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curl-6 on 03 December 2023
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Jaicee said:

I watched the movie this afternoon too and I think it's my new favorite Godzilla film!

How to describe what I just saw? This is not a campy fan service movie revolving around epic monster fights and an endless stream of nostalgic self-references. This is a passionate human story that uses a giant monster as a metaphor for post-war trauma. Minus One isn't the first Godzilla movie to do that, but is clearly distinguished by its embrace of a populist ethos. In most Godzilla movies, the major human characters are government officials, businessmen, military forces, reporters, etc.; the usual movers and shakers and influence-makers of society. In this one, it's just regular people for whom the world, and even their own government, seems to care nothing. It falls to them to try and defeat Godzilla on their own somehow.

This is not a cerebral picture at all, but rather an earnest and heartfelt plea for catharsis and humanity. In a way, watching it felt a bit like watching some Clint Eastwood drama except, you know, it being Japanese and featuring a giant monster. It's dramatic, it's emotional, it's patriotic, it's straightforward, and it's got clear heroes and they're underdogs who you can't help rooting for with all your might, and little dashes of humor in all the right places. I stress the emotional part here though because I cried through like half the movie. Okay okay, people know I'm a wimp that way, but I think that anyone with a soul at all will shed at least a few tears watching.

If there was anything I disliked about Godzilla Minus One, it was the very last scene in the picture wherein it turns out that...

Spoiler!
surprise, Godzilla's not actually dead!


Part of you probably knew that was going to happen because, of course, there is more money to be made here, but it shouldn't have because it kind of undercuts the message of the film a bit. I encourage you to just pretend that this concession to commercialism isn't there, as this is otherwise a straight-up cinematic masterpiece.

I always love reading your detailed and well thought out posts, and I never knew you into Godzilla!

I teared up a few times as well, the human story, which is usually a sideshow in kaiju flicks, was very strong here. A few scenes really got to me like

Spoiler!
Shikishima thinking he has lost Noriko after Ginza is nuked, the civilian boats all showing up to help at the end, and the veterans telling the younger crew member not to come with them and that "not having been to war is something to be proud of."

I also loved its exploration of the legacy of WW2 in Japan, of ordinary people trying to pick up the pieces and rebuild their country and their identity after such a massive trauma, but also its insistence that the war's wrongs must be learned from. I know its a very controversial topic in Japan so kudos to the filmmakers for being brave enough to address it.