Godzilla minus one
Another year, another Godzilla film released in cinemas, except this time ‘Zilla’ goes retro, no Kong, no nuclear grade weaponry just a monster behind the gears of masterful storytelling. The common theme in the latest ‘Godzilla’ installments is that the runtime is filled with nothing but kill strategies and CGI battle scenes, city destruction, humanity on the brink of extinction, survival of the fittest etc. No more must audiences endure the same storyline, instead we are given a human story from a human perspective where there is more than one monster. ‘Godzilla minus one’ pays homage to the original by focusing its story on the tragedy of post World War Two Japan, setting a scene of depravity and total loss of belief in a country.
This grief and shame is embodied by the character Koichi Shikishima, a troubled kamikaze pilot, played by Ryunosuke Kamiki, struggling to come to terms with his survival of the war and his inability to protect those killed by Godzilla in the intense opening scene. From a wallowing war survivor we witness Shikishima’s transformation into a purpose driven father who finds new meaning in life through unexpected family and friends. Never has a Godzilla film been so heartfelt as director Takashi Yamazaki proves that any will to survive is a good enough reason to live and his characters are rewarded for following this process. When it comes to Godzilla, expectedly the main event, the storyline moves around this colossus dinosaur rather than with it, as Japan and its people take priority which is what many previous ‘Zilla’ films have failed to consider. Nevertheless, Godzilla remains terrifying even more so by the stakes raised by the creation of the characters and relationships we become invested in.
Instead of a mere monster Godzilla becomes a symbol of Japans post war fragility, the main protagonist’s regret and the questioning of what is worth fighting for. Although predictably warships and army seargeants are mixed into the fight scene, human innovation and science takes center stage with the use of original tactics involving science we can understand rather than blasting it with a nuclear weapon we can all sit back and nod our heads at. Whats more is that this film delivers resolution, ties all loose ends for all characters celebrating the gift of life over the conquering of a titan.
Whilst the script on its own provides more than enough evidence of this film being arguably the greatest Godzilla film ever made, rivalled only by the original, the soundtrack and cinematography raises this piece of foreign cinema to new heights. The dinosaur titan is accompanied by its own war song, a monstrous orchestral piece composed by Naoki Sato, delivering an auditory prelude to the destruction and regality of this famed beast, furthermore, the soundtrack mirrors the emotive nature of the film Yamazaki worked hard to create. The cinematography excels in the sense that it isn’t hindered by the film’s 15,000,000 dollar estimated budget, and instead creates a fresh retro feel with nostalgic Godzilla design and more stripped down, back to basics, city destruction scenes. The blackout cuts feel right for a monster film allowing scenes to jump from emotive and character driven to impending monster doom without feeling disconnected and lends itself to the regular pacing through the 2 hour runtime of this feature. Most directors shy away from this style of cutting and pacing with most monster films relying on a constant flow of action, peril and entertainment without any characters catching a breath.
Yamazaki’s seemingly rebellious and unconventional approach to the Godzilla film is undoubtedly the star of the show and asks questions of bigger production companies as to how to fully use their budget and what really needs prioritising in monster films in order to standout from the rest of this Godzilla-sized genre.
