Godzilla 2 dvd edition

FINALLY! It's hard to believe that the original version of Godzilla (called Gojira), has not been issued in the United States until now. 52 years have passed. After watching it, I can see why, although it was part exploitation and shrewd marketing by a couple of American producers who watered it down to make it more palatable and entertaining to US audiences. But this should not be seen as a monster movie. Rather, a disaster film that tread carefully upon the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki 9 years before. Japan was still under US occupation, and still rebuilding, but the scars were there. Ishiro Honda, the director, was an assistant to Akira Kurosawa, and a lot of his style appears in the non monster sequences, especially the relationship between Emiko and Ogata, and Emiko and her childhood friend, now scientist, Dr. Serizawa. Think of Scandal, or earlier Kurosawa melodramas from the mid to late 40's. In fact, Emiko's father is played by one of Kurosawa's main actors from the 50's, Takashi Shimura, who plays a scientist as well. Ships are mysteriously sinking in the Pacific, with lots of casualties, and a research ship is sent to investigate, near one of the islands. They set up camp, and not too long after Godzilla appears (with a laughable rubber face), scares everyone, then vanishes into the sea. Back in Tokyo, a huge conference shows their findings, and Emiko's father wishes to find this creature to study it, because he theorizes that it was awakened by the atomic tests held in the area, and that it emits the same kind of radiation as an a bomb. But no, Godzilla is considered a threat, and an anti-Godzilla task force is made. The public is made aware, and the area cleared of people. The monster comes out of the ocean and is attacked. It then proceeds to go onto land and destroy half of Tokyo, in what is still a harrowing view of devestation, the despair of the people and their deaths. Meanwhile, Dr. Serizawa shows Emiko his great invention, the Oxygen Destroyer, a device that deprives oxygen in water, truning fish to bones, then to nothing. Emiko is of course, horrified. Dr. Serizawa was a victim of WWII, losing his eye. It still doesn't completely explain why he wanted to make this device, although it could be similar to Nobel when he made dynamite. He wanted to make this device a secret, but after seeing the devestation on tv of Tokyo, he knows that he must use it against the monster. Along with Ogata, the two men go deep sea diving to Godzilla's sleeping lair. Serizawa activates the device after Ogata leaves, who thought they were leaving together. Sacrificing himself, he destroys the monster. Salute! The filmmaking is very good, and the special effects a miracle considering the budget and materials. The glowing spine as Godzilla breathes fire is a nice touch. Some characters are not very well developed, like Shimura's role, and Dr. Serizawa, who functions only to explain what might be going on, and to end the film. Emiko and Ogata are the human focalpoint, and they are handled well. I'm glad to see this without Raymond Burr, but there is a bonus disc with the Americanized version. I'm only disappointed in the quality of the film, which is still beat up in spots, with lots of scratches, but since this came from the Toho archives, I can only assume this is the best cut. The subtitles could have used a better font; the words are smashed together. The sound is in mono and is loud and clear. Comes with a 16 page booklet, that for some reason does not list the actors and people who worked on the film. A classic made 1000 times better by stripping away the crud. This came out the same year as Seven Samurai, also by Toho -- a banner year for them, and great for us, since both dvds have come out around the same time. Recommended!