I guess if there was a course you could take on the classic film monsters of yesteryear (and let’s face it you probably can somewhere), then you’d almost certainly find Gojira (or Godzilla, if you’d prefer) up there with Dracula, King Kong and Frankenstein’s Monster on the main course syllabus.
Made in 1954 by Toho studios, the BFI’s current release is the original Japanese version (amazingly never before seen in UK cinemas), which spawned a whole massive franchise of over 20 sequels, countless imitators, as well as a now ever-so-slightly forgotten Hollywood blockbuster (the least said about it the better!).
To say that the original film hasn’t aged at all over all those years, would probably be a bit too generous, with some of the dialogue and the action, in particular, now feeling pretty corny some fifty years on. But in other areas, when the film is at its best, surprisingly Gojira still manages to retain much of its power to engage and interest, which must have captivated audiences way back in the 1950’s. From the early scenes of the monster emerging off Odo island, to the later sequences of him trouncing most of the Japanese military (not to mention most of Tokyo in the process), Gojira himself is undoubtedly the star of the show. But beyond this, it is the film’s ability to tell both a good story, as well as a stern warning about meddling with forces beyond our control, which still manages to seem relevant, even today.
In the end, and despite being very much a product of its own time, Gojira is still a milestone, both in the genre of the monster movies, as well as in the greater history of cinema, and one which everyone should make an effort to catch at least once on the big screen (with Gojira at his 150ft best!).
Big stompy monsters; we salute you!
In a word: Atomic!
It is on limited release at discerning arthouse and repertory cinemas, starting with Curzon Soho, ICA, Screen on the Green and Clapham Picture House from 14 October.