilla Minus One is packed with amazing performances and layered protagonists, so much so that I never minded taking a break from the monster. In fact, I loved spending time with the characters, and my attachment led to something else I have rarely felt in a Godzilla destruction sequence- fear for the well-being of the humans during destruction sequences.
Typically, destruction sequences are met with cheering, but in this movie, there’s genuine anxiety about whether these people we’ve spent time with will survive the mayhem. Much like Jaws or Jurassic Park, when the creatures are attacking people, the danger simply is more palpable. And given the backdrop of the story- immediately following World War II- it is all the more tragic that the people who survived the war are confronted with an existential threat so soon. When the film reaches its climax, the audience is clamoring for a win, but there’s enough uncertainty throughout to doubt a victory, leading to a truly “edge of your seat” final sequence.
The human story and Godzilla compliment each other with rich subtext and allegory. Whether you are rooting for Shikishima to fully connect with his newfound family or push through his harrowing nightmares, the fact remains that he must deal with Godzilla in order to do so. This journey is buoyed by an excellent score- with sparing and effective reuses of the classic themes- fantastic sound design, and gorgeous cinematography. The effects are pretty great throughout, never pulling me out of the film. This is a near-perfect Godzilla film, giving fans things they didn’t even know they wanted, providing a fresh and terrifying look at the monster while honoring his roots. But it’s also one of the best films of the year, nailing all of the technical aspects and ensnaring the audience in a complex and emotionally charged journey. Godzilla Minus One is that rare film that will appease both fans of the franchise and newcomers alike, and reminds us that our most important human achievement is empathy. If I had to pick one film from the franchise to show someone who had never seen a Godzilla film before, this would be it, and it absolutely deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as the original 1954 classic. No higher praise can be given to this modern masterpiece.
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A Game-Changing Film
Godzilla’s first arrival heralds the tone of the film, and seeing an essentially unmutated Godzilla biting soldiers and rag-dolling them into the air is honestly something I never thought we would see. Even when the atomic bomb test makes him bigger, he’s still clearly hunting people. The Jaws-like sequence in the water is especially tense and frightening. Once again though, it is the human characters that ground the action. Shikishima abandons his “duty” as a kamikaze pilot, finds a group of people who may just accept him despite this fact, only to lose them due- in his mind- to his own cowardice when Godzilla first appears. Thus, when he finds his next crew- affectionally nicknamed Kid, Doc, and Captain- the stakes are higher with the very real possibility that he will lose his current source of stability.
As I mentioned, every character and actor exceed expectations here. The three members of the boat crew are fun and endearing, but the emotional heartbeat of Shikishima’s story are the women in his life. Noriko and Shikishima form one of the most unique bonds thanks to their dual devotion to a baby left in the care of Noriko by a dying woman following the Tokyo bombings. This adopted daughter, Akiko, gives both Shikishima and Noriko their drive to live and improve, albeit in different ways. Another underrated MVP of the film is a neighbor- Sumiko- who evolves from a woman bitter at Shikishima for surviving when her own children perished in the bombings to becoming a surrogate aunt for Akiko. These women represent the past, present, and future for Shikishima and indeed the nation of Japan as it seeks to move forward following the war.
The strong performances anchor these connections, and Ryunosuke Kamiki, who plays Shikishima, shines in particular with his nonverbal performances. Whether he is awakening from a nightmare, confronting a kaiju, or dealing with great loss, Kamiki’s eyes tell the story so comprehensively that dialogue is unnecessary to spell out the subtext. The quiet moments spent with Shikishima and his new-found family as time begins to pass help keep the audience engaged while laying out the stakes of a Godzilla attack. By the time Godzilla makes his way into the city, it is hard not to wish the giant lizard would show our protagonists some sort of mercy. This city destruction ends on a devastating note, with Shikishima seemingly losing Noriko and finding himself all alone in the destruction.
This follows perhaps the most interesting version of the atomic breath attack to date. In this franchise, the breath attack has been a smoky haze capable of melting buildings, a blue beam that cut through enemies, to even a laser capable of hitting objects in space and so much in between. The first breath attack in GMK does resemble an atomic bomb going off, thanks to a clever cutaway at the moment of impact. After this scene, the breath becomes a more traditional beam weapon. In Minus One, Godzilla’s spines pop out of his tail and back as he charges his breath. Then he unleashes it, whereupon it hits his target and creates a massive atomic-bomb like explosion. It’s scary and intense, as the blast wave destroys so much of the city before pulling everything back towards the center of impact. It is so powerful, Godzilla’s face needs to heal after its use.
Speaking of, Godzilla’s healing factor is also displayed in a way never-before seen in film. It is almost Wolverine-like in Minus One, and the discovery of the ability helps lead our heroes to their plan to defeat the monster. Building off of the deep sea fish that die when Godzilla surfaces thanks to decompression, the humans- Doc in particular- devise a multipart plan to use the pressure of the ocean to kill Godzilla. Compared to some other plans in the franchise, it’s fairly grounded and the dependency on war veterans to carry it out reconnects the monster aspect to themes of the movie.
The Human Cost of War
One way to think about Minus One and its approach to the monster- the writing contains, in some ways, the antithesis of both Godzilla (1954) and Shin Godzilla. The first Godzilla film ends with a heroic sacrifice, while Minus One stresses that the grand plan should be accomplished without the need to sacrifice lives. In some ways, the film rejects the notion that loss of life brings victory, and that it is survival and living one’s life that is the ultimate triumph. This is in no way is meant to diminish Serizawa’s sacrifice in the first film, but rather to simply bring a counterpoint. Regarding Shin Godzilla, that movie busied itself with how a government might react to a giant monster threat, and it did so with sharp wit. Minus One keeps its eye on the people, the victims and survivors of both the war and Godzilla. The approach in Shin Godzilla isn’t wrong per se, but it remains a difficult film to emotionally engage with its characters.
While one could argue that the film glosses over Japan’s role in the war and involvement in several atrocities, there still remains a poignant and pointed critique at the use of kamikaze pilots. The movie clearly views this war-time role as one which cheapens human life, and the anger towards to government for implementing the strategy is palpable. When Shikishima ejects from his seat at the last moment while running his plane into Godzilla to deliver the death blow, it is predictable but no less triumphant. Thus the role Japan played in World War II is explored through its people- those citizens who remain and those soldiers who lived. It is not a comprehensive examination, but it has razor-sharp precision in what aspects the film wants to explore.
The survivor’s guilt on display in Minus One is as raw as it gets. Shikishima survived the war by abandoning his “duty” as a kamikaze pilot and survives Godzilla on Odo Island despite an act of perceived cowardice. He carries that pain with him, and as a result never feels like he is worthy of his newfound family with Noriko and Akiko. When he first arrives home, Sumiko physically confronts him with this believe, openly wishing Shikishima died instead of her children before callously telling our protagonist that his parents are dead. Rebuilding a life takes work, and only through his caring of Noriko and Akiko does this effort begin to take shape. And only through the forgiveness of another survivor of Godzilla’s first attack on Odo Island can Shikishima complete his war against Godzilla. This plane technician remains bitter towards Shikishima but still does not wish him dead, assisting Shikishima in his plan to take down Godzilla and informing the pilot that his plane comes with an ejector seat, so he need not die. It’s a beautiful human moment in a movie full of them.
Putting it All Together
Everything from Godzilla’s new design to the reuse/re-recording of the Godzilla (1954) roar and music cues pays homage to the past while paving the way for the future. The film uses the beloved version of Godzilla’s March from Mothra vs. Godzilla, giving the scenes an extra bit of awe, and even includes a few musical notes from the island sequence seen in King Kong vs. Godzilla. But perhaps my favorite part is that they saved the traditional second part of Godzilla’s theme- first heard in Godzilla (1954)- for the humans rallying to defeat the kaiju. This gives the music a sense of triumph. The roar lacks the tinny sound heard in Shin Godzilla, but instead sounds almost new thanks in part to the re-recording process used.
A lot of hype surrounds this film, and I can say quite confidently that Godzilla Minus One exceeds all the hype. While I tried my best, no amount of words can convey just how good this movie is. It’s something you feel when Shikishima is fighting for his life or Noriko is caring for Akiko. It’s felt when Sumiko shows kindness towards a man she felt so bitter towards and the Kid returns to save the day for his crew members. There’s a lot sadness and tragedy, but there’s triumph and victory too. Nevertheless, the film’s final shots remind the audience that trauma and war can’t be magically wished away. They remain, and it’s up to us to continue living through them, together as human beings blessed with extraordinary empathy to care for one another, whether we be neighbors or strangers.
BONUS RERANKING
It’s been a bit since I looked back on my choices. I will not be including shows here, just films! I will also not be ranking Americanized versions separately. So from Best to Not-the-Best:
Godzilla (1954)
Godzilla Minus One
Godzilla vs. Biollante
Godzilla vs. Hedorah
Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019)
Godzilla, Mothra, and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack
Invasion of Astro Monster
Ghidorah, The Three-Headed Monster
Mothra vs. Godzilla
Ebirah, Horror of the Deep
Terror of MechaGodzilla
Godzilla vs. MechaGodzilla
Godzilla (2014)
Shin Godzilla
Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah
Godzilla vs. Destoroyah
Godzilla Against MechaGodzilla
The Return of Godzilla
Godzilla vs. Megalon
Son of Godzilla
Godzilla vs. Kong
Destroy All Monsters
Godzilla vs. MechaGodzilla II
Godzilla 2000
Godzilla Raids Again
Godzilla Tokyo S.O.S.
King Kong vs. Godzilla
Godzilla vs. Megaguirus
Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla
Godzilla vs. Mothra
Godzilla: The Planet Eater
Godzilla vs. Gigan
Godzilla: Final Wars
Godzilla: City on the Edge of Battle
Godzilla: Planet of Monsters
Godzilla (1998)
All Monsters Attack
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