Why Gojira was the District 9 of its day

[Forkboy]

One of the reasons District 9 did so well when it was released a month ago was because it told a familiar story in a fresh environment; no matter how time-honored certain science-fiction conventions are, it never hurts to see them set in a new context.

But Neill Blomkamp's terrific, thoughtful opus was hardly the first film to find universality—much less compelling fantasy storytelling—in specific cultural details; rather, that precedent likely goes to Ishiro Honda's Gojira, which combined traditional Hollywood storytelling and the troubles of postwar Japan in a dazzling display of artistic and technical virtuosity. Newly released on Blu-ray with a commentary track that highlights its historical and cultural relevance, this progenitor of Japanese monster movies is a sleeper triumph of storytelling that remains as devastating today as it did 55 years ago.

Thanks to a series of films that increasingly defined the character as a rubber-suited wrestler who did little more than square off against swinging prosthetic monsters, Gojira is no longer taken seriously as a fixture of the science fiction world. His iconography and his visual landscape is so deeply familiar to most people, even if they haven't seen many of his movies, that it seems impossible to imagine that anyone could or would tell a story with him at the center of it that wasn't at least in part a joke.
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Ultimately, if that recent success of District 9 means anything, it's that audiences are ready to embrace entertainment that also possesses a little intelligence, and Gojira is a film that similarly deserves to benefit from this underfed appetite for thoughtful thrills, especially now that it's available in a high-definition format. Of course, it remains to be seen whether Blomkamp's movie will stand the test of time, especially since Honda's had many of the same qualities and has since become a starting point for a series that while successful is considered a laughing stock. But if Gojira proves anything, it's that it's never too late to rediscover the real value of a truly great film; so even if in a decade (or five) District 9's status has somewhat diminished, it will nevertheless have Honda's now-proven classic to share company with it for years to come.

http://scifiwire.com/2009/09/review-why-gojira-was-the.php

[juno jones]

1. I didn't know that the original Japanese version

had never been released here.

I now know what to get my son for christmas...;)

[sakabatou]

2. It's really good.

Although the Showa-era movies aren't that great

[Forkboy]

5. It's a lot more somber than the American version with Raymond Burr was.

Over 40 minutes of the original was cut to make room for those scenes with Burr, so the two versions are very different from one another.

[juno jones]

6. That's what my son told me.

I asked him last nite. Of course the little bugger has already watched it somehow (probably on cinemageddon, I don't ask anymore. He's now ordering asian films with no subtitles now just to watch the film. Outta my league for shure).

I, however, am interested in seeing it now, to see how it got changed. :)

[Yunomi]

3. I saw it in Japanese with subtitles

and it was quite moving. It's one of my all-time favorites. I also loved "District 9". Nice article.

[Forkboy]

4. The difference between the American and Japanese versions is vast.

The American version works fine as a typical 50's "monster running amok" film, but the Japanese version is far deeper and more subtle.

I still haven't seen District 9, but will as soon as it's available. I started to watch a cam version online, but for a movie like that I want to see the real thing and not a shoddy copy.

[shadowknows69]

7. Man Fork. I thought I was a fan of the big green guy before I met you.

Respect.

[Forkboy]

9. That's because I have no life.

:)

[Kire]

8. Hadn't heard of this one...

I will definitely look out for it.

If you're into really heavy metal music, Gojira is the name of a quite popular French death metal band. They are quite talente, for the genre.

[Forkboy]

10. I have a couple Gojira CDs

I don't love them, but their music is solid and a decent listen.

[AllenVanAllen]

11. Gojira stands out as my favorite G-Film

Great article! Thanks for posting it. I gotta' extend the respect for your G-prowess too. :fistbump:
I would love to see Godzilla's return in 2014 be a remake, set in 1954 that stays faithful to the the original Gojira, directed by someone like Frank Darbont. Someone who would take the source material seriously and really bring the franchise back in a big way.