| curl-6 said: As a Godzilla film the 70s were an uneven time for the big guy, but I still really enjoyed Godzilla vs Hedorah, Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla, and The Terror of Mechagodzilla. Godzilla vs Gigan and Godzilla vs Megalon by contrast are two of the weaker entries in the franchise. |
It's been my observation that major wars have often had a sobering, traumatizing effect on society that translates into heightened demand for honest films that are grounded in an often harsh reality. Right after World War I, Americans flocked to dark, serious movies much more than to the more whimsical variety that had often prevailed beforehand. Similarly, the period around and immediately following World War II saw a brief ascent for what became called noir films (as well as your favorite Christmas movie, It's a Wonderful Life; you know, the one about suicide). American movies from the late 1960s and 1970s in general, corresponding to the Vietnam War and stagflation and high crime and all that, also tended to be grittier and more earnest than those popular in the preceding era of peace and prosperity. Similarly, for Japan, the 1940s and '50s were an era of dark and serious movies prevailing following the national trauma of the Second World War and defeat therein. The original Gojira was categorically bound up with that moment in time for the nation.
In contrast though, by the 1960s and '70s, Japan was fully in the throes of the post-war "economic miracle" and the national mood lightened as a result. And so did the general mood of Japanese film-making in tandem. As a result, the 1970s in Japanese film-making were very different (specifically lighter, more kid-friendly, and often more conservative) from the 1970s in American film-making. The transformation of Godzilla from a terrifying symbol of war and nuclear holocaust into a cutesy, silly, heroic children's icon allied to the national military was very much a reflection of those larger social improvements that were taking place. But there were standouts and Godzilla vs. Hedorah and Terror of Mechagodzilla I feel qualify in a sense and on a certain level because of their more issue-driven character and, in the case of the latter, stronger, more involving narrative beats.
The difference really lies in the Jun Fukuda factor. Jun Fukuda was the main force behind the infamous Champion series who really believed that Godzilla should be a simple children's entertainment franchise and nothing more. Terror of Mechagodzilla though saw Ishiro Honda, director of the original Gojira, reprise his directing role for the first time in some time and the difference is felt in many choices, not least of all that of the screenplay, which was written by Yukiko Takayama, making her the first woman to exclusively pen the script for a Godzilla movie. Narratively, the difference is the use of complex characters like Dr. Mafuny and his "daughter" of sorts, Katsura, and their relationship to each other and to the proper heroes and villains of the story. Characters like these lend the picture its distinctive emotional weight and analogies thereto were notably absent from the preceding movie, Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla, which had been directed by Fukuda. I love those characters! They're way more interesting than the one-dimensional main heroes and villains. Certain scenes near the end of the movie in particular involving them still get me all misty-eyed even today.
Last edited by Jaicee - on 18 April 2021
