Hey guys, I’m going to review a movie I saw a couple of months ago for my 30th birthday, and I can’t get it out of my head. It’s been nominated for an Oscar and has ruined Hollywood’s reputation. The film that I’ll be doing a deep dive into is Godzilla Minus One. I loved this movie so much that I recently saw the black-and-white version before it stopped showing in theaters.
There’s been a lot of discussion about this movie since it was released in North American theaters three months ago. This movie has changed the art of filmmaking and will force American movies to improve. Without further ado, here is my deep dive into Godzilla Minus One.
Brief Synopsis
This movie takes place after the events of World War II. A pilot named Koichi lies about his plane having technical issues out of fear of losing his life in the war. But danger still reaches Koichi when Godzilla arrives at his base, killing his entire platoon as he watches helplessly. When he returns to Japan, he learns that all of his friends and family have died in a bombing that took place in Tokyo.
Kōichi’s guilt eats him alive, and he sees little room for hope after hearing his parents have been killed. But that all changes when he meets a young woman named Noriko, who is caring for an orphaned baby. The three become a family and play their part in helping to rebuild Japan after the war to restore the country to its former glory. However, Godzilla is still rampaging, causing chaos and terror wherever he goes. If Japan has any hope for a future, it must kill the beast once and for all.
Character Analysis
Kōichi Shikishima
Kōichi is a pilot who is ashamed of not fulfilling his duty in the war. At the beginning of this movie, you see how embarrassed he is to show his face back home. He brought dishonor to his family and country. At this point, Kōichi is just a boy who only cares about himself.
After starting a family, he becomes a man, taking on any job to provide for Noriko and Akiko. However, despite this new purpose of being a stepfather, he still feels guilty about his past. He wants to do his part in restoring Japan. Even willing to take on dangerous jobs like becoming a minesweeper.
Still, Kōichi can’t rid himself of his guilt, which affects his home life with Noriko. He becomes determined to help Japan kill Godzilla and is ready to sacrifice himself to achieve that goal.
Koichi is played by Ryunosuke Kamiki. He gave an impressive performance, and I felt the emotion behind his words. This is the first movie where I wasn’t rooting for Godzilla to kill people, and a big reason was Kamiki’s ability to relate to men with a warrior instinct to protect their friends and family. I haven’t watched his previous movies, but Godzilla Minus One made me want to check out his past work.
Noriko Ōishi
Noriko is a young woman who lost her family in the Tokyo bombing. During the air raids, Noriko meets a dying mother and promises to care for her newborn baby, Akiko. Soon after, she meets Koichi, who decides to help her, and the three become a family.
Noriko was my favorite character in this movie. I loved her optimism in times of war and chaos. The fact that she promised a stranger she’d become a mother to their orphaned baby was incredible. She handles the role of a mother beautifully. I also loved how supportive she was of Koichi while he was going through emotional turmoil.
Her independence is another characteristic that I admire. For example, when she is willing to start working again to provide for herself and Akiko after hearing that Koichi doesn’t want to settle down. Despite their complicated relationship, she still loves Koichi and will lay down her life for him when they’re in trouble.
When I see relationships like this on the big screen, I realize how different old-fashioned couples are when you compare them to modern times. Without a doubt, these two are among my favorite movie couples. I would consider myself a lucky man to settle down with a girl like Noriko.
Noriko is played by actress Minami Hamabe. I was surprised at how young Minami was when watching this movie. She has a bright future ahead of her. Funny enough, Minami starred in a live-action version of one of my favorite anime movies, ‘How to Eat Your Pancreas‘. After seeing how good she is in this movie, I’ll watch that film when I get a chance. Regardless, I can’t wait to see where she takes her career.
Cinematography
Continuing on this deep dive into Godzilla Minus One, we have cinematography.The cinematography in Godzilla Minus One is outstanding, and several elements deserve a shoutout, including the following:
1. Special Effects and CGI
When looking at the overall appearance of Godzilla in this movie, I was very impressed. We’ve never seen a Godzilla form like this one, and he looks great in a terrifying way. He looks better than his North American counterpart. There were several scenes with Godzilla where the CGI highlighted his ferocity, including the following:
i. Ship Pursuit
Godzilla Minus One gets inspiration from the well-known blockbuster film Jaws from 1975. Particularly the scene with Godzilla’s head emerging from the ocean to pursue the minesweeping ship our heroes are traveling on. This scene is a mirror image of its predecessor, where the shark pursues a ship of hunters.
I love this scene because Godzilla’s head emerging above the water and chasing the ship was terrifying. His head was so lifelike, you could see the little details etched into his face, like his pupils and nostrils. It shows how much work went into creating him for this movie.
ii. Godzilla’s Atomic Breath
One of the most memorable moments while watching this movie was, without a doubt, Godzilla’s atomic breath. The plates on his back would slowly light up to become blue one after another, from the tip of his tail to his neck. All for Godzilla to gather enough energy and lift his head for a moment to gather a breath of air before unleashing an unstoppable beam of destruction onto his target. Hands down the best atomic breath I’ve ever seen in a Godzilla movie.
2. Light and Color Palette
Keep in mind that this movie shows Japan after World War 2. Because of that, the colors used in this movie are often dark and cold to depict the aftermath of war. The lighting in this film is very dim, as Japan has entered a dark era since Godzilla arrived.
The dim lighting and color palettes are used throughout the film. You see it from the post-war rubbles of Tokyo to the deadly, ice-cold waters of the sea. These elements helped make Godzilla Minus One a successful post-war drama. It shows what people who endured the war had to experience.
3. Camera Angle and Shots
Like many movies in this franchise, Godzilla Minus One delivers low-angle camera shots, often looking up at Godzilla. Showing how terrifying the monster is from a citizen’s point of view. These shots also get used whenever Godzilla comes down to strike a victim. For example, when he’s killing Koichi’s comrades.
Another great use of camera angles that stuck out to me would have to be the final fight, where we follow Koichi in his fighter plane as he circles Godzilla, waiting for an opportunity to strike. You feel like you’re flying with him while watching this movie. Overall, I thought the camera work in this movie was superb and spot-on.
Soundtrack
The soundtrack is composed by Naoki Sato, a man with an impressive resume that spans over 20 years. After listening to the album again recently, I can honestly say that the album captures the essence of the movie perfectly.
Godzilla Minus One has songs that symbolize how terrifying the Kaiju is on the big screen. The film also has calm, peaceful music that symbolizes Japan’s hope for the future. Here are some of the tracks that I enjoyed on this album:
- Godzilla – 1.0 Pray
- Godzilla – 1.0 Godzilla Suite III
- Godzilla – 1.0 Elegy
Themes
There are several themes and messages that are shown in Godzilla Minus One, including the following:
1. Redemption
Koichi regrets not participating in World War II and the initial Godzilla attack that killed his comrades. He feels he must atone for his sins and is willing to sacrifice his life to kill Godzilla and restore peace.
The film shows that it’s never too late to atone for your past sins. As seen with Koichi, who finally made things right at the end of the film after screwing up multiple times. A reminder to anyone who regrets their past is that it’s never too late to change.
2. Family
Another theme in this film is the importance of family in dark times. For Koichi, the family he found in Tokyo helped him get through his emotional turmoil. They gave him a purpose and a reason to live, making him a better man. Family is essential the older you get because those relationships help you get through tough times.
3. War
This film takes place near the end of World War II and shows how Japan struggled during this time. When Kōichi returns after the Tokyo bombing, you see the despair Japan has gone through. Children who lost their parents and can’t provide for themselves. Along with civilians struggling to find necessities like food, clothing, and shelter.
Japan is a country that has suffered many casualties over the years. Whether natural, economic, or war-driven, they’ve always been able to persevere through tough times and still be considered one of the best economies in the world. This movie shows how Japanese citizens are determined to rebuild and make the country great again.
Strengths
Next on this deep dive into Godzilla Minus One are the strengths. This movie had a tonne of strengths, which include the following:
1. Affordable Budget
Godzilla Minus One shows the film industry that you can make a great movie on a modest budget of $10 million. The film is a huge success, making over 100 million dollars at the box office. Takashi Yamazaki shows us that it’s possible to create a great movie with limited funds. But you must be creative, which Hollywood needs to be right now.
The expensive budget to produce a modern movie in Hollywood is why they’re getting ripped apart after Godzilla Minus One. After seeing countless superhero films last year that had an average budget of over 200 million, major studios like Warner Brothers and Disney screwed themselves over by needing half a billion dollars to break even on these movies (using the 2.5x budget rule).
2. Well-Developed Characters
This movie is more about the people than it is about Godzilla. Oddly enough, this is the first movie in the franchise where I cared deeply about everyone. I wanted them all to live long, fulfilling lives. Usually, when I see a Godzilla movie, I want destruction. It just shows you what a compelling story can do for the audience.
3. Well-written script
The script was well written and acted out by a superb cast. You feel the emotional impact behind the words. This movie is in Japanese, which isn’t a problem since I watch subbed anime. But I even took some friends who don’t watch foreign movies, and they loved the film more than I did. I understand how overwhelming watching a foreign film can be, but I highly recommend it. You might be surprised at how much you can relate to the film.
Weakness
1. Bad Ending
The only thing that I didn’t like about the movie was the ending. Noriko becomes infected with a black mark after being attacked by Godzilla. It seemed unnecessary for a great story and would cause unwanted drama if we got a sequel to the film.
While I would love to see a sequel, I would not want to see Noriko go through some devastating illness. So Godzilla Minus One is probably better off being a stand-alone film.
Conclusion
Overall, that’s my deep dive into Godzilla Minus One. 2023 was a pretty disappointing year in film. But this film came out of nowhere and became my favorite movie of the year. I hope you guys check this film out when it releases on digital, because it deserves its roses.
Whether you watch the original or the Minus Color version, it’ll be a unique experience. If you liked this post, check out my review of The Boy and the Heron. Thank you so much for reading, and as always, until next time.
