week four - film reviews

Gojira (Godzilla), 1954, 98 minutes, Japan, Director Ishiro Honda

     There are several elements that are crucial to the understanding of the Japanese film, Gojira. The first to be examined is its correspondence to technology, and secondly, it’s reflection of the aftermath left behind after WWII. There’s a shift in the film, where the main objective from a technological stand point is the advancement of the sciences. When Gojira presents itself and the citizens realize that he is leaving traces of radioactivity behind, they immediately discard the idea of utilizing an atomic bomb against the monster. Instead, the community initially attacks it with the only other defense mechanism that they know – guns. With knowledge that they are deficient in technology, local scientists are looked upon for help. Serizawa is one character that should be highly noted in the fact that although he had accidentally come across a remedy, he makes it clear from the moment that Hideto Ogata learns of the substance that if utilized, it shall never be replicated. This is in fear that the substance may be used as a weapon, and by exposing it, Serizawa chose to burn all evidence of its creation and ultimately sacrifice himself from the public after its release so no answers can be pried from him by the media. Secondly, there’s a strong connection between the film and the emotions that lingered from WWII. At the time, the Japanese were getting back on their feet and reconstructing their country – both physically reconstructing the areas that experienced bombing, and emotionally with an attempt to boost the overall morale of the country. Many of these sensitive topics were integrated into the film, by their references to the atomic bomb, to characters referring to loved ones that were lost at war.

Invasion of the Body Snatchers, 1956, 80 minutes, USA, Director Don Seigel

     When considering the Invasion of the Body Snatchers, one of the first elements that resonated with me post-viewing was the theme of the film in correlation to last week’s reading. In the film, a viewer experiences the same elements that scenario two had brought forth:

1.      Suddenly, someone starts behaving strangely; or some innocent form of vegetation becomes monstrously enlarged and ambulatory.

2.      ...in short, conducting some sort of crude investigation - the hero tries to warn the local authorities, without effect...

3.      The advice of whoever further is consulted proves useless.

4.      Either the hero prepares to do battle alone, accidentally discovers the thing's one vulnerable point, and destroys it. Or, he somehow manages to get out of town and succeeds in laying his case before competent authorities.

Phase two is experienced at the beginning of the film, when the doctor is attempting to inform the city that resides on the outskirts of Santa Mira, but initially, they believe that he’s in need of psychiatric assistance. Phase one occurs soon after and can be compared to the “change” that the citizens of Santa Mira begin to observe of one another, that although the same physical being, there’s something different and less heartfelt about those around them. The third phase is first experienced by the psychiatrist when the Doctor interacts with him at the beginning of the film in the parking lot of a diner and he insists that this hysteria will blow over, and then is perpetuated throughout the film by all of the “transformed” individuals who attempt to reassure the Doctor that nothing is wrong and he should stop looking further into the “issue” at hand.  Lastly, phase four is carried out through the latter half of the film when the Doctor comes to realize what exactly is happening and he can no longer trust those around him. Though he attempts to destroy the pods that appear that are to be developed into him, he manages to escape town and inform the authorities in a surrounding community that initially thought he was insane, but come to realize everything he had stated was true. The film in it of itself follows the same guidelines of a typical black and white low budget film, but it manages to carry a sense of suspense throughout the work that keeps a viewer engaged, regardless if they’re familiar with this four-step film format or not.