In Wichita
Kansas we are blessed in many
ways, one is the presence of a dear friend Leif Jonker. Leif, well known for
his own release of Leif Jonker's Darkness, considered by many as one of the
best gore horror movies ever made, it is a gem, Leif is a real life diamond in the ruff
kind of gem. He cares about movies and as a result brings some classics to
some wonderful Wichita
theaters. One such upcoming example will be Sorcerer, the 1977 William Friedkin
classic starring Roy Scheider. One of the earlier Summer wares that Leif
blessed our community with was the original Gojira/Godzilla. It played to sold
out audiences and I have to admit, I had never seen the film in its original
version, only the television dubbed versions. My friend Steve and I went to the
movie at one of our classic theaters and sat next to Leif at this sold out show
which had been moved to a larger theater to accommodate the crowds. Man oh man was I in for an
incredible pleasurable moment watching this movie in the way it was
meant to be watched, on the big screen, subtitled from the original Japanese
which added a great deal to the dubbed and earlier edited versions.
One of the first things to take notice of is the date of
this film 1954. The Japanese were fresh off the heals of World War 2 and the
nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Imagine, going through the horrors of that
war and those bombings only to a few years later make a movie that deals with
nuclear weapons and the effects of the bombings on the land and water. Out of
this came a virtually indestructible monster to terrorize the people and
landscape of those who had just gone through these horrors. In the original Gojira/Godzilla
the emotions, feelings and horror of the situations comes across the screen
through the actors and story. I couldn't help but think of the Japanese people,
going back in time and in history thinking of their lives during the making of
this movie, for many, even going through the difficulties of the war and
bombings.
I have to admit, the special effects don't come close to
holding up to today's standards, but in an innocent kind of way, the effects add
to the concept of the story. While they don't hold up, it takes the viewer back
to the time frame of when the film was made, it also helps us draw on the
emotions and story. It did so enough that the audience attending the showings was
applauding at the conclusion of the film due to the magic they had just
witnessed. Now let me make it clear, this audience while consisting of many art
film fans, was far from just this type of audience. Many were fans who came
just wanting to see a version of Godzilla, the typical movie fan, who in the
end, were also applauding.
Some see films of this nature and wonder; are there any benefits or things we
can learn today? It is likely that if they give it a chance they will see one
of the best examples of how we can learn from films like this. Through the power
of the acting you can see the lasting impact on the destruction we often do to
each other, despite what one may deem as appropriate for any given society.
This isn't to say if nuclear power or weapons are good or bad or if it was
justifiable to use nuclear weapons to end the war or not, those are questions
that are open for debate on other forums, it is to say however, that as a
Christian, who is commanded to love my neighbor and even my enemy, I must be
concerned of the impact of such actions, and certainly their after effects. Godzilla
in a way as only film can, becomes a parable of sort to such thoughts of those
suffering through the difficulties of such things. It is one of the beautiful
things of quality science fiction and horror that when done in an appropriate way, causes us to think far and wide beyond just the images we see on screen. Godzilla
in many ways is more than a movie monster, he is a metaphor for the consequences
of our actions as humans. Godzilla is not just a beast from beyond, he is a
creation of our own actions and lack of understanding and care for those around
us, including the children who also occupy the spaces we dwell.
Some see films of this nature and wonder; are there any benefits or things we
can learn today? It is likely that if they give it a chance they will see one
of the best examples of how we can learn from films like this. Through the power
of the acting you can see the lasting impact on the destruction we often do to
each other, despite what one may deem as appropriate for any given society.
This isn't to say if nuclear power or weapons are good or bad or if it was
justifiable to use nuclear weapons to end the war or not, those are questions
that are open for debate on other forums, it is to say however, that as a
Christian, who is commanded to love my neighbor and even my enemy, I must be
concerned of the impact of such actions, and certainly their after effects. Godzilla
in a way as only film can, becomes a parable of sort to such thoughts of those
suffering through the difficulties of such things. It is one of the beautiful
things of quality science fiction and horror that when done in an appropriate way, causes us to think far and wide beyond just the images we see on screen. Godzilla
in many ways is more than a movie monster, he is a metaphor for the consequences
of our actions as humans. Godzilla is not just a beast from beyond, he is a
creation of our own actions and lack of understanding and care for those around
us, including the children who also occupy the spaces we dwell. 
Gojira/Godzilla is an incredible movie, not so much the
remakes, they are barely okay and entertaining at best. I don't know if they
even come close to the social commentary of the original. Unfortunately though,
even here, most of us have only seen the Americanized, edited, watered down
version of this film. That in and of itself also says something else about film,
the audience and at some level of spiritual and political commentary even more
about ourselves as a movie going audience. If wanting to see an incredible
classic though, just as some of us are blessed here in Wichita to do due to an incredible loving
caring man, Leif Jonker, a man many mischaracterize because of his horror
experience. We can enjoy quality, wonderful films from all genres, just as
Steve and I were able to do with Gojira/Godzilla. I would encourage, if never
seeing this film in its original, uncut restored version, see movie magic the
way movie magic can be. Either look up the DVD or if given a chance, check out Rialto
Pictures web site and try to catch a theatrical showing of the film. In the
process, think about those impacted by the actions of society, governments and
even neighbors. Think about the real monsters in life. While we may do what we
can, we are impacted by our surroundings but can make a difference for the
future if we choose, even when it means going out of the way to show others
understanding. Gojira/Godzilla is a terrific example of that, in fact, the best
I have seen so far this year as far as movies go. Don't believe me, see the uncut, restored
original for yourself and tell me otherwise after seeing the film. To see the original trailer for the film, just click on the following video, if having trouble with the video, click on the link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1Rm3bnFxKs
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1 comment:
I had not seen the original version before this summer either. It made me angry that the other 'Americanized' version was slapped together so we could not see the concept of how anti nuclear the original film turned out. Two totally different films.
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