Godzilla 1954 and Godzilla MINUS ONE Sneak Peek
by ANN Staff,ANN's coverage of New York Comic Con 2023 sponsored by Ize Press!
Other than being a monster movie, the original film is also a metaphor for nuclear weapons. Godzilla carries history with it, and its use as a metaphor has continued with newer interactions, including Hideaki Anno's Shin Godzilla. The Japan Society succinctly summarized the creature's legacy as:
"Godzilla is the roaring granddaddy of all monster movies. It's also a remarkably 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 in the Pacific. Its rampaging radioactive beast, the poignant embodiment of an entire population's fears, has 70 years later become a beloved international icon, spawning over 40 sequels."
Even after all these decades, Godzilla remains compelling. The movie adeptly covers multiple genres, from its pointed political commentary to horror, action, and romance. Tension continues to build over its runtime as Godzilla causes ship disappearances. The audience knows the monster is responsible, but it's easy to get wrapped up in the characters' fears as the dangerous creature looms in the background.
The film shows its age in its last third when Godzilla lays waste to the city. While the visuals back then were probably incredible, most of the crowd laughed at the claymation and toy effects during the screening. It's certainly something that should be appreciated for its time. The 35mm original film may feature a smaller (in stature) 'zilla, but it still holds its own as a terrifying creature with eyes that are particularly uncanny.
Watching Godzilla on 35mm in black and white with that 1950s sound – transported you to another time, and it made me realize how far cinema has come in the decades since. Akihiko Hirata as the eyepatch-wearing, self-sacrificing, humanity-saving Dr. Daisuke Serizawa, is easily the best character and brilliant.
Following the screening, the audience got a short look at Godzilla Minus One. The pairing was obvious immediately as Minus One featured 1950s Japan.
The archaic yet incredible architecture, old-style trains made of wood and iron, and the 1950s Westernized fashion mixed with older Japanese style. The action effects were Michael Bay-esque. It's exciting to see a Godzilla movie that isn't a modern take but more about how Japan would've handled this decades ago as depicted by modern cinema techniques.
