Just nine years after the U.S. nuclear strikes on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the film Godzilla was officially released. Separating these two events are seven years of American military occupation of Japan, the testing of hydrogen bombs off the coast of Japan (by both Americans and Soviets), and a dramatic reshaping of Japanese culture, owing much to the American efforts to remake Japanese society.
In 1952, military occupation of Japan ended, but simultaneously, the United States began a series of nuclear tests off the coast of Japan, lasting several years. These tests included the Castle Bravo nuclear test in 1954 on Bikini Atoll, resulting in radioactive fallout covering thousands of miles, affecting local island villagers and a fishing vessel named “Lucky Dragon.” On board, the entire crew suffered heavily from the radioactivity, including one death. Events like these not only directly influenced scenes in Godzilla, but were also used in the construction of the monster as a metaphor for the effects of nuclear weapons, turning the nuclear bomb into a walking monster that leveled cities and infected innocent people with radiation sickness.
Ishiro Honda, the director of Godzilla, had been wanting to make a film about the nuclear devastation ever since a trip to the ruins of Nagasaki, but the political climate in Japan at the time would not have permitted such a film to be made. At the same time, The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, a huge financial success in the U.S., was released, and inspired Toho to attempt to recreate its success at home. Honda was called aboard to participate in the making of the film, creating a monster with the power and scale of an atomic bomb, with skin loosely matching the texture of radiation scarring.
Being only nine years after the nuclear strikes, Godzilla was an exceptionally risky film to make. Only a few years removed from the pain of these events, it could easily have been construed as an exploitation of the suffering of the Japanese people during a period of healing. However, due to its cathartic effect, Godzilla was able to draw nearly ten million Japanese viewers and gross an estimated $2,250,000 and become nominated for two Japanese Movie Association awards.
A key point of the film is that it doesn’t shy away from the graphic scenes showing the effects of Godzilla’s atomic breath, nor the severity of its aftermath. Honda shows us the cost of war: excessive casualties, over-capacitated hospitals, lost family, shrieking patients, orphaned children. There is no hesitation to show the faces of corpses or the little children mourning for their mothers.
The overarching theme and message of Godzilla is summarized in Emiko Yamane’s (Momoko Kôchi) words, delivered immediately after Godzilla dies. Thematically, this scene shows the danger of nuclear weapons despite the fact that Godzilla is now dead and serves as a warning against future incidents. Even though Daisuke Serizawa (Akihiko Hirata) sacrificed his life to end a threat that was awakened by the use of nuclear weapons, Yamane remarks that “if we keep conducting nuclear tests, it’s possible that another Godzilla might appear.” While in conventional American films of the same type, this scene immediately following the death of the monster is celebratory, this scene is not about victory but rather a sad event, both to mourn Serizawa and because of the realization that the root of the problem has not been addressed. Ogata and Emiko are crying and the people on the boat remove their hats out of respect. Yamane sits down to say these lines and keeps his eyes trained towards the floor, delivering his message in a manner of concern and sadness, bordering on dread. The scene clarifies the already obvious metaphor about nuclear weapons and is framed to show the continuous danger that threatens the world, instead of a great victory over the monster.
This difference with its inspiration, The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, can be attributed to the fact that, while Americans were aware of the devastation caused by atomic bombs, most Americans had no direct experience with the consequences of a nuclear strike. On the other hand, those in Japan had been directly affected by and lived with these consequences for years, with no power or control over their situation. In many ways, The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms can be seen as a simple genre creature feature, while Godzilla rewards multiple viewings and detailed analysis with multiple themes and real life parallels.
Godzilla was the biggest production of its time, and it had the biggest opening of all time. Audiences, both domestically and abroad, loved Godzilla. Godzilla as a character was so revered because he was misunderstood. He was left to defend himself in a time and place he doesn’t fit in. But above all, Godzilla provided a movie-going experience to Japanese audiences which was unmatched. It manifested social tensions and grievances on-screen and was visually unlike anything audiences had seen before. Even now, in the age of realistic special effects, Godzilla remains the gold standard to which all kaiju films are compared.