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Brandon Thai

Professor Beadle

English 115 Writing

3 November 2017

A Monster Forever

Over time humans have changed but history will always remain the same much like

Godzillas purpose. The films Godzilla (1954) directed by Ishiro Honda and Shin Godzilla

(2016) directed by Hideaki Anno and Shinji Higuchi have shown to be similar in many ways but

also different in others. Shin Godzilla offers a unique perspective, an evolving monster with new

and powerful abilities, and a worldwide effort to help. Whereas the original 1954 version of

Godzilla is from the viewpoint of Japanese citizens, has a fully functioning monster throughout

and focuses on Japanese aid to stop Godzilla. Despite these differences both movies include a

radioactive monster that tears through Japan, created from nuclear tests.

The changes that Godzilla has gone through is to create a more fearful monster to account

for technological progression. As humans advance so must the monsters that they fear.

Differences in viewpoints also show how the time and what the audience wants effects the

directors choices. The advance from Godzilla to Shin Godzilla are definitely apparent, however,

these adjustments are simply to modernize the film and give new perspective. The monster has

changed but the purpose and core structure of Godzilla remains the same.
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Times have changed and so has Godzillas place in the movie industry. There are many

changes that had to be made to make the creature fit into modern era. In Shin Godzilla when

Godzilla is first revealed it is a baby with limited abilities crawling its way through the city,

Godzilla then rises on its two legs and develops a large and powerful tail, along with deadly

lasers coming out of its back and mouth. In the beginning, when it emerged Godzilla was already

causing massive amounts of destruction, having it evolve shows just how much uncertainty and

lack of control humans have. The levity is a welcome addition as Gojira here, or God

Incarnate, is even more terrifying than his progenitor (Carlsbad). The irony of life is that as

time progresses and people become stronger, so must their monsters. This shows that evolution is

a part of life and is not necessarily a change, rather it is developing what is already there.

Godzilla did not change, it simply got stronger to coincide more with the audience. Monsters

such as Godzilla will never truly change, but will grow in strength as the people do.

The perspective of the film is seen through the eyes of the Japanese government, focusing

on their efforts to combat the creature and the lengths they go to do so. They face many

roadblocks along the way such as the evolving monster and American intervention at times of

distress. The Japanese are often at shock with nowhere to go. The government sits by and

watches, mostly helpless. (Aguilar). Shin Godzilla shows how many resources the government

has opposed to those of the Japanese citizens. Shin Godzilla also shows the Japanese reaching

out to other countries for help, such as the United States, and France. Without foreign aid

stopping Godzilla would be near impossible. At this point in the film Japan is at a crossroad

about what to do to save their country. Japanese and international laws take a much more

important role than human emotions as the government tries to figure out what to do (Espinosa).

The international laws play a much larger role in this film than the others by acting as a
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countdown for the country if they cannot figure anything out to defeat Godzilla. In the end, the

Japanese government puts the best the country has to offer up to the task of defeating the

monster by any means possible. The movies reference the same issues but end up taking different

sides of the argument. The acceptance of foreign aid is a slight change, but in the end, it can be

seen to play a minor part in the outcome of the film. Much like the first film it is the Japanese

themselves that come up with a plan and execute it to defeat Godzilla.

The 1954 Godzilla film had a major significance at the time it was made. The film was

something that many of the Japanese related to at the time therefore cementing its place in

history. Godzilla in this film is not seen to evolve. It starts the way it ends, a 50-meter-tall

monster that can breathe fire and destroy everything in its path. At the time the atomic bomb was

dropped there was no warning, just widespread destruction in an instant. The perspective of this

movie is seen through the eyes of the Japanese Citizens and reflects their experience during the

aftermath of World War II. Focusing mainly on Emiko, Ogata, and Dr. Serizawa, these main

characters work to find a solution to the monster rampaging through the city as they themselves

come up with the plan to destroy the monster with an Oxygen Bomb. This Godzilla film was

created at a tough time for the Japanese, therefore they do not ask for foreign aid in their fight

against the monster and take it on all by themselves, with the resources that they have. The cause

of the monster in the film is due to the nuclear tests of the United States. Godzilla was created to

appease the Japanese citizens after all the terrible things they went through. The first Godzilla

film is a representation of how the Japanese felt in the few years after the bomb was dropped,

whereas Shin Godzilla was made for more recent events. In March of 2011 the earthquake and

tsunami in Fukushima impacted Japan by striking fear into the hearts of the hundreds of

thousands of civilians. Godzillas nuclear radiation and destruction of buildings draw strong
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parallels to these incidents. Due to these catastrophic events that devastated the Eastern coast of

Japan a new influence for Godzilla was born. Both versions of Godzilla represent and

embodiment of the nuclear fallout in the East.

There are differences between the two films, however, there are also numerous

similarities that the films share. Both films revolve around a nation coming together to combat a

giant monster whose only goal is to destroy and kill. Godzilla in both films shows the destruction

that the Japanese had to endure during World War II. Even after all the terror and destruction

caused by Godzilla Japan the monster does not have any dialogue but is rather a symbol for the

nuclear bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The monsters lack of speech demonstrates

its purpose, destruction and fear, much like those of the nuclear bombs. Godzilla has had many

adaptations but they all show its symbolism and importance in history. Some do a better job at

focusing on these than others. Both films depict the monster to give off countless amounts of

radiation and cause chaos.

Although Godzilla has evolved from one film to another its symbolism remains the

same. Shin Godzilla and Godzilla defeat the monster using science, whether it be by oxygen

bomb, or freezing. The films both show that the brightest minds can always find a solution to

even the biggest problems. Even if we defeat this monster however a new threat will just be

around the corner. Sophia Espinosa of Brookhaven college states In the end, the threat of

Godzilla is still present. Man must learn to live with, and evolve with, the monster or succumb to

its immense power (Espinosa). In Shin Godzilla, the monster is frozen in the middle of the city

as a remembrance of what happened to the country, which is destruction at the hands of the giant

monster, Godzilla. Espinosa reminds the audience that though Japan defeated the monster, the

fight for humanity is not over and they must remember what happened to prepare for the future
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for the inevitable return of the monster. The destruction of Godzilla in the first film shows that

the director did not think into the future of the monster. Shin Godzilla gives more uncertainty as

to what will happen in the future, making the monster into a memorial of what happened. Despite

the differences in the fate of the monster both films manage to convince the audience that the

fight is not over.

Critics of the film Shin Godzilla may say that the movie is completely different from the

1954 version. They state that Godzilla received a new meaning alluding from the events of

Fukushima in 2011. This new meaning is that the monster from Shin Godzilla focuses more on

the government and political aspects rather than its original meaning of atomic fear. It has also

been argued that the Shin Godzilla is just another sequel in a long line of films that stray from the

original source material. Though these critics do provide a valid argument, the new film still

alludes back to where it all started. Both of these films allude to the fact that the monsters

creation was due to the irresponsibility of the people. Whether it be from dumping waste into the

ocean or nuclear tests, the influence of the monster may have changed, but the meaning is still

the same. Nuclear radiation is and will always will be the underlying meaning of Godzilla. These

changes between films are subtle artistic choices that do not affect the overall connotation of the

movies. The director may change from one movie to the next, but Godzilla will always have its

ties to Japan and the nuclear bomb.

Wherever Godzilla resides there will be havoc and chaos, and its roots and historical

significance will never change. Directors can adapt the monster any way that they want but in the

end the meaning behind the monster Gojira will always have its ties to Japan. Godzilla through

the years has shown that even if things change, the meaning of something can still say the same.

Shin Godzilla and Godzilla are both great films in their own respect and each bring something
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different to the table. The movies have differences in the monsters strengths and its appearance,

the perspective from which the fight is fought from, and its acceptance of foreign aid. But they

are similar in Godzillas purpose, its symbolism, and the use of science to prevail. To stay

relevant, it is important to change things up, but you dont always have to revise everything to

make something great.

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Works Cited

Aguilar, Jubenal. "Godzilla Resurges in Toho Reboot, Destroys Tokyo." University

Wire[Carlsbad] 11 Nov. 2016: University Wire, Nov 11, 2016. Web.

Anno, Hideaki. Shin Godzilla, Toho, 2016

Espinosa, Shin Godzilla propels Gojira into the 21st century. (2017, August 20). University

Wire, University Wire, Aug 20, 2017.

Honda, Ishir. Gojira, Toho, 1954.