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Mariella Palomares

Professor Beadles

English 115 APPR

October 29, 2017

Project Text Final Essay: The Historical Loss of Godzilla

Both films Godzilla (1954) and Shin Godzilla (2016) have Godzilla represent the nuclear

atomic bombs that caused great destruction to Japan. Radioactivity was represented by Godzilla

walking through Japan causing horror and destruction to citizens. Godzilla the 1954 film was

about the people in the town from the citizens point of view. Shin Godzilla was from the

government point of view as they try to protect the Japanese citizens from Godzilla. Godzilla is

represented differently to Americans by being an icon while to Japan it is a historical tragedy of

radioactivity and death. Godzilla has changed in the modern Shin Godzilla (2016) from the

original Godzilla (1954) by Godzilla becoming more powerful, destructive, and by the adaptive

alterations with the use of technological advancements to the society in the film. The

significance of Godzilla changes from the 1954 film in the 2016 film by representing a loss of

the historical representation of Japans WWII bombings that were caused by the United States.

The new Godzilla in Shin Godzilla becomes a flashy distraction making the new evolved

transformation of Godzilla, that could appeal to the audience in 2016.

In the Godzilla (1954), the production of the film was not as technological advanced

because of the use of props and a monster costume to represent Godzilla but; the black and white

film focused on the historical significance of the Japanese bombings from the United States

through the representation of Godzilla. Godzilla comes out as the monster from the body of

water, staying the same size throughout the film; and does not transforming by evolving into
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anything else. The film was made after the bombings in 1945, causing it to be more relevant to

the time era of audience. The film was representing a political statement by taking a stance of

telling the story of what happened, how it affected them and still does. Through the 1954 film,

Godzilla the monster represented the anxieties and fears of the people in Japan.

Godzilla in Shin Godzilla is more powerful. Godzilla becomes more powerful by his

physical features and evolution from a brown lump crawling monster to a giant walking monster.

Godzilla changed from something that was not powerful to a powerful monster that grew by

evolving when self-defense force came near; showing how quickly Godzilla was able to

change so fast, it grows longer and builds muscle enough to be able to balance on its hind legs

(Zevallo). Even though, Godzilla was crawling in the beginning; Godzilla was able to stand on

its own when growing in size. The way Godzilla carried itself, walking through the city evolving

by transforming to a stronger monster who walks on its legs. Godzilla stands at almost 400 feet

(Zevallo). The height approximation explains why Godzilla would appear to be scary to the

citizens in Japan. Godzillas height being taller than everyone and even the buildings. The

description of Godzillas height gives the reader an image of a giant monster. Godzilla escapes,

it returns later even larger, darker, with horrendous fangs and a formidable roar (Zevallo). The

description of Godzilla after it returns shows its significance of horror by the descriptions of

fangs and roar, seeming more monstrous.

Godzilla in Shin Godzilla has more adaptive alterations with the use of technological

advancements to the society in the film. Godzilla has evolved even more with physical features

that were created within the monster making it more fearful. The people of the Japanese

government tried to protect the citizens in Japan by warning, evacuating, and trying to kill

Godzilla. Godzilla in Shin Godzilla is more destructive. The strength that Godzilla had were so
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powerful that, the creature's tendency to contaminate anything with dangerous levels of

radiation through its footsteps (Zevallo). Godzilla walking around caused destruction but when

powers were added to the monster, it revealed how more destructive Godzilla became by lasers

shooting at everything that comes near it having, the ability to fire atomic lasers from almost

anywhere on its body (Zevallo). Godzilla already has the fire atomic breath but also has lasers

showing Godzillas advancement of powers. Being able to shoot lasers out of the body, making

the killing of Godzilla harder by destroying the subjects that try to attack or come near. When

shooting lasers, Godzillas eyes, mouth and body has a bubble layer of purple that spreads

throughout the town, representing radiation. Its brown skin becomes black and ragged,

revealing a dangerous red glow beneath (Zevallo). Godzilla transforms and evolves by

appearing more horrific and having a deadly appearance like black dark, evil, and decomposing

skin texture. The red glow beneath Godzillas skin looking like fire the way it lights up like hot

lava volcano rocks, after a volcano has caused destruction to the land. The Japanese government

had to prepare for the next actions of Godzilla, only be a matter of time before its energy is

restored and it becomes active again (Zevallo).

The author Chon Noriegas main argument is how Godzilla is Japans first international

hit and icon in America (Noriega). Technological advancements helped the new evolution of

Godzilla appeal to the new audience, despite this form of Godzilla's undeveloped and comical

appearance, the film still makes it seem threatening with strong musical cues and competent

acting (Zevallo). The music made the scenes more engaging and dramatic to fulfill the part of

tragedy within the film. The audience could associate the music with certain scenes of the actions

of what Godzilla was going to do next. Having an approach of cultural versus historical aspect of

the atomic weapons and after mass. To Americans Godzilla is a cultural icon which some
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idolize, its something that entertains the American audience and is just a film. To Japan it is apart

of their history that affected them greatly not only with destruction but horror too. Horror vs

spectacle of the monster like characteristics Godzilla had presented in the film Shin Godzilla.

Godzilla changed by evolving from the 1954 film to the 2016 film. The monster in

Godzilla (1954) film is different from the Shin Godzilla (2016) film. In the 1954 film Godzilla

starts out as the monster and does not evolve. Godzilla in Shin Godzilla has different physical

traits with the red skin that lights up, lasers, purple bubble radioactivity, and skin that turns from

black to brown. Shin Godzilla changes to become more appealing to the audience during the time

era. Godzilla becomes more powerful, destructible, and adaptive to society. With the technology

advancements the filmmaker was able to make Godzilla more realistic. Shin Godzilla is given

more powers such as lasers that are purple and more destructive than fire breath.

The Japanese government thought Godzilla was done destroying because it stopped but

then came back not much long after. The government did not know what Godzilla was capable

of and what more destruction was going to come. The Japanese government tried to find a

solution before Godzilla started destructing again. No matter how hard the military tried to kill

Godzilla they could not instead they froze it, stands as an indestructible statue amidst the

destruction (Zevallo). The Japanese could not kill Godzilla instead they froze it to stop further

more destruction to Japan because to the military, Godzilla was indestructible. When Godzilla

was frozen and slowly decomposes the audience sees parts of bones of human bodies within and

inside the monster attached, after becoming frozen. Set aside from the films the United States

caused, the inevitable and complete destruction of the Japanese armed forces and just as

inevitable the utter devastation of the Japanese homeland (Japan surrenders). The

representation of the films was the actual metaphor of the radioactivity by becoming Godzilla, to
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be the representation and political statement. After the tragedy of the bombings, nuclear bombs

are still used as a threat today around the world from different countries. Countries need to learn

to talk about problems instead of going to nuclear technology as a way to solve problems.

Nuclear technology does not solve problems, instead it causes tragedy to innocent people of the

countries homeland.

Godzilla in the Shin Godzilla film (2016) has changed and its significant because the

cultural historical period of time has been loss. Godzilla represented the bombs, weapons,

technology advancement, radioactivity, and fear that was left in Japan for several years. The new

audience does not see the enemy in Shin Godzilla. The power that nuclear bombs had and how

they were used as revenge against mankind to Japan. The Japanese had to cope with the

aftermath of the atomic bombing destructive but also horror of creation of the nuclear weapons.

Long term effects were horror and radiation poisoning to the two towns Hiroshima and

Nagasaki.

The effects that radioactive had threatened cities, culture, and lives within the two towns.

The nuclear weapons to Japan are part of a significant time period of history that will never be

forgotten by people who experienced the bombings of long term radioactive destruction. By the

loss of the historical time period, it does not have the same affect upon people now than when it

did back them. Through the 1954 film Godzilla, Godzilla the monster represented the anxieties

and fears of the people in Japan which did not feel the same in Shin Godzilla by the distractions

of technological advancements and evolution of Godzilla. As years go on, the new generations

will not hear about it unless it is talked about or when they learn it in school. The changes

between the two films, show how different the old generations are from the new generations; as

they have new interests, and less knowledge of the affects of the nuclear bombings.
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Works Cited

Japan surrenders. History.com, A&E Television Networks, 2010

Allison, Anne. The Terrors and Trills of an Atomic Mutant. Millenial Monsters. University of

California Press, 2006, pp 40-51

Anno, Hideaki. Shin Godzilla. Funimation Films, 2016

Honda, Ishiro. Gojira. Toho,1954

Noriega, Chon. "Godzilla and the Japanese Nightmare: When "Them"! Is U.S." Cinema

Journal 27.1 (1987): 63. Web.

Sanger, David E., and William J. Broad. "As North Korea Builds Bombs, Time Dwindles." New

York Times, 25 Apr. 2017, p. A1(L). Expanded Academic ASAP,

Zevallos, Keith. Shin Godzilla Review. University Wire, 18 Oct. 2016, pp. University Wire,

Oct 18, 2016.