Ishirō Honda’s 1954 masterpiece, Gojira, remains, to this day, one of the boldest political statements put to film. It’s a pointed statement against American interventionism as well as a harrowing look at the horrors of nuclear weapons. It disguises itself as a monster movie, but it presents an incredibly poignant look at the attitudes of a post-war Japan.
Following the success of Gojira, Toho Films began to make a multitude of kaiju films, but none of them had the same weight or ambition as the film that inspired them all. None of these films tried to capture the essence of the Japanese experience in the same way Gojira did. That was, of course, until the release of Shin Gojira in 2016, 62 years after the original film.
Hideaki Anno’s, Shin Gojira is an enthralling critique of Japanese governmental bureaucracy, and a stark look at how Japan sees itself within the international community, specifically in its relations with the United States. It takes the original idea of Gojira, that is a deeply political film masquerading as a monster film, and evolves that idea to suit a new time with a new audience and new sensibilities.
Anno presented an interesting choice as a director for this film, though when considering the final product, it’s difficult to think of anyone else that could have resurrected the original idea of Gojira. Hideaki Anno is one of Japan’s most acclaimed animation directors, most notable for his creation of the Neon Genesis Evangelion franchise. Prior to the release of Shin Gojira, Anno had little experience with live action features. However, when viewed in the context of his previous work, specifically with the Evangelion franchise, Anno seems a good candidate to capture the spirit of Gojira.
Despite being a monster movie, the actual creature takes up surprisingly little screen-time. The majority of the film is focussed instead upon the various governmental organizations of Japan, and how they respond to the threat that the giant monster presents. Structuring itself as a political thriller works to the films benefit; as the various organizations prove ineffectual in responding to and combating the threat of the monster. The politicians who lead these organizations are more concerned with the image their responses would present rather than the actions themselves. They become tied up in the bureaucratic process to such a degree that it prevents them from adequately being able to respond to the monster, their hesitance leading to more and more destruction.
Furthermore, there is always the presence of the greater international community, specifically the United States, that further complicates things. Anno’s previous works often focus on relationships, and Shin Gojira presents a relevant and modern look at Japan’s relationship with the rest of the world. Japan is faced with the dichotomy of protecting itself and its interests while considering how its actions affect the world around them. Similarly, in modern Japan, there’s growing questions of Japan’s place in the international community, as it questions its own autonomy following the dependance placed upon it following the second world-war. The film reflects these concerns, and brings the question of how Japan should conduct itself within the international community to the forefront.
The monster of Godzilla also reflects a uniquely Japanese experience. In the original 1954 film, the monster represented the horrors of nuclear weapons, something post-war Japan was all to familiar with. Godzilla rages through Tokyo as a seemingly unstoppable force of destruction. Even the design of the creature reflects these fears. Despite being reptilian in design, Godzilla doesn’t have scales, it’s skin is designed to evoke the image of radiation burns, something many of the survivors of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings bear. It doesn’t breath fire, but rather beams of bright atomic light, symbolic of the flash of a nuclear bomb when it detonates.
In Shin Gojira the monster is the result of years of dumping nuclear waste into the ocean. This reflects the fears held by many Japanese people following the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster of 2011. At points the monster silently looms over Tokyo, a source of ever present dread. Even when it’s not an active force of destruction, the creature is a constant and ever present danger.
The creation and themes of Shin Gojira, represent an evolution from the 1954 original. However, the idea of evolution is a central theme of Shin Gojira. Throughout the film, the monster rapidly evolves through several different forms. When the monster is seemingly defeated, it comes back, larger and far more powerful. It changes itself to suit its environment and to combat the threats that face it. In response to this, the Japanese government is also forced to evolve to combat the threat that Godzilla represents. The various self-concerned bureaucratic organizations are only able to take on the creature when they unite, combine their efforts and attack the beast head on, not through brute force, but through understanding. So to, the film posits, that Japanese government, and perhaps society, should evolve to face the threats that loom over it. The last shot of the film focuses on the tail of a defeated Godzilla, as it morphs into a collective of humanoid figures, suggesting that the threat will never truly disappear; they too will evolve, and thus so too should society continue to evolve.
Shin Gojira represents how to adapt the spirit and sensibilities of a classic film for a new audience and a new era. It takes the core concept of the original film, and applies it to the modern era. Furthermore, it takes this idea of evolution, and uses it as a core concept. Shin Gojira represents the evolution of a classic film into the modern age.
Joel Vs Film 