Cinematic Point Of View

I vividly remember watching Shin Godzilla for the first time. Everything about it gripped me. The camera work. The music. The editing. The FX. The story. The Godzilla design. It was absolutely unexpected in every way and I loved it.

My youngest and I went out to watch the 4K Shin Godzilla re-release over the weekend and it still feels fresh and looked incredible on the big screen. I was quickly reminded why it sits at the top of my favorite Godzilla films, alongside the original Godzilla film and Godzilla Minus One.

Instead of focusing on giant monster battles, Shin Godzilla frames Godzilla as a natural disaster and leans into Japan’s bureaucratic response to the destruction. Much of the story plays out through endless government meetings and the struggle to act quickly in a time of crisis.

The bulk of the movie is actually ready-room board meetings and weirdly, I love these scenes. They are shot with an amazing energy and creative blocking. The absolutely insane amount of rapid fire cuts through a parade of characters can be overwhelming though. There is a lot you can miss and I learn something new with every viewing. There is so much information written on the screen, and dialogue, it’s a lot to take in and that’s absolutely by design. Co-directors Shinji Higuchi and Hideaki Anno put you right into the heart of the emergency. They want you to feel overwhelmed by all the information, just like the government officials do. As you probably know, the film is clear commentary on Japan’s rigid political system inspired by the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake, tsunami, and the Fukushima nuclear disaster.

One of the many things I noticed this time was the strong feeling of community coming together. It felt more in line with Godzilla Minus One that I had remembered. Yes, this is a film with politicians as the main characters and not just ordinary citizens, but it still manages to bring out that feeling of “rising above together” in the final act. Like I said, the dialogue is fast and furious, but if you’re able to keep up there are lots of little moments that will make you smile.

On a side note, I had never seen Neon Genesis Evangelion, nor was I really familiar with Hideaki Anno, when I first saw Shin Godzilla years ago. It wasn’t long after watching the movie though, that I did a deep dive into Anno’s body of work and started seeing all the overlapping and recurring imagery, story themes, and even musical queues. Pretty awesome.

The soundtrack by the legendary Shirô Sagisu is also one of my favorites. Think late night jazz, Mission Impossible, and Gladiator all rolled into one.

The Godzilla special FX in Shin are a fascinating blend of old and new, mixing puppets with CG. It’s super unsettling and effective. Godzilla moves through several phases and forms in this film, from a giant tentacle or tail in the ocean, to a floppy, creepy, fish-like beast as it comes ashore, and finally to a towering, slightly more sinister looking version of the kaiju we know and love. The purple atomic breath sequence is probably one of the most beautiful and terrifying scenes ever put to film. Shirô Sagisu’s haunting music plays heavily into bringing this scene to life.

It wasn’t until months later that I found out the actual words to this song “Who Will Know.” They add so many layers to the film. While it’s easy to associate them with the pain and suffering of Godzilla himself, they can be easily applied to the people of Japan and humanity at large.

If I die in this world

who will know something of me

I am lost, no one knows,

there’s no trace of my yearning

if I die

(but I must)

in this world

(carry on)

who will know

(nothing worse)

something of me

(can befall)

I am lost

(all my fears)

no one knows

(all my tears)

there’s no trace

(tell my heart)

of my yearning

(there’s no hope)

I wear a void, not even hope

a downward slope is all I see

I wear a void,

(as long as breath comes from my mouth)

not even hope,

(I may yet stand the slightest chance)

a downward slope

(a shaft of light is all I need)

is all I see.

(to cease the darkness killing me.)

Shin Godzilla will always hold a special place in my heart as it’s the first Godzilla film my youngest fell in love with. I would never have guessed it would be this one, but there you go. He’s always been more rooted in reality than me. He leaned over to me during this screening and said “Dad, they really need to do a “found footage” Godzilla movie.” I agree.

I’m sure if you’re reading this, then you already know there is a lot of talk of a sequel. I can’t tell you now excited I am about the prospect. So many ways they could go with it. Plot ideas were very much on my mind as we watched it this time around. I noticed a line early in the movie talking about how the US gathered up a bunch of the residue and carted it off. I’m kinda hoping the US creates a new version of Biollante that gets loose and comes into play. I’d also love to learn more about the mysterious “Goro Maki” who set this all in motion as the man who discovered this new lifeform born from consuming nuclear waste. Lots of room to expand this story.

What do you think they’ll do in a Shin Godzilla sequel?