I don't mind reviewing the Raymond Burr version of this film. While "purists" think the movie is too changed, it actually is not overly hurt by a sense of narration for American audiences (a bit of a grim past-tense newsreel sense is...
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I don't mind reviewing the Raymond Burr version of this film. While "purists" think the movie is too changed, it actually is not overly hurt by a sense of narration for American audiences (a bit of a grim past-tense newsreel sense is added). The Japanese "Gojira" version is better however, far more personal and depressing.

This is practically the only movie that I could care less if the monster is a guy in a rubber suit and a puppet, it could be a broomstick with a volleyball head and it would be just as meaningful. The monster makes no sense other than something that arrives at night and destroys (similar to the Blitz). After the preliminaries are over, a lot of depth is built in, something you won't see in "Beast from 20,000 Fathoms" or "Gorgo". The suffering of Japan again is pointed (note the scenes of the schoolchildren singing for the hope of the country, the hospital sequences that are unfortunately mostly moved or edited in the American version and are not as effective), the reluctance of the spurned scientist to use his "oxygen destroyer", and the excellent (excellent!) musical score all contribute to some uncommon depth for a "monster movie". The destruction of Godzilla is scored to the aftermath dirge and is almost ballet-like and oddly ambiguous in feel.

After all of the horrible Toho sequels of no meaning, this movie shines in its sense of impending senseless destiny and true sadness - a perfect "bookend" for the American "King Kong" that is almost nothing like it. One movie is the story of a civilization unable to accomodate a force of nature, the other is a story of a force of nature that will not accomodate civilization.

Notes on edits: the second oxygen destroyer discussion sequence is actually improved with shortening, the edited sequences in the Japanese parliament are not missed - much of the dialog is convoluted in the 1954 version (ranging from loose blame to embarassment), the move of the destructive aftermath and the crying children in the hospital to the beginning harms the film and Burr narrates over some of the films most haunting score.