Slice of History: Gojira and the Japanese Defeat
Japan, after the bomb, became a different landscape than before when the country mobilized for war upon the Allies. The imperialistic and the nationalistic culture of Japan became a characteristic of the past as Japan learned to accept defeat. In the wake of newfound peace, the Japanese culture adjusted accordingly to the new landscape and the survivors of the war. Japanese soldiers and civilians learned to cope with a physically and mentally devastated Japan. In the wake of this development, the bomb became a reminder to Japanese people of what aggression results in; cultural forces would come to adapt this into Japan's iconic masterpiece, Gojira. Gojira would grow to symbolize the new emerging Japan.
Upon defeat, Japan’s constitution was discarded and replaced with one written by the Allied Forces. The new constitution forbids the Japanese government from building up an expansive military force as previously. However, the true defeat was felt at the heart of the Japanese people. Both Hiroshima and Nagasaki left everlasting reminders of their defeat; these two cities foundations were demolished into rubble. Over 135,000 people died from both atomic bombs, not including the radioactive fallout that killed several hundred civilians after the initial explosion and affected Japanese birth rates for years. Japan, by 1954, was still in recovery; Toho Studios’ producer, Tomoyuki Tanaka, began production of a film building off Japan's feelings of defeat and recovery titled, Gojira. Tanaka received influence from other movies of the period including, The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953) and King Kong (1933). Many viewers do not understand that Gojira was a symbol of the atomic bomb and the consciousness of the Japanese people of the time period. According to Peter H. Brothers', “Japan’s Nuclear Nightmare,” Godzilla (Gojira) is a film less about a giant dinosaur running amuck and more about the psychological recovery…” Japanese citizens in the 1950s were still coping with their humiliation, their fear, and their defeat. They were still trying to rebuild their cities and their lives that were threatened by radioactive fallout. Tanaka saw an opportunity to create a monster that matched Japan's mood while also making a profit.
The initial movie was to be more of a tribute to the movie, King Kong (1933). However, when the assignment went to director Ishirô Honda, he was determined to make the monster more of a metaphor of the moods of the people. People believed that they were living on the edge of doom due to their participation with the atomic bomb. Just as Americans feared nuclear war, the Japanese people feared the further use of atomic weaponry. Honda put his experiences into the film as well; being a soldier and survivor, Honda knew the feelings of the people as well as their fears of the future. While writing the script, Honda and Tanaka became interested in the basic usage of atomic testing and changed their original monster from an octopus to a dinosaur creature. According to Kerry Brougher’s, “Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists,” “Honda would later say that the idea was to have the monster represent the atomic bomb, to make ‘radiation visible.’” Gojira was birthed through atomic radiation making the "radiation visible." Gojira was to be the atomic bomb, not just a monster; his destruction of the city reflects the destruction experienced by the Japanese. Additionally, the fear demonstrated by the people running away from Gojira in the film served as a metaphor of the fear and unease experienced after the war. More importantly, Gojira represents the potential for annihilation during the Atomic Age. The monster's roar was made to sound like an air raid siren due to Honda insisting; viewers who recognized the sound understood that destruction was to follow. Air raids were common in Japan during World War II; the fire-bombing of Tokyo still haunted people's minds.
On March 9, 1945, American B-29s' fire-bombed Tokyo destroying over 250,000 homes and leaving millions homeless and 100,000 dead. This event matches the scene prominent in Gojira films; fire engulfs the city as Gojira goes on a rampage. The fact that Gojira spits fire could be interpreted as symbolic of the fire-bombing and destruction caused by the B-29s. When Japan is facing America alone after Germany and Italy surrendered, Japan is also facing Gojira alone while no other countries offer or give aid. When Gojira is defeated, the hospitals are overflowing with patients similar to the reality of the war after Japan surrendered. Countless scenes in Gojira are similar to scenes Japan faced during and after the war. Honda and Tanaka did not construct this film to match reality by mistake. However, Honda’s scenes are far less terrible than reality; he did not want to horrify his audience. Honda illustrated the suffering of the individuals; he did not want his audience to be disgusted or repulsed. He wanted them to focus on the internal suffering of the characters. One such character that Honda made to embody suffering is the scientist of the film. His scars are toned down so the character did not repulse the audience away while his suffering caused by the “monster” is apparent to the audience. In addition to symbolizing the fear of the people after the war and the destruction occurred during the war, the film also presents anti-American views.
The fact remains that the destruction of the cities and the radiation fallout in Japan was caused by Americans dropping atomic bombs and firebombs. Gojira representing these weapons of destruction and the people who dropped them. However, it did not stop the film from being released in the United States two years later.
Gojira, created by Tanaka and Honda, came to reflect Japan during the 1950s and their recovery from the nuclear bombs and destruction. As the citizens felt hopeless and afraid in reality so do the citizens in Gojira. The city’s destruction is the reality that many homeless people faced in Tokyo. The recovery after Gojira’s attack is the same as Japan's recovery after the war with many patients in hospitals. While the movie, King Kong (1934) deals with drama, Gojira deals with issues that are present and important to Japanese society and to Japanese History.
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Sources:
Ibid; Kerry Brougher, “Art and Nuclear Culture.” Bulletin of The Atomic Scientist 69, no.6 (November 2013): 11-18.
Peter H. Brothers, “Japan’s Nuclear Nightmare: How the Bomb Became as Beast Called Godzilla.” Cineaste 36, no.3 (Summer2011): 36-40.