GODZILLA Showa Classics Vol 1 DVD Review
Posted by Stephen Lambrechts (follow me @Slambrechts)
With this month's big screen return of Godzilla, king of all monsters and greatest Kaiju of them all, now is as good a time as any to revisit the big green one's original classic Toho films. Distributor Eastern Eye has released several multiple film collection DVD box sets covering the majority of the Toho entries in the series, making it easy to follow all of the eras of Godzilla in all his man-in-suit glory.
Godzilla Showa Classics: Volume 1 begins, funnily enough, at the beginning with 1954's Godzilla (or Gojira, its original Japanese title). By this point, almost everyone knows the story, but for the uninitiated, Godzilla is born after some nuclear testing in the pacific. He emerges from the depths of the ocean to wreak havoc as he stampedes into Tokyo, destroying practically everything in his path, while also leaving a trail of radiation in his wake.
What makes Godzilla such a relevant and important film, despite being a movie where a guy in a rubber monster suit smashes miniature buildings, is the political and sociological importance of what it had to say about Japan's collective consciousness. The film was made only nine years after the atomic bombings at Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end of World War II.
At a time when it was not acceptable to openly discuss the effects of going through such an immense tragedy, Japan's only way to confront such issues cinematically was in the guise of a giant monster film. Think about how long it took for the United States to make films about 9/11, and then multiply it by ten and apply it to a repressed 1950s Japan. The film acted as a therapeutic release for an entire country that desperately needed one.
Right from the opening credits, where the amazing and unmistakable Godzilla theme music kicks in, this is a powerful and incredibly entertaining movie. Modern audiences not accustomed to older films will find the original Godzilla film to be a tad slow and somewhat depressing, but those paying attention to the drama will find the eventual destruction to have much more impact because of this approach.
Also included on the first box set are Mothra vs. Godzilla, Godzilla: Invasion of the Astro-Monster, Godzilla vs Ebirah, Son of Godzilla, Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters and Godzilla: All Monsters Attack. Obviously, they vary in terms of quality, but Mothra vs. Godzilla is a genuine Godzilla classic. Son of Godzilla however, is bloody hilarious. Godzilla's kid looks like Baby from the Dinosaurs tv series gone wrong, but the movie is still way more enjoyable than most give it credit for.
Overall, Godzilla Showa Classics: Volume 1 is a brilliant and convenient way to catch up on early Godzilla films at an affordable price. There are classics, gems, and some oddities, but each film is well worth watching and never fails to entertain.
★★★★
