Godzilla (Gojira): 50th Anniversary Edition (1954)

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General		Extras
Category	Cult	Alternative Version-Godzilla: King of the Monsters (1956) Theatrical Trailer-Original Gojira Trailer Trailer-Eastern Eye Trailers More…-Godzilla (video game)
Rating
Year Of Production	1954
Running Time	96:09
RSDL / Flipper	Dual Layered	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Menu
Region Coding	4	Directed By	Ishirô Honda
Studio Distributor	Toho Company Madman Entertainment	Starring	Akira Takarada Momoko Kôchi Akihiko Hirata Takashi Shimura Fuyuki Murakami Sachio Sakai Toranosuke Ogawa Ren Yamamoto Miki Hayashi Takeo Oikawa Seijiro Onda Tsuruko Mano Toyoaki Suzuki
Case	?
RPI	?	Music	Akira Ifukube

     Godzilla (aka Gojira) is the “original monster of mass destruction” that rose from the sea in 1954 to devastate Japan and in so doing spawned 27 sequels and a Hollywood blockbuster. In the course of the Showa era of Godzilla at Toho studio (1954 – 1975) Godzilla changed from a threat to humankind to a protector, defending Japan from a host of original and intriguing monsters. Now with Godzilla: 50th Anniversary Edition we can go back in time to the original. As a bonus, on the 50th Anniversary Edition disc is also the English language version of the film, recut, dubbed and renamed Godzilla King of the Monsters, that introduced Godzilla to US audiences in 1956. They are quite different films.

     A number of ships are lost in fiery explosions in the Sea of Japan and the island of Ohto is subject to a typhoon like storm that some of the islanders believe was not nature, but an ancient creature they call Godzilla. The Japanese parliament commissions a team led by palaeontologist Professor Kyohei Yamane (Takashi Shimura) to go to the island to investigate. Also on the team are the Professor’s daughter Emiko (Momoko Kochi) and salvage specialist Hideto Ogata (Akira Takarada). On the island they first find evidence of abnormal high levels of radioactivity and huge footprints. Then, from behind the mountain, comes the 50 metre tall Godzilla, to terrify them before returning to the sea.

     Back in Tokyo Professor Yamane concludes that the atomic tests being conducted since the war have released Godzilla from the sea bed where he had remained since the Jurassic period. Yamane would like to be able to study the beast but the navy attacks it with depth charges which has the effect of driving Godzilla into Tokyo Bay where he comes ashore to devastate Tokyo and terrify the population. The usual weapons have no effect upon Godzilla, but Emiko has a terrible secret. Her ex-fiancé Doctor Daisuke Serizawa (Akihiko Hirata) has experimented with a special underwater oxygen depleting device that could be used to defeat Godzilla: but it also has the potential to be used by the military as a weapon, more devastating that a nuclear bomb, that could destroy life as we know it. Moral choices must be made with life and death consequences.

     As a film, Godzilla builds the tension slowly as the creature is seen only briefly after about 20 minutes and again after 40 minutes before the all out destruction of Tokyo commences approximately half way through the film. Clearly, the effects are very dated and obvious; there are model trains, boats, planes, vehicles and buildings and a man in a suit stomping on scale models but there is still a charm to seeing it done for real and in camera that no amount of slick CGI can overcome. This is about people, and the evils of atomic weapons: the scene that follows Godzilla’s destruction of Tokyo, in which the victims in hospital, including children, record high levels of radioactivity must have resonated with the Japanese audience only 9 years after the nuclear attacks upon Hiroshima and Nagasaki that ended World War II. And with the emphasis on characters, motivation and choices, the ending of the film is still poignant. Fifty years on Godzilla remains a riveting, tense science fiction experience that ends with a plea from Professor Yamane to stop nuclear weapons testing, or run the risk of creating other “monsters”.

     The US version of the film runs only 78:55. It re-edits and partially redubs the original film, adding another character in American reporter Steve Martin (Raymond Burr), through whom the film is narrated. The film is substantially changed: the order of scenes is changed and Martin is edited into many scenes, resulting in often awkward audio and video splices between the original and new material. Further, the emphasis on Martin lessens the roles of Ogata, Professor Yamane and especially Doctor Serizawa so that we lack insight into their motivation and sacrifices. The US version also leaves out the plea against nuclear weapons testing, or references to the US nuclear attacks upon Japan. It is worth a look, if only to see how Godzilla was introduced to American audiences in 1956.

Video

     The original version of the film is presented in an aspect ratio of 1.33:1, the original ratio being 1.37:1; the US version is in the original ratio of 1.33:1, neither are16x9 enhanced. Neither is a particularly good print; both have almost continuous scratches, both vertical and horizontal, dirt marks, large and small artefacts, reel changes, missing frames (such as 27:14) and frequent grain.

     This is a black and white film and here there are also issues in both versions. Contrast is variable, often poor and dull, and shadow detail quite indistinct. For example, in some of the scenes of the devastation of Tokyo very little detail of the Godzilla suit can be seen. Blacks are barely acceptable. The new sections filmed for the US version have slightly better contrast and blacks, but not much.

     Lip synchronisation in the original Japanese version is occasionally off. The less said about the US version lip synchronisation the better.

     The English subtitles for the Japanese film are in a clean white font in American English. Other than American spelling there are no obvious spelling or grammatical errors.

Video Ratings Summary

Sharpness
Shadow Detail
Colour
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Film-To-Video Artefacts
Film Artefacts
Overall

Audio

     Audio for the original film is Japanese Dolby Digital 2.0 mono at 448 Kbps. Dialogue is clear and the sound effects are what one would expect of a 50 year old mono track, although the deep thumps of the unseen Godzilla’s tread work well. There is occasional distortion (e.g., 82:20-40) and some hiss but the audio is acceptable. The music varies: it can support the film well but can occasionally feel inappropriate, such as a light air as they close in on Godzilla!

     The US version has English Dolby Digital 5.1 (448 Kbps) or Dolby Digital 2.0 mono (224 Kbps) as options. Neither is very good. The 5.1 lacks separation and depth and in fact the 2.0 mono is a better choice. It does have some satisfying rumbles and the cannon is better than the Japanese track, but the English track has far more hiss and crackle, especially after the 29:53 mark, that is quite distracting.

Audio Ratings Summary

Dialogue
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Clicks/Pops/Dropouts
Surround Channel Use
Subwoofer
Overall

     The quality extra is the whole second film Godzilla King of the Monsters (78:55 min). The rest of the extras are:

Original Theatrical Trailer (2:51)

     Plenty of scratches, dirt marks and crackles on the audio.

Eastern Eye Trailers

     Included: the Eastern Eye Promo Reel, (music only, 2:21), which features Bichunmoo, The Eye, Avalon, Bangkok Dangerous, Seven Samurai, Infernal Affairs and Princes Blade, and trailers for Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (0:44), Godzilla 2000 (1:04) and Hidden Fortress (3:47). Both Godzilla trailers are in Japanese without subtitles or translations of the Japanese captions.

Godzilla (video game) (0:37)

     Godzilla video game promotion.

    There have been a number of versions of the film released in Japan, the US and Europe as well as an earlier release in Australia. Perhaps the best is the Region 1 release that has both editions of the film, audio commentaries on both plus a couple of featurettes. The Region 2 UK release has only the original version, but includes an audio commentary and a couple of featurettes. From screen captures I have seen, both have better video, with better brightness and contrast, than our version. The Japanese Region 2 has the original version, and a commentary but neither are subtitled. Other than the Region 1 release, Region 4 is the only region to get both versions of the film.

     Fifty years on, Godzilla is still a riveting, tense science fiction experience and this 50th Anniversary Edition DVD is an opportunity to revisit the original classic film that spawned an industry. While the video and audio are not all that great, the film comes with a quality extra: the English language version of the film, recut, dubbed and renamed Godzilla King of the Monsters, that introduced Godzilla to US audiences in 1956.

     Godzilla: 50th Anniversary Edition is included in the Madman 6 disc box set Godzilla Showa Classics Volume 1 along with Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964), Godzilla: Invasion of the Astro-monster (1965), Godzilla vs. Ebirah (1966), Son of Godzilla (1967) and Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters (1968). For a RPI of $49.95 this is a fabulous way to get to know “the original monster of mass destruction”.

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