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The monsters and people from the twenty-fifth Godzilla movie.
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Over
the years, Godzilla has repeatedly evolved and then returned to
his origins, yet the monster has changed with the times. Why is
that? Though the movies differ in their emphasis--some are more
focused on social matters, while others emphasize the pleasure
of battling monsters--one thing remains constant: The films are
always set against the backdrop of the times, and the portrayals
of Godzilla represent the world and the Japanese people of the
times.
The
Godzilla movies of the 1950s encouraged opposition to atomic and
hydrogen bombs; the Godzilla in those films was truly a god of
destruction. In the 1960s, Godzilla took on a familiar humanlike
form, reflecting the popularity of pro wrestling and comedy shows
and riding the wave of mass media, foreign cultural influences,
and commercialism. The Godzilla movies of the sixties were fast-paced,
and the monster played good guys, bad guys, heroes, and supporting
characters.
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The first Godzilla of
the twenty-first century.
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In
the 1970s, when Godzilla's target audience was narrowed down
to elementary-school students, he became a hero who vanquished
pollution demons, space monsters, and mechanical ogres. In this
way the films seemed to question the advancements of modern
civilization. During the 1980s, Godzilla went back to his original
brutish self to battle monsters created by genetic technology,
and in the 1990s he returned to his roots and made people think
about the future and space.
The
Godzilla of the beginning of the twenty-first century scores a direct
hit on a Japan that has forgotten the bitterness of war and the preciousness
of peace. What do you think of this Godzilla?
Photos: Toho Co., Ltd.
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