3 out of 5

Directed by: Ishirō Honda

It’s been 70+ years since this first Godzilla movie. Enough time for multiple generations of sequels; an abortive US take; modernized takes; a new cinematic universe; and plenty of cartoons and comics besides. I’ve only been alive a fraction of those 70 years, and I’ve made it thus far without having seen Godzilla… but being very aware of it. It’s seeded into our cinematic awareness, alongside similar creature features like King Kong, but also enduring films like Godfather – where maybe you have never actually sat down with the film, but can recognize its place in history, nod at the references.

Which is to say: can you rate something like this “fairly?” Can you note its cultural relevance while maybe considering it also flawed?

Godzilla does seem to allow for that nuance: contemporary reviews were mixed, and I’d say modern ones tend to assess it firstly for its impact, then its positive qualities. …Which are noteworthy, even now, meaning I’m sure especially so in 1954. Some of the film’s sequences are truly poetic, and there’s a very grim sensibility that hangs over the movie, countering it being part of a franchise that’s more often associated (or perhaps was, prior to the 2020s era films) with goofiness. And aspects of its unevenness is, I’d say, are part of its charm or mystique, though at the same time, a smoother cut together film would’ve perhaps provided for a more visceral impact.

In this debut entry, Godzilla is mostly a force of nature: awoken from watery depths by nuclear testing, his rampages are unpredictable and sudden, wrecking homes and the land insensibly – he’s a giant; there just in his way – until he’s fired upon by the army, or shocked by the electrified wall the country sets up to stip him, after which his aggressions are clearly targeted. But after enough of that, he wanders back to his undersea home, leaving the looming threat of when he’ll appear next.

This unknowing aspect is present when the film opens: ships are lost at sea after the water around them appears to boil; the ships that go after them are lost as well. No one can say why, though local legend whispers lore of a creature awoken from its slumber… When the creature does appear, the reaction is a mish-mash of public fascination and government-led aggressions; hasty plans to stop it or study it, the latter promoted by zoologist Dr. Yamane (Takashi Shimura). And even once we’ve rounded on a solve, the movie lingers in a moral grey: is this the right or wrong this to do? Above all else – even towering above Godzilla, puppeted by an in-suit actor, tromping over miniature cityscapes – this is what lingers with the movie, and draws you in, as it avoids much traditional structure of setting up its characters, or establishing an “arc” for humanity beyond screaming and dying.

…Perhaps you spotted the flaw there. For almost half of its runtime, Godzilla (the movie) tumbles along without much grounding, or structure. It’s fascinating, but when we’re dropped in to dealing with a few characters – such as Dr. Yamane, his daughter Emiko (Momoko Kōchi), and Ogata (Akira Takarada), a salvage operator and Emiko’s suitor – the spell of the movie is somewhat broken, this fluid flash of imagery at odds with storytelling. The threads are certainly simple enough to follow, but the script can feel cut and pasted into place sometimes, especially with how the themes can feel rightfully at war within themselves, focusing social commentary outward and inward, as the movie is very obviously a reaction to the atomic bombings at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, both at their “causes” and responses. It’s all swilled together to bubble up variously, and then it’s also a big ol’ King Kong inspired monster movie that’s going to let its sequences of destruction carry on for entertainment. Follow this further into the visuals, which alternate irregularly between artfully paced and lit shots and static, practical setups; the music, awesomely thematic at points and then somewhat humorously celebratory – this last bit perhaps a result of composer Akira Ikufube putting much of the score together without seeing the final film.

The relative “confusion” this represents in the way the movie feels when watching it is, again, part of its uniqueness, but also objectively clunky, and unimmersive. I can’t speak as to how much of this was part of the Japanese moviemaking lexicon at this point, or how the movie might’ve been made if it wasn’t, in part, a money-making affair, encouraged by the then-success of science-is-evil and monster flicks. But from afar, it has the marks of being both a message movie and a popcorn one, stitched together. Both parts of the Frankenstein are excellent; where they meet is rougher.

And just some notes on that message: there is no subtext. Growing up, I’d had the understanding that Godzilla’s themes were evident, but not necessarily on the surface, but no: we’re clearly told this thing was woken up by atomic bombs. When contemplating a weapon to fight Godzilla, it’s remarked that even creating such a weapon is dangerous: the government would want to use it again, because H-bombs can only be answered with H-bombs. And beyond that, we get the very direct visual references to the effects of / survivors of the atomic bombs. While I suppose if someone had no knowledge of that history, or WWII, these references would pass on by, but I am not a knower of history in any way, and I can’t say I would’ve missed these links. This is neither a positive or negative, but maybe just underlining that there’s not much subtlety here. Y’know, giant, fire-breathing lizard aside.

So: here it began. It’s not a full-blown kaiju movie yet, since this was essentially kicking that off; its storytelling is uneven and somewhat reactive (Godzilla first; story second); and its characters mostly exist on that same axis, required to put voice to some points of view and not much else, which isn’t to knock some weighty performances, for the little room they had to emote. On those merits, I found Godzilla to be an average movie. But at the same time, its undeniably a unique experience, and its rather reserved and dark tone elevates the material, and the limited effects, and makes sure it’s never boring. It is a classic movie that never leaves you doubting as to why its had such a legacy.