The Godzilla franchise is notorious for producing larger than life action and thriller movies featuring the menacing kaiju. The quality of these films certainly have a wide range, with many being void of character and substance. The most recent films are big spectacle blockbusters, bloated with action and not much else. Very typical of western cinema for the time.
However, the team of “Godzilla: Minus One” heard these criticisms, and flipped them on its head. All on a $15 million budget, this film set out to do what western cinema was trying to do, and they did it so much better. Its very clear that the creative team had a passion for this movie, and took much care with it.
The film boasts a stellar 99% on Rotten Tomatoes, which is the highest of any Godzilla film. The 125 minutes of run time is showered with tears, redemption, laughs, love and destruction. This is not your average monster movie by any means. Quite the opposite. “Godzilla: Minus One” is a drama focusing on Japan at the tail end of World War 2, and all of the hardships that come with the time. Fair warning, there will be some spoilers ahead.
Grounded in Human Emotion
The film follows a Japanese kamikaze pilot named Koichi. He decides to abandon his duty as a kamikaze pilot, which plagues him with survivor’s guilt. This is only heightened when he is blamed for allowing an entire air base to be killed during a Godzilla attack. He then returns to his home in Tokyo, where there is nothing there for him.
Within the first ten minutes of the film we see the beauty of Japan, the war riddled ideologies of WW2 times and above all, we see the breaking of a man. This sets the tone for the rest of the film. This film is heavily grounded to the human world. Due to this, events of the movie have real stakes. There are times of beauty and comfort, but these times are almost exclusively followed by pain and destruction.
While destruction is very common amongst much of the Godzilla franchise, the reflectiveness and emotions that come after it are not. After all, Godzilla himself was created after WW2 to represent the power that nuclear weapons possess, and the fear that maybe they will be used again. In this film, and many others, Godzilla is only awakened and aggravated by humankind setting off nuclear bomb experiments under water.
The rest of the film follows Koichi as he finds romance and friendship. A subtle reminder that even in the darkest and most obscure times, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Throughout this time, Koichi is also making amends to himself and those he hurt by not going through with his wartime tasks. It’s a truly fascinating journey, both harrowing and wholesome.
The Spectacle of a Monster
This film can only be described as gorgeous visually. There are perfectly curated and creative shots that reflect the beauty of the world it’s set in, even in dark times. The close ups on the characters are able to convey very heavy emotions, which compliments every scene. However, the most impressive thing about the movie is how they were able to produce the spectacle of Godzilla, a monster taller than a skyscraper, for $15 million dollars.
The director, Takashi Yamazaki, and the cinematography team used a combination of uniquely framed shots and the human perspective to give Godzilla the terrifying gravity that its name demands. Some shots include only a part of the monster, like its foot, leg or back to give it scale and mystery. Oftentimes, audiences don’t see the full frame of the beast, but they still understand that it’s very, very big.
There are some shots where Godzilla is fully framed up against the backdrop of a city, but these are few and far between, and done very well. While the movie is titled Godzilla, and undoubtedly features him, he rarely shows up. He’s often mentioned and referred to, which adds to his grandiose status when he manages to make an appearance, but those appearances are rare and meaningful. They’re not just thrown in for the spectacle.
Where to Watch
VALLEY highly recommends this film to everybody. All that’s asked is that if you watch it, maybe bring a box of tissues. This film can be found on Netflix with a subscription, but it can also be rented on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV and Youtube.
The movie is filmed with Japanese as its primary language, however there are English subtitles and the option for an English overdub. VALLEY recommends watching the film in Japanese for the best experience, as that’s the way it was originally filmed.
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