Film Journal 2023: Godzilla Minus One

Film Journal 2023: Godzilla Minus One
Directed by Takashi Yamazaki

Finally found the time to jump on this ever growing bandwagon, and I’m happy to say the hype is real.

Its not just that setting this in post war Japan returns Godzilla to its roots and its primary metaphor representing the horrors of atomic destruction. The films near pitch perfect direction understands the necessasy balance between creature mayhem and human drama. Real characters and emotional stakes allow the monster to occupy its necessary place as both destructive force and existential crisis.

I really loved too how the films approach doesn’t need any tricks to establish the threat and the tension. It doesn’t need to cloak things in darkness or hide it in the shadows. It doesn’t need the slow reveal. It doesn’t need grand visuals. It just needs to establish that the monster is every bit as real as the people, planes and boats it is challenging. The monster design here is great, but even better are the action set pieces and set design themselves, which feel earthy, grounded and raw while providing some exceptionally intense, edge of your seat thrill ride moments.

The human element stays decidedly simple while employing a good deal of depth through the subtext. It is soaked in Japanese culture and cultural concerns, especially where it relates to honor-shame societies and family/community expectations. This provides a great opportunity to veer the story towards the essential human drama instead of fleshing out any big themes or relying on the destruction to pull it’s own weight. Themes are there, to be sure, especially where it relates to matters of regret, responsibity, and family, but they don’t override the fundamental journey of the films central character; a fighter pilot who bears the weight of a mistake he feels he cannot be forgiven for, and the persons who become his potentially redemptive voice. Where the film takes this journey has real and genuine emotional resonance.

It’s so interesting to me to consider that the last few Godzilla films released with an incredible amount of advertising and push. I didn”t even know this one existed until the week it started it’s slow roll out in select theaters, expanding now this week. But here we are, boasting one of the strongest Godzilla movies in recent memory and one of the best action films of the year. Go figure. No wonder its managing some success via word of mouth. It’s always something to celebrate when a film is able to do that using it’s own two legs, proving that success can still happen the old fashioned way. Fitting that it involves a throw back classic creature flick.