It's now Independence Day. What is a film blog supposed to talk about on Independence Day? Can I get through an entire post dancing around the obvious topic? I'm gonna try. I'm not really a patriotic person. I respect my country, the US of A, but boy has it been a difficult country to love recently, and it seems even suggesting that I don't love the United States gets a few raised eyebrows in my direction (seems a bit creepily nationalist to me). But there is one thing I unreservedly love about my country and that is that I don't have to. I am under no obligation to think that America is the greatest country in the world or that our nation's policies and activities are moral and correct. That is the freedom I like to celebrate every Independence Day. To that end I think it would be interesting to indulge my inner Godzilla fan and explore the political undertones of Godzilla Vs. King Ghidorah (1991)
I'd like to start by saying I am probably one of the most underqualified people to talk about Japanese politics and history and that this analysis is largely unreasearched and comes exclusively from my understanding of the film, and my understanding of politics and history. However, there is something to be gleaned from even the most surface level understanding of political tensions and history, and I will endeavor to avoid aspects of history and politics I am not confident on. Don't be expecting a college essay here this is a blog I write in my free time.
First a basic synopsis of the film; please bear with me here this one is a weird one: People from the future (futurians) go back in time to present day Japan and inform Japanese officals that they are from a future where Godzilla has completely wiped out Japan. They have come back in time to enlist the help of science fiction writer Kenichiro Teresawa, who has been researching Godzilla's origins, to find and eliminate Godzilla before a hydrogen bomb test mutates him into an immortal giant monster. At this point in the series continuity Godzilla's origin was that he was just a normal dinosaur (a godzillasaurus) on a "lost world" type pacific island called Lagos Island. In February 1944, Godzilla (Pre-Hydrogen bomb), helped a Japanese unit stationed on Lagos kill attacking American soldiers. Later (in 1954 of course) Godzilla is then mutated by a hydrogen bomb test to become an unstoppable monster. To prevent this from happening the futurians go back to 1944 to teleport the godzillasaurus away from Logos. However, unbeknownst to Kenichiro Teresawa and the Japanese officials the futurians leave 3 cute genetically engineered creatures called Dorats behind. The Dorats are then exposed to the H-Bomb instead and mutate together to form King Ghidorah. Who then exists in the present to attack Japan. It is revealed that the futurians were not trying to save Japan but rather destroy it. In their timeline Godzilla has not wiped out Japan but rather the economic pressures provided by repeated Godzilla attacks pushed Japan into becoming a corrupt world super power. The futurians created Ghidorah (an ostensibly more powerful monster) to destroy Japan entirely. The present day Japanese then scramble to find a way to re-create Godzilla to fight off Ghidorah. By using a Russian nuclear submarine they manage to mutate Godzilla into an even more powerful version of what he used to be from the H-bomb. Godzilla fights Ghidorah blowing off his middle head, and sends him crashing into the ocean. But now Godzilla is attacking Japan, and needs to be stopped. The one Japanese Futurian, Emmy Kano, has a change of heart, orchestrates the deaths of the other two futurians and goes back to the future to cybernetically resurrect Ghidorah under her control. She returns with Mecha-King Ghidorah to fight Godzilla. Godzilla does eventually win but is driven away from Japan to rest up for the next film.
So there's a lot to unpack here. One important thing I glossed over in my synopsis is that the two non Japanese futurians in the film are Chuck Wilson an American and Grenchiko a Russian. this follows a pattern of demonization of the two world powers of the 90's that runs throughout the film. The 1944 flashback sequences depict Godzilla as a savior of Japanese forces against the Americans, and the death of the American soldiers is a moment of triumph for these characters. Russia's involvement in the rest of the plot is negligible aside from Grenchiko's presence and the Russian submarine used to resurrect Godzilla. But regardless both America and Russia are depicted entirely unsympathetically and are understood to be the villains of the piece. Furthermore they tend to be the orchestraters of their own destruction. As Russia's nuclear submarine and Ghidorah himself were both used to frustrate their plans to eliminate Japan from history.
Going a bit deeper, however, the movie seems to agree that Japan becoming a world power itself is a bad thing. The prospect of Japan becoming a corrupt world power is seen by the film as enough justification to go back in time to prevent Godzilla from existing. This shows a hatred not of America or Russia specifically, but rather the hatred of one or a few countries becoming too powerful and subjugating the rest. Japan demonizes this kind of oppressive political power. This can be seen as a reaction against their own involvement with the Axis powers of World War II. It could also be read as a fear of such a power as was wielded against them at the end of the war. It's unquestionable that the effects of the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki still deeply influences Japanese culture and is used to provoke fear and horror.
But power even nuclear power isn't exclusively a source of fear in Godzilla Vs. King Ghidorah. In fact the present day Japanese use it as a tool to resurrect Godzilla to defeat King Ghidorah, and technological power in the form of Mecha-King Ghidorah is also employed to save Japan. This implies a complex relationship to the role and usage of power that feels typically Japanese. American culture portrays power (especially technological, and physical power) as a tool that is rarely wielded in excess and perhaps can't be used in excess to achieve noble goals. However, in Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah we see power being best used in moderation with respect. When confronted with a super powered Godzilla that has just defeated King Ghidorah Emmy Kano doesn't bring a terrifyingly powerful superweapon that kills Godzilla outright, but rather enhances an existing weapon that is just effective enough to stop him. This interestingly compliments the ending of the original 1954 Godzilla in which a superweapon is used to kill Godzilla out right, but steps are taken to ensure that that weapon can never be used again with the understanding that such a weapon is FAR too powerful to be allowed to exist.
Godzilla movies are often looked upon as little more than spectacle schlock with little substance or thought provoking content. While there are a few examples in the franchise that are accurately described that way, Godzilla movies have endured as long as they have for a reason. The politically charged nature of the monster's origin inevitably lends itself to commentary on political tensions, power, scientific advancement, ecology and many other complex and interesting themes. And even Godzilla Vs. King Ghidorah with its crazy, schloky time travel plot can say something nuanced and interesting.
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