SeveredNitrate Presents Gojira (Godzilla 1954)

Salutations Severedheads. 🧟

I am your hostess Necrosecta and this is SeveredNitrate where we review horror flicks. This week's flick is Gojira (Godzilla 1954).

SPOILERS!!!!!!!! Duh...

Trigger Warning:

-Sexism (it's from the 50's deal with it) 

-Subtitles

-Death

-Kaiju Death

-Science wins but at what cost

-The Army gets their asses handed to them

-Army scenes 

-Black and White

-Speaking of sacrifice to Godzilla

-This is NOT the version with Raymond Burr in it which means no ENGLISH (just thought I'd warn you twice) 

-Using Godzilla, Gojira, and Goji (possibly Goji-sama don't @me) interchangeably 

-Out-of-date facts/history

-This is a very...personal review for me so if you don't like Godzilla then GET THE FUCK OFF MY BLOG!!!

Let's start off with the lovely cast: 

-The one the only Takashi Shimura as Dr. Kyohei Yamane

-The gloriously hot Akihiko Hirata as Dr. Daisuke Serizawa

-The bland but prolific Akira Takarada as Hideto Ogata

-The peachiest girl Momoko Kochi as Emiko Yamane

-The traumatized Toyoaki Suzuki as Shinkichi Yamada

-AND THE OG GOJI HIMSELF HARUO NAKAJIMA!!! 

PLOT:

Tale as old as time...history shows again and again how nature points out the folly of man! GODZILLA!

I'm sure you know the story here: Americans are doing nuclear testing in Japan's oceans both waking and mutating a creature from the deep. And it decides that it will raid the world once again (see what I did there?) destroying dozens of ships and killing thousands of people. 

While on land a pair of star-crossed lovers fight to be with each other. Emiko facing an arranged marriage to Dr. Serizawa doesn't know how to break his heart seeing as she feels for him as family. Said Dr. tells Emiko a dark project he's been working on and has her swear never to tell...only for her to spill the beans when Godzilla destroys Tokyo. Serizawa tells Emiko and Ogata that they can use his Oxygen Destroyer (refrain Necrosecta that will come later) only if he's allowed to be there when it's used. 

So, Dr. Yamane, Dr. Serizawa, Ogata, and Emiko get on a boat (I should make a joke about that) and ride to where Godzilla is said to be resting. Ogata and Serizawa dive to Goji's lair to set off the Oxygen Destroyer (not now! later. patience). Once set Ogata starts to surface but Serizawa stays to watch Gojira dissolve before telling Ogata to live happily with Emiko and severing his lifeline, killing himself along with Godzilla. 

Dr. Yamane laments the fact that this may not be the last Gojira if nuclear testing continues. Also, there is Shinkichi, a boy from the village where Goji touches down who watches his mother and brother become Goji-sama's toe jam. Then is adopted by Dr. Yamane and is kind of along for the ride with the others. 

THOUGHTS: 

This is going to be a tough one. I'm not sure how to talk about this film without writing an essay! First of all, I have a deep love and even reverence for this movie. Why? I mean besides the cultural and historical impact that it made? The very fact that it revolutionized Japanese cinema to come? That through the very existence of Gojira Japan was able to give America a middle finger after the bombings? And became so popular that even Americans loved that middle finger? 

No (well, yes, but also no).

It's because when I was little, not sure of the age, I'd sit in my grandma's lap in her comfy chair (that's always what we called her recliner) we'd eat air-popped popcorn, and watch Godzilla movies until we fell asleep. These memories are ingrained into my very being, the few and far between glowing moments in my life that I cling to very tightly. Especially after my grandma's passing. When I'm missing her so desperately that I can't breathe I'll get her ashes from my curio cabinet, put on Gojira, and watch the movies until I've cried myself to sleep all the while clenching her ashes to my chest. Watching the Godzilla movies keeps her with me and keeps the memories vivid. 

You may ask if that's a biased and emotional reason to love Godzilla? And it totally is (I mean whose favorite movie isn't like that), but I also know how important Godzilla is, and not just to me. To the likes of millions around the world. Each for different reasons. The fandom gave birth to other fandoms that influenced and entertained children for generations. That captured their imaginations and inspired them to create worlds for others to breathe and thrive in.

And it all started with a little movie called The Beast from 20,00 Fathoms...which in turn inspired another small film titled The Giant Monster from 20,000 Miles Beneath the Sea. Which in turn became Project G and then as when know and love them today Gojira. Watch as those water ripples grow. 

And where would Gojira be without its:

Producer: Tomoyuki Tanaka

Director: Ishiro Honda

Special Effects: Eiji Tsubaraya

Composor: Akira Ifukube 

Each of these men contributed something that if taken away from Gojira, then the movie would be less than. Director Honda made sure that this film was shot beautifully and in a way that it wouldn't just be another monster movie. Eiji's team created the iconic Godzilla suit which birthed the monster that is tokusatsu. And what would Godzilla be without his gut-wrenching and catchy-as-all-hell marching music? Let alone the unmistakeable Godzilla SKREEEONK!!!!!!!!!!!!! And then there is lovely Tomoyuki Tanaka (and Toho) that made it all happen. 

Darlings, without this movie, we would have never had Power Rangers (Super Sentai)! And I'm sure without Power Rangers this world would be lost. 

Anyway, this movie is phenomenal. Sure, some of the effects are dated, but it's still amazing for its time. The acting is grade A. They weren't lazy in the casting department that's for sure. I mean how many people would come out of the Godzilla suit, which was several pounds of rubber concrete, and love what he does? I mean besides Haruo Nakajima. Sure there were two other suit actors but Haruo kept coming back for more punishment with a smile on his face. Takashi Shimura was famous for acting in Akira Kurosawa's samurai epics. He brings nuance to his character that makes you sympathize with his view about Godzilla. The three young actors don't slouch either. 

I could talk about Godzilla forever. There are just a few things I want to say. Gojira's atomic breath is blue, he's not green...in most of his cinematic history, the subs are the best versions, and Gojira has always been supportive of the LGBTQ community bitches!!!! Don't believe me? Start the movie at :32 mins. You see the two girls there? Yup. Two girls dancing with each other in the 50's. Boom. 

There is obvious dedication and love that went into crafting every shot. This movie deserves every ounce of praise it receives and every spot on someone's favorites list.

Have you seen Gojira 1954? No? Well, what the fuck are you waiting for? Go fucking watch it. NOW. If you have tell me what you thought about it? What did you like or dislike? Do you have a request for me? I'm happy to watch something new so feel free to ask. Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed the review! 

'Till next time stay twisted darlings. 

Lapshi! 

-Necrosecta 

Next time on SeveredNitrate: The Fog  (1980)(somehow) 

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