Know Your Monster: 9
GODZILLA
Godzilla was not only the first, but also the most enduring of all the Kaiju, or Japanese movie monsters. In truth, he wasn’t the first. The Japanese did create a King Kong knock-off way back in the 1930s. But the difference is Godzilla had staying power. He has appeared in nearly 30 features since ripping down his first electrical transmission wires and hurling his first cars in 1954.
A nuclear mutant, Godzilla often is seen as a metaphor for the Atomic Age. But some analysts also believe he stands as a symbol of Japan’s evolving relationship with the United States — first, icy-cold and hostile, and then later, warm and fuzzy. Likewise, Godzilla, ravaged Tokyo and surroundings in his early forays from Monster Island but has been more likely to defend Earth from alien invaders in recent times.
Godzilla goes by many different names. In Japan, he is known as Gojira — combining the Japanese words for gorilla (“gorira”) and whale (“kujira”). But he often is referred to as the King of the Monsters, the Big G or a host of other nicknames.
Although his appearance has evolved along with his persona, some of his distinguishing traits have remained constant. His roar, for instance, is unmistakable, as well as the withering heat ray, or “atomic breath,” he uses to blast enemies. He’s a gritty fighter, and has proven practically invincible, withstanding not only brutal beat-downs but also extremes of hot and cold, including submersion in magma and being buried in ice. His eyes might be beady, but he’s brainy — the smartest and most resourceful of the monsters, allowing him to outwit his few, more physically endowed challengers.
We’re not going to chronicle the 28 Godzilla films because there’s so many of them and they only represent a small facet of his fame. He has appeared in both Marvel and Dark Horse comic books, in novels, video games and several TV series. To understand his broad cultural significance, read William M. Tsutsui’s marvelous paean Godzilla On My Mind: Fifty Years of the King of the Monsters, published in 2004.
Godzilla’s original 1954 roar.
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A nice compilation of killer Godzilla moves, mostly from Godzilla Vs. King Ghidorah (1991).
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Tomorrow’s featured monster: Gorosaurus
Baragon is smaller than other Japanese movie monsters, but can’t be budged when he’s lodged squarely on all four legs. When he stands upright on two legs, watch how quick and agile he becomes. He can leap like a rabbit and, upon landing, has been known to touch off earthquakes. Another distinguishing trait: The Rhino horn protruding from his head, allowing him to burrow into the Earth and release magma. His name is derived from the Japanese words for rose (“bara”) and shape (“gon”), presumably a reference to a petal-shaped plate on its back.
Later today, we’ll be launching a new, month-long series — Know Your Monster — celebrating Japan’s fantastic movie monsters. Each day through March, we’ll present a clip introducing a new monster wreaking havoc and destruction, often upon Tokyo, but sometimes on a global scale. To kick off this series in style, today’s Trillion Dollar Movie revolves around the granddaddy of all Japanese movie monsters, Godzilla or Gojira. Our feature is Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla, the 14th movie in the Godzilla franchise, released in Japan in 1974 and three years later in the United States. It’s one of the better Godzilla sequels, popular enough that it spun off its own sequel (The Terror of Mechagodzilla) and a couple of remakes.
Gorgo, this week’s Trillion Dollar Movie, might be mistaken for a British riff on Godzilla, except for one important fact: Godzilla was fashioned after The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, made in 1953 by none other than Eugene Lourie, the creator of Gorgo. Thus, Lourie wasn’t guilty of plagiarism when he shot the widescreen Gorgo in 1961, using a radiant Technicolor. Instead, he was re-appropriating his own original concept, after it had been recycled and rejuvenated in Japan.
