ANN covers New York Comic Con 2023 sponsored by Ize Press!
© Toho Company Ltd.
We all know Godzilla. TOHO’s famous monster made his debut in the black-and-white film Godzilla more than half a century ago. The Japan Society of New York City hosted a free screening of a long-archived 35mm print of the original 1954 GODZILLA to commemorate the original King of the Monsters along with a special screening of the one-man Godzilla Minus Takashi Yamazaki’s live performance before being shown in the US. hits theaters on December 1.
In addition to being a monster movie, the original film is also a metaphor for nuclear weapons. Godzilla carries history, and its use as a metaphor continues with newer interactions, including Hideaki Anno’s Shin Godzilla. The Japanese Society succinctly summarized the creature’s legacy as:
“Godzilla is the granddaddy of all monster movies. It is also an extremely humane and melancholy drama made in Japan at a time when the country was reeling from the end of World War II and nuclear testing during the war. second world. Pacific. Its ferocious radioactive monster, a profound embodiment of universal fear, has become a beloved international icon 70 years later, spawning more than 40 sequels.”
Even after all these decades, Godzilla still has appeal. The film expertly covers multiple genres, from explicit political commentary to horror, action and romance. Tensions continued to rise during the broadcast when Godzilla caused the ship to disappear. The audience knows the monster is responsible, but it’s easy to get caught up in the characters’ fears when the dangerous creature appears in the background.
The film shows its old age in the final third when Godzilla wreaks havoc on the city. While the visuals were probably amazing back then, most audiences laughed at the clay effects and toys during the screening. It was definitely something that needed to be appreciated at the time. The original 35mm film may have featured a smaller zilla (in terms of stature), but it still serves as a terrifying creature with especially eerie eyes.
Watching Godzilla on 35mm black-and-white film with 1950s sound-transports you to another time, and it made me realize how far cinema has come in the decades since. Akihiko Hirata as Dr. Daisuke Serizawa wearing an eyepatch, sacrificing himself and saving humanity, is clearly the best and excellent character.
After the screening, audiences got a glimpse of Godzilla Minus One. This combination was immediately apparent when Minus One was introduced in the 1950s in Japan.
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Ancient yet astonishing architecture, old-fashioned trains made of wood and iron, and 1950s Western fashion mixed with old Japanese style. Michael Bay-style action effects. It’s interesting to see a Godzilla movie that’s less about a modern setting and more about how Japan would have handled this issue decades ago as depicted with modern cinematography.