May, 1998
Godzilla!
By Steven Barnes
There are more Web Pages devoted to Godzilla (32,042) than
to Richard Nixon (26,647). It's true. "Big G" IS the
King of the Monsters.
Just a few days ago, I stayed up until three in the morning to
watch the new Dean Devlin/ Roland Emmerich film "Godzilla." I
enjoyed it, in the same cheesy kind of way I enjoyed most of the
original films. But something was niggling at the back of my mind,
and it has emerged full-bore into this month's rant.
Back in 1954, Toho studios released a little gem called "Godzilla",
which was a black and white, strictly (deadly) serious attempt
to create a Japanese version of the hugely successful American
monster film, "The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms". It eclipsed its
source material, succeeded beyond their wildest dreams, and
went on to spawn a series of films which have yet to reach their
terminus. Why have they been so popular, and what would give
me reason to write about them on my page? Well...
PHASE ONE: King of the Monsters
It's my belief that the Godzilla films form a perfect expression
of Japan's relationship with America. In fact, it is this subtext
which, from the very beginning, lifted them above their humble
origins. It's true, the first film had genuinely frightening
moments and beautiful cinematography - it wasn't merely a guy
in a rubber suit stomping the hell out of Tokyo. But that isn't
what made it truly interesting. Boiled down to its basic essentials,
it was a story of the Atomic monster who came out of the west
and turned Japan's proud cities into radioactive slag. Not exactly
subtle. Remember - Japan had never lost a war before WW2, and
the occupation that followed - with McArthur's restructuring
of their government and way of life was humiliating beyond belief.
But beneath the smiles and bowing was the unbroken spirit of
one of the truly great people on this planet. And when, at the
climax of this film, Godzilla was destroyed by the Samurai spirit
of a one-eyed Japanese scientist, well, you can imagine the
reactions of Nipponese cinophiles. What they might not have
anticipated was the resultant worldwide popularity. Could Europe
have been a little leery of America as well? Perhaps. But clearly,
America missed the barely concealed murderous insult, hiring
the future Perry Mason to actually cheer this bizarre metaphor
on to its rah-rah conclusion. In the following year, "Gigantis
the Fire Monster", (a creature which looked very much like Godzilla
but had less personality), emerged from the deep, did battle
with a titanic armadillo, was eventually covered with giant
ice cubes, and died.
All well and good. The next important speed bump in the lizard's
life was an encounter with America's King Kong. As the second
most famous giant monster in the world, Kong might at first
glance seem a worthy foe, until one factors in the height discrepancy
(Kong was about 50 feet tall, Godzilla about 200), and 'zilla's
radioactive bad breath. But Toho would let nothing stop them
- they injected Kong with growth hormones, and the fight was
on. Legend has it that there are two versions of this film -
in the American one, Kong wins. In the Japanese version, Godzilla
wins. Hmmm. But if Godzilla represents America, then why would
the Japanese care which monster wins?
Well, two things. First, no one claimed the metaphor was precise.
And second, it represents America's schizoid relationship with
Japan and things Japanese. Japan being the only non-European
nation Europeans have ever really had to take seriously, we
have a love-hate relationship with 'em. Japan was splitting
us in two - divide and conquer, you might say. It was Kong as
the racist, Japan-Bashing Japanophobe, and Godzilla as the "good",
Nippofied Americans, perhaps. Or maybe just the joy of knowing
that while Americans were cheering for the big monkey, the REAL
story was being furtively screened in dark rooms all over Japan.
It was the sheer pleasure of pulling one over on the big gaigin
bully. (There was further evidence of this kind of cinematic
chicanery. In the early 70's, Toei studios teamed their "Blind
Swordsman" character Zato Ichi against the famed Chinese "One
Armed Swordsman" Wang Kang, played by Wang Yu. Again, there
were two versions. In the Japanese, Zato Ichi killed Wang Kang.
In the Chinese version, the One-Armed Swordsman won - but merely
wounded Zato Ichi. I have a nasty feeling that, in the
spirit of Spiderman-Superman duels in the Marvel/D.C. comic
book crossovers, these two characters were supposed to fight
to a near-draw. Could someone have reneged on their end of the
deal? Naw...)
PHASE TWO: Knight of the Green Table
At any rate, things began changing in here. By the time Big
G met Ghidorah, the Three Headed Dragon (1965), he had
begun the metamorphosis into a good guy, protecting Japan from
other monsters (symbolically Russia, China and Europe, perhaps?).
Japan, clearly, had started looking at America as a big brother
figure. We had actually kept our promises and were helping them
get back on their feet. Japanese respect for things American
had probably reached an all-time high.
This "Godzilla as protector" motif was continued in such epics
as Monster Zero (1965), Godzilla vs. The Smog Monster
(1966), and Son of Godzilla (1967). In the last film,
Godzilla's son Minya (also known as Godzooky) is introduced.
This represents the third phase of Godzilla's development, for
as we all know, children make us hostage to the future...
PHASE THREE: Big Green Brother
Destroy all Monsters in 1968 was the last strictly serious
Godzilla film for almost twenty years. In it, it took Aliens
to return Godzilla to his bad-guy ways, and when he reverted
to them, why, he didn't attack Tokyo or Yokohama - he attacked
NEW YORK CITY. (But honest, the Big G said - it was those aliens
made me do it. I was drinking. Sleepwalking. Ah... it was my
twin brother, Gojira. Er... I was only kidding..?)
After this interesting bit of dramatic foreshadowing, came
Godzilla's Revenge, where a little Japanese boy dreams
of adventures with Godzooky. Composed largely of footage from
previous films, this forgettable offering basically featured
Godzilla as a 200-foot tall green Shane, helping a bullied tyke
through a painful adolescence.
There followed an interesting period, in which Godzilla was
basically a lovable, powerful buffoon, manipulated by Japanese
children, a friend to all, trotted out for a little cardboard
chaos when the occasion demanded, sure, but basically a WWF
wrestler in a latex tutu. No longer was much effort expended
to distribute these classics to American theaters - although
they did, and do, pop up on late-night television, narrated
by such stalwarts as Joe Bob Briggs. During this critical period,
Japanese industry had emerged full bore, and was beginning to
compete with America heads-up. Slowly and reluctantly, Americans
were awakening to the fact that Japan had never stopped fighting
WW2 - they'd just switched to another arena. And were winning.
PHASE FOUR: Villain once more.
Finally, America and Japan began having genuine trade wars
and clashes again, and "coincidentally", Toho released "Godzilla
1985", a return to a mean, nasty, killer beast. Hell, they
even brought Raymond Burr back. Are we starting to see a pattern
here?
PHASE FIVE: Green Big Brother: Godzilla
as New World Order
The 1980's saw Japan rising in power, buying up enough American
real estate that we actually perceived ourselves as losing this
new war. Japan now owned car factories in America, employing American
workers the way we employ Third Worlder's, and seriously hurting
Detroit, and the American economy (or so we perceived). They may
or may not be a threat (personally, I don't consider them to be
so - the emerging world economy will make most nationalist fears
pretty moot in a few generations), but the last, and current,
stage is the most complex and disturbing. What are we to make
of Toho selling Godzilla rights to Sony (another Japanese company),
and which has its American subsidiary Tristar make a new, improved
which attacks only American cities? With the real hero of the
film being a French secret agent (played by Jean Reno) who saves
New York from the incompetence of American military and political
idiots? Leapin' Lizards! If you play connect the dots, this is
either the funniest thing imaginable or the beginning of the end,
as we flock to the box office to watch the Big Apple destroyed
by a Japanese monster controlled by American hands, flooding money
west to the coffers of the Nipponese Illuminati. The mind boggles.
I can't stand it. I can't stand watching my countrymen blindly
selling their birthright one ticket at a time. SOMEBODY has
to stand up and speak the truth!!! The truth is: we lost the
war, and it's taken us 50 years to realize it.
Now, excuse me, all of this typing has worked up an appetite.
Think I'll jump in my Toyota, and head out for sushi.
--May 22, 1998. Ronin Arts Productions