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Jennifer Ramirez

Professor Beadle

English 115

6 November 2017

The Two Sides of Godzilla

Godzilla is a well-known mythical monster that gained popularity after world war II and

has continued to be one of the most recognized monsters in the world throughout the years.

Godzilla originated through the Japanese film Gojira in 1954. After the films release, many

other movies were made about Godzilla, of course they all differentiate from the original film

and the meaning behind the film also changes. One of the latest Japanese versions of the film is

the 2016 Shin Godzilla. Although both the original film and the newest version of the Godzilla

movie, consist of the same monster, there are many differences that include Godzillas

appearance, the story itself, and of course the differences in image due to modern technology. All

these differences demonstrate how the making of movies has progressed and evolved throughout

the years for the better.

The differences within the film do demonstrate the evolution of film making, however,

theyre not always for the better. These differences between the original film and the latest

version of the film can change the meaning or message of the story. For example, in the 2016

film, the story doesnt focus as much on the civilians of japan but it does on the governments

actions to stop Godzilla. This can take away from showing the viewers how the Japanese

suffered and how they had to rebuild their country like shown in the original film. These

differences dont always affect the film or its future versions, instead they can improve them by
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bringing a distinct perspective on a certain topic. They can also show us a different side of the

story that can help us better understand it or make it more appealing to younger generations by

including distinctive features, using modern technology, or changing its appearance.

We can all agree that Godzilla is a big monster that produces fear within the viewers of

the different films. However, within the two films, Godzilla 1954 and Shin Godzilla 2016, there

are many differences. One of the biggest and most noticeable differences is Godzillas

appearance. Godzilla has changed physically, especially in Shin Godzilla where he evolved

within the film. In the 1954 film, Godzilla was a four-hundred-foot-tall amphibious monster

according to Gojira: The Terrors and Thrills of an Atomic Mutant by Anne Allison. He had

tough and rough skin, its skin texture represented the scars of those burned by the atomic bombs.

Godzilla also had electrical discharge that comes from his dorsal plates and he also has atomic

breath.

In the 2016 Shin Godzilla, Godzilla evolved about four times. At the beginning of the

film when Godzilla comes out, he seems a little goofy. He has big eyes, can barely walk on his

feet and has a long tail. This is most likely because hes initially a sea creature. His skin is light

brown with red spots which can be radiation and just causes destruction as he walks along the

streets of Japan. It becomes known that Godzilla has a biological nuclear reactor and has hard

skin and bones to support his size. He then evolves, becoming stronger where he can now walk

on his two feet. His physical appearance doesnt change dramatically. The next time he evolves

his skin becomes darker in color and looks like rough and rock-like. By now he has doubled in

size and height, and his hands had grown in. Its during the fourth phase of his evolution that he

starts firing his destructive atomic rays from his mouth and back.
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Not only does Godzilla differentiate in appearance in these two films, but also when it

comes to the story line. While they both include Godzilla as the main character, there are some

parts that differ and give two different perspectives of the real meaning or message behind the

story. In Godzilla (1954), the story focuses more on the civilians in Japan. Peter H. Brothers,

author of Japans Nuclear Nightmare, states that a team of Japanese filmmakers created a

monster that embodied the fears and anxieties in Japan resulting from nuclear warfare (Peter H.

Brothers,51). In this quote, he was referring to the filmmakers of the 1954 Godzilla who through

the film were trying to show others what the Japanese went through after the atomic bombs.

They used close ups on the civilians to show their expressions and emotions when seeing

Godzilla. There was also a scene where they were at a hospital. This scene showed the physical

effects of the bombs. On the other hand, Shin Godzilla (2016) deals more with government

officials and the team of experts that was formed. These would be one of the major differences

between the films that give the viewers a different side of the story.

Of course, these arent the only differences in the films. Another one would be how

Godzilla was stopped. In the 1954 version a scientist, Dr. Zerizawa, constructed a new weapon

called the oxygen destroyer. This weapon disintegrated oxygen and by doing this Godzilla would

be killed. In the 2016 version, the group of experts led by Rando Yaguchi created a coagulant

that freezes Godzillas blood but doesnt fully destroy kill him. Another difference between these

is that in the original film, they only had one attack on Godzilla which was with the oxygen

destroyer and in the latest version the Japanese, the U.S., and other militaries had different

attacks on Godzilla that did not work. These attacks in the 2016 film give a more modern take on

military attacks and actions.

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Although Godzilla and Shin Godzilla have some differences, they both deal with the

same monster and are based on the same topic which is radiation. These similarities, while still

the same, can show how technology has advanced throughout the years. In both films, Godzilla

emerges from the ocean, which represents the unknown. Godzilla was inactive in the ocean and

fed on radioactive waste which caused him to resurface. At the beginning of the films, the

directors started by showing a boat whose passengers died. After Godzilla made his appearance,

a team of people united to research and stop Godzilla. These research groups used different

devices to study Godzilla and used different scientific approaches that were a bit more advanced.

To stop Godzilla, the two films also formed a new weapon. The message given by the films of

radiation, nuclear weapons, and its effects are also very similar. Like said by Brothers Godzilla

is metaphor of mans tampering with science (56). This was the message of the original film

that carried on to the recent version to show the importance of this issue.

Because of all the years that have passed since the original and the latest version, they

have many differences caused by the advancement of technology and demand of the public. The

original film was in black and white and some of the effects were inspired by other movies like

King Kong (1933) and from the success of The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953) like

mentioned by Peter H. Brothers in Japans Nuclear Nightmare. In the 1954 movie, the special

effects supervisor Eiji Tsubaraya chose to build a latex dinosaur suit, reinforced with bamboo

spars and with jaws that could be snapped by the technician inside the suit. This according to

Tim Martin, a journalist for The Telegraph. Tim also mentions that Tsubaraya used special

effects like shooting the monster scenes at double speed and then slow them down to give an

impression of stomping inertia. This technique became known as suitmation. The producers

also used music to create more effect on the scenes. Akira Ifukube, a university professor in
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Japan, oversaw developing the sound effects with different instruments. These are examples of

what was done in the original film in the 1950s.

Throughout both films, Godzillas evolution is very noticeable and one can see how all

the changes and advancements that have occurred throughout these years have influenced these

differences within the films. In the 2016 Shin Godzilla, both CGI and motion capture technology

were used to create Godzilla and to reminisce suitmation. According to Ali Shuger, author of

Shin Godzilla film review, the movies dialogue-heavy plot is what truly sets it apart from its

predecessors. In this film Godzilla doesnt appear as much as in the original. The movie

emphasizes more on the government planning, discussing, and making decisions to stop Godzilla

and protect the people. This film was released in 2016, because of this, more technology and

more modern aspects were used to appeal to the new generations while also giving them a

glimpse of what the Japanese went through after the bombs were dropped. Modernizing the film

by adding more action scenes attracts younger viewers and because of all the things occurring in

the world today like terrorist attacks, they can in a way relate to the Japanese and their fears.

All these differences are very significant to each of the films. The differences between

the films help give the viewers a distinct perspective on the same monster and on the situation.

They are also important because the movies were made at separate times. The original Godzilla

showed how life was like after world war II for the Japanese while Shin Godzilla shows a more

modern view on war and the use of more dangerous and powerful weapons. This can show

viewers what the Japanese went through and can also create consciousness when it comes to the

use of weapons. It is because of the time in between the making of the films that force these

differences. These differences can improve the story or the movie and make it more intriguing.

They can also give a different message or focus more on another situation to is as important. For
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example, in the 1954 Godzilla, the producer Ishiro Honda said, I wanted to make radiation

visible. He wanted to show everyone the effects of using nuclear weapons not only the physical

effects, but also the mental effects that this event caused. He also wanted to show according to

Brothers, people trying to rebuild their cities, their culture, and their lives threatened by

radioactive fallout. In Shin Godzilla while it discusses the topic of radiation, it focuses more on

the governments reaction to this new crisis and it shows how other countries can come together

for one purpose.

After all the years that have passed, Godzilla has continued to be one of the most

recognized and important monsters. Godzilla has continued to be successful because it is a story

that comes from real life experiences and many can relate to it. It represents the growing fears

of a nation living in the shadow of doomsday (Brothers, 52) while also giving a deep message

of the use of nuclear weapons and its effects. This shows how the two films relate to each other.

However, Godzilla (1954) and Shin Godzilla (2016) have many differences from Godzillas

appearance, to the story itself and the technology that was used. The differences in the two films

are very significant and even the smallest distinctions can make a difference in a film even if the

films are about the same monster. They show how the evolution of technology has influenced the

films for the better, to make the films more attractive to younger viewers and to give a more

modern story that not only sends an important message, but that also younger viewers can

understand what the Japanese were going through and that they can relate to.
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Works Cited

Brothers, Peter H. Japans Nuclear Nightmare: How the Bomb Became a Beast Called

Godzilla. Monsters, edited by Andrew J. Hoffman, Bedford St. Martins, 2016.

Honda, Ishiro. Godzilla. Toho, 1954

Kushner, Barak. Gojira as Japans First Postwar Media Event. In Godzillas Footsteps:

Japanese Pop Culture Icons on the Global Stage, by W. Tsutsui and M. Ito, Palgrave

Macmillan US, 2006

Shuger, Ali. "Film Review: Shin Godzilla." University Wire, Jan 23, 2017, Global

Newsstream.

Zevallos, Keith. "Shin Godzilla Review." University Wire, Oct 18, 2016, Global Newsstrea