A scene from ‘Godzilla Minus One’ | Photo credit: TOHO
This is the latest film in the list of Takashi Yamazaki’s Oscar-winning film ‘The Last Last’. godzilla The franchise has reclaimed the beloved kaiju’s roots, combining an awe-inspiring spectacle with a powerful exploration of survivor’s guilt. It’s a landmark reckoning that will make even the most jaded kaiju cynic sit up and take notice. Behold, its glory. It’s finally here.
Godzilla has seen many ups and downs since his debut in Ishirō Honda’s first-of-its-kind monster movie in 1954, going from a symbol of nuclear terror to sometimes a hero, sometimes a villain, and always a box office hit. But in 2014, Godzilla has seen many ups and downs. minus oneYamazaki removes the previous ‘iguanification’ and subsequent pink-washing of beloved ‘ol Gojira, and returns our favorite radioactive reptile to ground zero: steeped in the anxieties of post-war Japan and a scathing critique of American imperialism. If we were deceived into believing that a nuclear dinosaur couldn’t possibly be more terrifying than this, here, for the first time in 70 years, Gojira serves as a giant, scaly therapist, forcing Japan to confront its darkest hours and some uncomfortable questions (a true 21st century nightmare).
Godzilla: Minus One (Japanese)
Director: Takashi Yamazaki
Mould: Ryunosuke Kamiki, Minami Hamabe, Munetaka Aoki, Hidetaka Yoshioka, Sakura Ando
Order: 125 minutes
StoryJapan had not yet recovered from the Second World War when a major threat emerged off the coast of Tokyo
The film begins in the immediate aftermath of World War II, when Japan is counting its losses and grappling with the war’s aftermath. The story centers on Koichi Shikishima (played with heartbreaking vulnerability by Ryunosuke Kamiki), a man plagued by survivor’s guilt, wandering the rubble of his homeland, haunted by the ghosts of his past deeds…or misdeeds. His journey, which could have continued as a solo tale of woe, is instead joined by Noriko (Minami Hamabe) and an orphaned child. This unlikely trio forms a makeshift family, symbolizing the fragile hope of a nation trying to rebuild from the ground up.
Yamazaki uses this human drama to foreground the film’s larger themes – a historically tried and tested formula for crafting compelling kaiju films. Koichi’s struggle is not just with a monstrous Godzilla, but with the remnants of a chauvinistic nationalist ideology that glorifies sacrifice and heroism at the expense of individual life. Where the iconic giant previously served as a poignant metaphor for the devastating consequences of nuclear war, minus one Mixed up a bit, it serves as a metaphor for the destructive power of chauvinism and the heavy burden of survivor’s guilt. The beauty of the film is its ability to weave these psychological threads into the fabric of a blockbuster, giving us characters that are as compelling as the monsters that haunt them.
A scene from ‘Godzilla Minus One’ | Photo credit: TOHO
The narrative doesn’t shy away from firing a few rounds of nuclear breath at Truman-heavy nuclear proliferation. Godzilla’s reawakening, inspired by the infamous Bikini Atoll nuclear tests, is a very subtle jab at the presence of American military power and its devastating consequences. Still, Yamazaki is too clever to descend into didacticism. Instead, he uses the giant lizard as a means to explore Japan’s strained relationship with its own history, offering a revisionist viewpoint that’s provocative, perceptive, and poignant.
But let’s not get too bogged down in the heavy stuff. This is a Godzilla movie, after all, and Yamazaki has done a fantastic job. The kaiju itself is a marvel, presented with a tremendous blend of CGI and practical effects that pay homage to the creature’s tokusatsu incarnations.
When Godzilla emerges from the depths, its glowing spines ripping the ocean’s surface, it’s a sight to behold – both terrifying and beautiful. When Godzilla sprints through the city, the ground shakes, buildings collapse, and the camera captures it all with a mix of fluid dynamics and brutal clarity. It’s as if the screen is barely able to contain the kaiju’s unstoppable intensity. This new Godzilla may be dwarfed in size by Legendary’s take on the King of the Monsters, but what it lacks in size it more than makes up for in strength as a fearsome force of nature with nothing but malice in its eyes; its hovering presence, rendered with tactile realism, makes Godzilla more dangerous than ever.
But it’s not just the big moments that impress. The film pays great attention to detail, from the way light and texture reflect off the kaiju’s skin, to the intricate design of the destroyed city, which doesn’t ignore the hundreds of rag-doll bodies being thrown around like puppets. The destruction is seen through the eyes of characters that feel real and relatable. Whether it’s the desperate rush of citizens or the determined faces of the ragtag team trying to stop the beast, the visuals serve to raise the emotional stakes.
A scene from ‘Godzilla Minus One’ | Photo credit: TOHO
With a significant build-up to the awaited atomic breath, each jagged, arcing scale closes in on the impending doom of a familiar droning hum. The spectacular mushrooming shockwave of the explosion, with its ripple effect of destruction, is downright breathtaking: a perfect summation of the film’s ability to combine awe with horror, and a fitting response to the convenient cleansing of a certain recent Oscar-winning Trinity test sequence.
Amid this second level of Tokyo, we are constantly reminded of the human cost, disrupted lives and shattered dreams. It’s a reminder that behind every monster movie lies a grain of truth about our own fears and failings. Koichi and his makeshift contingent of scientists and sailors provide much-needed lightness with their banter and camaraderie. These moments don’t diminish the seriousness of the film, but rather enhance it, highlighting the resilience of the human spirit even in the face of unimaginable horrors.
minus one This is a film that manages to bake its radioactive cake and eat it, too. It’s a swashbuckling action adventure that never forgets its darker themes, a rare creature feature that has soul. Mixing historical critique with personal redemption, Yamazaki has crafted a 33rd iteration in the longest-running cinematic franchise in history that feels epic and intimate. minus one Not only is it the greatest Godzilla film since the original 1954 film – it undeniably left a crater-shaped impact that reaffirms Gojira’s status as the undisputed King of the Monsters and makes a compelling case for himself as a modern monster.
Godzilla Minus One is now streaming on Netflix.
