Godzilla Minus One
Takashi Yamazaki’s apocalyptic “Godzilla Minus One” should have been a theatrical watch for me. By the time it came out, I was all in on watching as much Godzilla as possible, not just Legendary’s Monsterverse films, but films from the franchise’s storied history in Japan. When it was released in 2023, however, is when I was still settling into my new job, and theatrical viewings were getting tough for me, unless it was at a film festival or at a press screening. How did it take so long for me to get to it since it’s been on Netflix? I guess I was just waiting for the right time. It was coming back to theatres in prep for the sequel, but sadly, none of the showtimes worked, but the time was right for me to watch it at last.
Growing up is realizing that Godzilla can be many things as a film presence. Silly, fun, horrific and scary. Yes, it’s probably best known for the goofy era of films after Ishirô Honda’s 1954 original with multiple creatures- often played by people in rubber suits- going to town on one another, but that’s what made Honda’s film- when I did see it- so jarring. “Gojira” was designed as a response to the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end of WWII, with the iconic monster representative of the destruction those acts created in the country. Gareth Edwards’s 2014 film- the beginning of the Monsterverse- leaned into that, although it would go the way of silliness, as well, with each iteration afterwards. “Godzilla Minus One” returns to that apocalyptic impulse, but from a different angle, and it truly lived up to the hype.
The primary protagonist of the film is Kôichi Shikishima (Ryûnosuke Kamiki), a former kamikaze pilot who was unable to make the sacrifice during the war. He feigned a malfunction in his plane, and he flew to an isolated island. He is on the island when Godzilla attacks. Only he and a mechanic, Tachibana, survive, as Shikishima is unable to attack. He returns to the mainland to find his parents have been killed. He tries to continue his life, and even finds a woman (Noriko Ōishi, played by Minami Hamabe), whose parents also died in the bombing of Tokyo, and an orphaned child to take care of. They become a small family. But Godzilla is still lurking, and Shikishima is unable to divest himself from a sense of responsibility to try and destroy Godzilla, not an easy task, as military and governmental assistance is not on the horizon for these citizens.
Monsters as metaphors is a tradition that goes all the way back to the first horror stories civilization told. Godzilla has been a metaphor since its inception. In “Minus One,” rather than being a stand-in for the atomic bombs, I think it is symbolic of the crushing survivor’s guilt that Shikishima feels, having not just let his fellow soldiers down, but his country. Noriko and he have conversations throughout the film, and one of the things that is clear is that Shikishima is unable to shake the guilt he feels over not sacrificing himself, and choosing life. One of the inspired parts of Yamazaki’s film, however, is precisely having the government and military sidelined during this film, and destroying Godzilla be up to…civilians. Yes, civilians who have military experience, but are scientists, mechanics, fishermen and people who want to preserve life, and try to minimize casualties, even in their own ranks. “Godzilla Minus One” makes for an intriguing critique of the idea of kamikaze sacrifices during war and the idea that to sacrifice oneself for your country, rather than to make life better on the other side of war, is the most noble thing you could do. That emotional throughline is inspired, and made the film’s climactic battle with Godzilla not just thrilling, but deeply moving to watch unfold. The film’s visual effects are brilliantly realized, and Naoki Sato’s score hits all of the emotional and action beats perfectly, long before it gives us the iconic theme for the beloved monster protagonist. This is a striking accomplishment in a franchise that has shown us a lot over the years, and yet, still has surprises in store.
