Godzilla Japanese version in what year.

2014 marks exactly 60 years since the most spectacular and popular monster in the history of cinema appeared on the planet’s screens. Since then Godzilla became an exceptional pop culture phenomenon that every small child knows about, received its own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, inspired dozens of directors to create their own monster films and became a symbol of the destructive power of nature, punishing humanity for disrespectful attitude to the environment.

However, Godzilla was not always the same as we know him now. For my rich history the destructive monster managed to be both an enemy and a defender of the Earth, fought with dozens of other monsters and received twenty-eight Japanese incarnations, in each of which he appeared in a new image. Where did it all begin?

March 1, 1954 at Bikini Atoll in Pacific Ocean The United States conducted a test of a thermonuclear explosive device called Castle Bravo, which became the most powerful test in the history of American testing. An explosion with a power of 15 megatons led to radiation contamination environment, including 856 Japanese fishing vessels with varying degrees of irradiation total number crew of about 20 thousand people. In Japan the most famous case was the incident with the fishing trawler "Fukuryu-Maru". At the time of the test, the ship was 170 km from the atoll, technically in the safety zone, but the power of the resulting nuclear explosion was ultimately 2.5 times higher than calculated. The radioactive dust that fell on the trawler caused severe radiation sickness in all crew members, each of whom, having received a radiation dose of about 300 roentgens, became severely disabled upon arrival in Japan, and the ship's radio operator died six months after infection. This incident became the reason for massive anti-nuclear demonstrations and other protests both in Japan and around the world.

Tomoyuki Tanaka, years later, surrounded by his creations

The incident with “Fukuryu-Maru” did not pass by, who was at that time a producer at the Japanese film company Toho. Castle Bravo became something like a second Hiroshima for the Japanese, awakening the already extinct fear of the uncontrollable and unpredictable power of nuclear weapons from the depths of human hearts. It was the newly emerged mass hysteria that Tanaka decided to take advantage of when creating a film about a giant reptile that had been hibernating for millions of years and was awakened nuclear explosion. Later, in 1985, Tanaka would say in an interview with Entertainment Weekly: “In those days, the Japanese were truly terrified of the possibility of radiation contamination, and it was this fear that gave Godzilla such a scale. From the very beginning of its creation, the monster symbolized nature’s revenge on humanity.”

Tanaka and his colleagues drew inspiration not only from national mythology, but also from American horror films. In particular, it was after watching the classic film by Eugene Lourie "The Monster from 20,000 Fathoms" The filmmakers decided that the monster would be dinosaur-like, instead of the original idea of ​​crossing a gorilla (gorira) and a whale (kujira), which is how the monster got its name - Gojira. Interestingly, before coming to the final decision, the special effects specialists proposed absolutely fantastic ideas, for example, making Godzilla a huge octopus and calling it Oodako, or a giant gorilla with a head in the form of a mushroom-shaped nuclear cloud. In the end, after numerous proposals, the monster from the ocean depths received the appearance of a Jurassic lizard - Godzilla became a mixture of the deadly Tyrannosaurus and the herbivorous Stegosaurus, with the abilities of a fire-breathing dragon. It was this image that became canonical.

In a Godzilla suit

However, bringing the monster invented by sophisticated Japanese minds to life on screen was not so easy. There was no trace of computer graphics in the 1950s, but only famous technique time-lapse photography, used, in particular, in the famous Hollywood "King Kong" 1933, was terribly expensive and took too long to film. Although special effects director Eiji Tsuburaya was a big fan of this method, for reasons of economy he had to use the most primitive method - putting a stuntman in a Godzilla suit and letting him roam around a miniature model of Tokyo. However, even this seemingly simple method presented the filmmakers with many difficulties. The weight of the constructed dinosaur suit was 91 kilograms, making it practically unsuitable for movement. In addition, it was terribly hot and stuffy inside the suit, which is why actor Haruo Nakajima, who later played in ten more Godzilla films, could not stay in it for more than three minutes to avoid suffocation. The monster's head was a separate headache. To give Godzilla at least some naturalness and a terrifying appearance, the monster's eyes and mouth were controlled by three cables running along the back of the suit. It's funny that for the sake of the same notorious savings, the Toho studio purchased black and white film instead of color for filming the film. However, it was thanks to this that in some scenes the audience did not see the auxiliary cables of the suit, and the monster's destructive attacks on Tokyo became even more grim and realistic. Godzilla's famous roar, which became the hallmark of the entire series, was created by composer Akira Ifukube using thick leather glove, which he moved along the strings of the double bass. The recorded sound, which was superimposed with a reverberation effect (the process of gradual attenuation of sound as it is repeatedly reflected), still evokes a feeling of animal fear and anticipation of an impending threat.

The plot of Godzilla was almost completely borrowed from the already mentioned film “The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms.” As in American science fiction, Godzilla is awakened from a long sleep as a result of American nuclear weapons testing in the Pacific Ocean and begins to destroy nearby villages, after which he switches to a large metropolis. Despite this, it is the Japanese film that is read as a deeper anti-war statement about the lethality of nuclear weapons deployed by the world's leading powers. Considering the history of Japan, which suffered a crushing defeat in World War II and experienced the horrors atomic bomb, one can understand why the story of a sea monster rising from the depths to take revenge on humanity resonated so strongly in The Land of the Rising Sun. “Godzilla” reminded Japanese audiences of the horrors that their country experienced just nine years ago, for which the Toho studio and the director initially received a lot of punishment. However, the excellent box office receipts at that time (more than $2 million) and the positive criticism that appeared a few years later did their job. A powerful allegory for the post-war angst not only of the Japanese people, but of humanity as a whole, Godzilla earned his status as King of the Monsters and allowed the studio to launch a long-running franchise that continues to delight audiences to this day, with varying degrees of success.

In 1956, the ubiquitous Hollywood producers decided to repeat the success of the Japanese. They bought the rights to American distribution of the film and decided to slightly edit the story for Western audiences. New scenes were added to the film with the participation of an American journalist reporting on the monster, and several old shots were removed, including the famous ending, in which paleontologist Yamane warns: “If humanity does not stop experimenting with nuclear weapons, a new one will appear somewhere in the world.” Godzilla." Updated version entitled "Godzilla, King of the Monsters!" successfully showed itself in American cinemas, but the anti-war spirit of the Japanese film was completely lost. In fact, the only thing worth thanking Hollywood for is the popularization of the cult of Godzilla, because it was after the American premiere that the whole world learned about the new monster.

Poster for the very first Godzilla movie

Further appearances of Godzilla on the big screen, despite the fact that they were created in Japan by a team original film, unfortunately, no longer had the power of a pacifist statement that the first tape had. A natural bias towards entertainment cinema was inevitable, especially after success in the West. Viewers were tired of military metaphors, and the Toho studio, to the amusement of the public, pitted the noble kaiju against new and new rivals. The subsequent 27 sequels, in which Godzilla acted with equal aplomb as both a nuclear threat and national hero, saving humanity from space invaders, is usually divided into three periods: Showa (1954-1975) - the most popular period, during which the most successful sequels were filmed; Heisei (1984-1995) and Shinsei (1999-2004) or Millennium. In each of these periods, Godzilla fought against the most unimaginable opponents imaginable. Just read the titles of several sequels ( "Godzilla vs Mothra", "Godzilla vs. Biollante", "Godzilla, Mothra, King Ghidorah: Monsters Attack") to understand the Toho studio policy - bigger, higher, stronger. Every new period ignored all previous incarnations of Godzilla and took cues from the original 1954 film, only to throw the majestic monster into battle with new enemy monsters.

Thus, the new films about Godzilla quickly turned into low-quality action films about fighting monsters, simultaneously destroying Tokyo, which was being rebuilt again and again. It’s not for nothing that the studio took significant breaks between periods so that viewers had time to take a break from epic battles and miss the old monsters again. However, in 1992, the Americans decided to make adjustments to this wild confusion of tasteless sequels and create a real blockbuster with capital letters, fortunately the material was more than suitable for this. The Japanese planned to create a new film about Godzilla on American soil in the early 1980s, but then Hollywood companies did not dare to provide financing for such a dubious project, in their opinion. In the early 1990s, the Japanese repeated their proposal, to which the film company TriStar, owned by the Sony concern, responded, and in 1992 the rights to create American version Godzillas were purchased. Along with the rights, TriStar producers received a decree from Toho Studios to ensure that the new Godzilla trilogy (as originally conceived) would remain true to the spirit of Japanese films, that is, carry a message of warning about the use of nuclear weapons and uncontrolled technologies. Hollywood didn't mind. A Dane who managed to shoot the film was appointed director. Jan de Bont wrote a script in which Godzilla was created by an alien intelligence and had to save the Earth from an attack by a giant Griffin, which was quite in keeping with the spirit of recent Japanese monster opuses. However, Sony management was dissatisfied with the bloated budget, and the “Japanese” version of the film was closed. It was then that the Toho studio itself proposed candidates for the posts of creators of the remake. Their previous film earned decent money in Japan, which is why Japanese producers decided that they wanted to work with the tandem again. Emmerich and Devlin agreed, on the condition that they would receive complete freedom to film set. We know what came out of it: an incredibly stupid and clanking movie that did well around the world, but failed at the American box office, and was also cursed by fans and trampled into the dirt by film critics. But even this turned out to be not enough. After watching this film, Toho studio decided not to include the American Godzilla in the official pantheon of incarnations of the monster, but to leave it as an original pseudo-monster under the name Zilla.

Overgrown iguana from Emmerich's film

Such a crushing failure, although an unpleasant surprise for the film's producers, had good reasons. In an attempt to reimagine the Japanese monster, Emmerich stepped too far away from the original without giving new version“Godzillas” of some slight identity. Instead of a majestic lizard, actually a god-like creature, personifying the power of an angry nature, the audience was offered an overgrown mutated iguana, blindly drawn by animal instincts, eager not to take revenge on humanity for its sins, but only to find a place for a nest and raise its young. That is why, stripped not only of his nobility, but not even firing a terrible heat ray, Godzilla looked on the screens as nothing more than a furious beast who accidentally crossed the path of people. That’s why Emmerich’s dedication of his film to the memory of the legendary Japanese producer Tomoyuki Tanaka (who died in 1997), the same one who created the canonical image of the monster in the 1954 film, looked even funnier and more shameful.

In 2004, exactly on the 50th anniversary of the King of the Monsters, Toho released its last Godzilla film to date. "Godzilla: Final Wars" put an end to the third period of films about dinosaur-like lizards. The Japanese took a break again, and things were slowly brewing in Hollywood new plan to create your own picture with the participation of a popular monster. In March 2010, Legendary Pictures finally acquired the rights and officially announced the project. A promising newcomer sat in the director's chair, immediately declaring that Godzilla for him is the personification of nature, bringing to humanity the punishment it deserves. We can only hope that, having learned from the bitter experience of Roland Emmerich, the creators of the upcoming film will not reinvent the wheel, but will present a high-quality picture that fully corresponds to the spirit of the original film. And judging by the trailers, we're in for a truly epic return for one of the greatest movie monsters in history.

Godzilla

Godzilla (Japanese: ゴジラ Gojira) , English Godzilla- a giant lizard, a character in comics, cartoons and films; the most famous kaiju. Godzilla is a fictional prehistoric giant lizard who awoke from suspended animation after the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 and mutated as a result. Godzilla resembles a Spinosaurus, over 100 meters tall, and has the ability to spew a heat ray.

The name - Gojira - comes from the Japanese "gorilla" (Japanese: ゴリラ Gorira) and “whale” (Japanese: 鯨 Kujira) and was given to the monster in honor of the nickname of one of the employees of the Japanese Toho studio, where films about Godzilla were shot. In 1953, the Japanese film company Toho producer Tomoyuki Tanaka watched the film “The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms” about a dinosaur awakened by an atomic bomb test and decided that Godzilla would be a dinosaur. Over the course of fifty years, he has become an incredibly popular character and has captured cinema screens around the world. Total Godzilla films have been made 28 films, not counting remakes.

Japanese film series

All films about Godzilla are usually divided into three periods.

Showa (1954-1975)

The first period began with the 1954 pilot and ended in 1975. It was named Japanese. 昭和 Showa. Films of this period:

• 1954 - Godzilla (Gojira) (Godzilla). The film was re-edited in 1956 by the Americans and released under the title Godzilla, King of the Monsters!
• 1955 - Godzilla Raids Again
• 1962 - King Kong vs. Godzilla (Japanese) キングコング対ゴジラ ) (King Kong vs. Godzilla)
• 1964 - Godzilla vs. Mothra (Japanese: モスラ対ゴジラ, 1964) (Godzilla vs. Mothra)
• 1964 - Ghidorah, Three-Headed Monster
• 1965 - Godzilla Vs. Monster Zero (Kaijû daisenso) (Godzilla Vs. Monster Zero)
• 1966 - Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster (Japanese) ゴジラ・エビラ・ゴジラ: 南海の大決闘 ) (Godzilla Versus the Sea Monster)
• 1967 - Son of Godzilla (Kaijûtô no kessen: Gojira no musuko) (Son of Godzilla)
• 1968 - Destroy All Monsters
• 1969 - Godzilla, Minilla, Gabara: All Monsters Attack (Gojira-Minira-Gabara: Oru kaijû daishingeki) (Godzilla, Minilla, Gabara: All Monster’s Attack), another name - “Godzilla’s Revenge”
• 1971 - Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster
• 1972 - Godzilla vs. Gigan (Chikyû kogeki meirei: Gojira tai Gaigan) (Godzilla vs. Gigan)
• 1973 - Godzilla vs. Megalon (Gojira tai Megaro) (Godzilla vs. Megalon)
• 1974 - Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (Gojira tai Mekagojira) (Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla)
• 1975 - Terror of Mechagodzilla (Mekagojira no gyakushu) (Terror of Mechagodzilla)

Heisei (1984-1995)

The second period began in 1984 and ended in 1995. It was named Japanese. 平成 Heisei. Films of this period:

• 1984 - Godzilla (Gojira) (Godzilla) also Godzilla 1985, The return of Godzilla, is not a remake of the 1954 film.
• 1989 - Godzilla vs. Biollante (Gojira tai Biollante) (Godzilla vs. Biollante)
• 1991 - Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (Gojira tai Kingu Gidorâ) (Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah)
• 1992 - (Gojira VS Mosura) (Godzilla vs. Mothra)
• 1993 - Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla-2 (Gojira VS Mekagojira) (Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla-2)
• 1994 - Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla (Gojira VS Supesugojira) (Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla)
• 1995 - Godzilla vs. Destroyer (Gojira VS Destoroyah)

Millennium or Shinsei (1999-2004)

Initially, the Godzilla epic was supposed to end with the film Godzilla vs. the Destroyer, in which the legendary monster dies, but in 1999, as a response to Hollywood, the first film of the era appeared Millennium. Another name for this era is Japanese. 新生 Shinsei(revival). Films of this period:

• 1999 - Godzilla: Millennium (Gojira ni-sen mireniamu) (Godzilla 2000)
• 2000 - Godzilla vs. Megaguirus (Gojira tai Megagirasu: Jî shômetsu sakusen) (Godzilla vs. Megaguirus)
• 2001 - Godzilla, Mothra, King Ghidorah: Monsters Attack (Gojira, Mosura, Kingu Gidorâ: Daikaijû sôkôgeki) (Godzilla, Mothra, King Ghidorah: The Giant Monsters)
• 2002 - Godzilla Against MechaGodzilla (Gojira tai Mekagojira), also known as Godzilla Vs. Kiriu
• 2003 - (Gojira tai Mosura tai Mekagojira: Tôkyô S.O.S.) (Godzilla, Mothra, Mechagodzilla: Tokyo S.O.S.)
• 2004 - Godzilla: Final Wars (Gojira: Fainaru uôzu) (Godzilla: Final Wars)
• Additionally, Godzilla appears in the Toho film Always: Sunset on 3rd Avenue (2007).

The creators of the Japanese film series, meanwhile, decided to take a time out after 2004 and suspend the release of new films about Godzilla. Currently time is running preparations for filming a new American remake, the release date of which is approximately set for 2014. The film will be directed by Gareth Edwards.

Films from other countries

In 1969, Canadian animator Marv Newland directed the one and a half minute cartoon Bambi meets Godzilla. A sequel was filmed in 1999. Son of Bambi meets Godzilla.

In 1998, Roland Emmerich directed a blockbuster film about Godzilla's attack on New York. This film has nothing to do with the Japanese epic. In the film Godzilla: Final Wars (2004), Zilla is shown as one of the weakest rivals to the Japanese Godzilla. Frustrated by Hollywood's distorted concept of the Godzilla legend, the creators of the franchise took away the rights to film the planned sequel from Roland Emmerich. As a result, instead of the Hollywood Godzilla 2, a short animated series was released that continued the plot of the film. Godzilla fans also call Zilla GINO (Godzilla is name only).

• The Japanese Godzilla series has received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
• Godzilla's dimensions change throughout the series - in episodes 1-15 (Showa era) he was 50 m tall and weighing 20 thousand tons. In episodes 16-17 (Heisei era) he was 80 m tall and weighed 50 thousand tons. In 18 -22 episodes (Heisei era) he is 100 meters tall and weighs 60 thousand tons. In episodes 23-24 and 26-27 (Millennium era) he is 55 m tall and weighs 25 thousand tons. In episode 25 (Millennium era) he 60 m high and weighs 30 thousand tons. In part 28 (Millennium era) it is 100-120 m high and weighs 55 thousand tons.
• Godzilla is a male, not a female, despite the name.

Links

Notes

In the 50s of the 20th century something was discovered. The Americans decided that they were Russians, and the Russians decided that they were Americans. It turned out that they were giant creatures that fed on radiation. They lived on the surface of the planet when the air was saturated with radiation (the film does not explain exactly when), and when the background radiation decreased, they lay down on the bottom. But then people came and messed everything up. There is enough radiation again, and one of the monsters has been reborn. The whole world is in danger, and the last hope is the US Army, because the creature immediately attacked the Russian military submarines. But then Godzilla appeared from somewhere, a huge monster, vaguely similar to a predatory dinosaur, only many times larger. Even the brave American warriors are powerless against him. But it turns out that there is no need to fight with him - he came to protect people, and now the last hope is Godzilla, not the US Army. But the Americans are stupid and don’t listen to the Japanese scientist (this is apparently a “tribute” from the filmmakers to the Japanese, who invented Godzilla), and he was the only one who realized that Godzilla is man’s friend. The brave warriors want to shoot and press buttons, so it was decided to detonate a nuclear bomb where Godzilla is fighting monsters. The stupid martinets did not understand that since these creatures feed on radiation, they can do something with this bomb, so a disaster worse than the destruction of the world is brewing. One of the monsters carried a bomb to densely populated San Francisco, which means more than anything in the world. It was decided to send a landing force there to find and defuse the bomb. Now Godzilla is no longer the last hope of humanity, for this film is not about him, it is about a tough young US Army soldier who recently returned home from service, but is ready to immediately rush into battle to protect those living in San Francisco (the screenwriters take advantage of the convenience ) wife and son.

The apocalyptic mood that filled the trailer is absent in the film; the theme “man is not the king of nature” was promised, but in the film it fit into one single phrase spoken by a scientist of Asian appearance. Some very impressive scenes shown in the trailer are not included in the theatrical release of the film. Maybe they will release it on Blu-ray so that the discs can be sold in stores. Godzilla roared three times throughout the entire film, and twice emitted his death ray from his mouth. They don't really show him in his entirety. These moments are few and fleeting. So you won't have time to admire it. They start out promisingly, but are immediately interrupted by the most interesting part. The lion's share of the action is shown in the dark, in turbidity, in dust, with a shaky camera, in a useless three-dimensional form, so that the movie ticket costs more. The worst episode of the film is another mockery of the Golden Gate Bridge. There is rain, and a bus with children screaming at the top of their lungs, and there is no time to look at Godzilla. It is shown through car windows, in turbidity and fog. As if for the sake of irritation. Or from a complete lack of imagination. The main character of the film, as already reported, is cool American soldier, loving husband and father. So the writers are grazing on kisses, loving words and snot. It seemed that there weren’t many such snotty scenes, but they stood out against the background of the general dullness. And Emmerich was also scolded! Of course, a US Army soldier will travel a dangerous path and perform a heroic deed, followed by a sweet reunion with loved ones. Because the whole film is not about the attack on humanity by giant monsters, and not about the threat of the end of the world, and not about the battle of the titans (it is shown briefly and indistinctly), but precisely about this. There is no need to talk about sane drama here. She could have developed from the beginning of the picture, but she was strangled there too, removing the most powerful character from the plot.

The director did not demonstrate any specific flair for science fiction, fantasy, mythology, or even entertaining cinema. He did everything according to templates, without hesitation to steal from other people's films. At the very beginning, you can see an imitation of Jurassic Park, when a white and white helicopter flies over the green island. blue flowers. There will also be wiping the foggy glass with your palm. Just like in Jurassic Park, and also in the rain. In some places the director seems to be drawn to horror. Therefore, there is a scene where a bird suddenly hits the window, and a scene where Godzilla roars louder and more unexpectedly than usual. No atmosphere, no emotion, no flair, no style. Nothing. I don’t know how to evaluate this from the point of view of a “movie about Godzilla,” because of the Japanese films about him, I only saw “Final Wars,” and it was better. But the movie “Gamera: Defender of the Universe” comes to mind, because there, too, one huge monster protected people from other monsters. But this is a Japanese film made with special taste and atmosphere. Suitable both as fantasy and mythology. Not to mention its excellent sequel, Gamera: Assault of the Space Legion. There is also no point in remembering the wonderful “Pacific Rim”, because it was made by Guillermo del Toro, who wonderfully combined a dark mood with fun and fantastic action. I don’t even want to remember Rodand Emmerich’s film, which is mistakenly considered a shameful mistake by Hollywood. He is better! There is also snot and drool, but there is Jean Reno, and there is a theme human error, which gave birth to trouble. There, the director showed that violence against nature is dangerous, and that man can be cruel. And there Godzilla was a victim of human experimentation, and not a savior from the past. The 2014 Godzilla movie is another World War Z, but instead of zombies there are giant monsters, and Brad Pitt isn't playing the lead role.

Godzilla (Japanese: ゴジラ Gojira) - a giant mutant monster, kaiju, character in comics, cartoons and films. This is a fictional prehistoric giant lizard- male, awakened from suspended animation after testing a hydrogen bomb and, as a result, mutated. Height from 50 to 160 meters, has the ability to emit a blue (in some films yellow or red) heat ray (plasma), swims very well.

The name - Gojira - comes from the Japanese "gorilla" (Japanese: ゴリラ Gorira) and “whale” (Japanese: 鯨 Kujira) and was given to the monster in honor of the nickname of one of the employees of the Japanese Toho studio, where films about Godzilla were shot. In 1953, Japanese film company Toho producer Tomoyuki Tanaka watched The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, a film about a dinosaur awakened by an atomic bomb test, and decided that Godzilla would be a dinosaur.

Over the course of sixty years, Godzilla has become an incredibly popular character, overshadowing King Kong, Mothra, Gamera and other movie monsters. In total, 30 films were made about Godzilla, not counting the TV series.

The genres of films with Godzilla are very diverse: from comedies (“King Kong vs. Godzilla”), children’s (“Attack of Godzilla”) and adventure films (“Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster”) to science fiction (“Godzilla vs. Space Godzilla,” “Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah", "Godzilla: Final Wars", "Godzilla vs. Monster Zero"), mystics ("Godzilla, Mothra, King Ghidorah: Monsters Attack"), crime ("Godzilla vs. Biollante"), thrillers ("Godzilla vs. Megaguirus" , “Godzilla: Millennium”) and horror (“The Return of Godzilla”). Toy models of Godzilla and his monster enemies are produced.

Japanese film series

All films about Godzilla are usually divided into three periods.

Showa (1954-1975)

The first period began with the 1954 pilot and ended in 1975. It was named Japanese. 昭和 Showa. Films of this period:

• - Godzilla (Japanese: ゴジラ, Gojira; English Godzilla). The film was re-edited in 1956 by the Americans and released under the title Godzilla - King of the Monsters. Godzilla, King of the Monsters!). Is the first Godzilla film.
• - Godzilla attacks again (Japanese: ゴジラの逆襲, Gojira no gyakushû; English Godzilla Raids Again). It was also released in the United States under the title Gigantis the Fire Monster in 1959. It is the first film in the series to feature another kaiju in addition to Godzilla.
• 1962 - King Kong vs. Godzilla (Japanese) キングコング対ゴジラ ) (King Kong vs. Godzilla)
• 1964 - Mothra vs. Godzilla (Japanese: モスラ対ゴジラ, 1964)
• 1964 - Ghidorah, Three-Headed Monster
• 1965 - Invasion of Astro-Monster (Kaijû daisenso)
• 1966 - Ebira - horror of the depths (jap. ゴジラ・エビラ・ゴジラ: 南海の大決闘 ) (Ebirah, Horror of the Deep)
• 1967 - Son of Godzilla (Kaijûtô no kessen: Gojira no musuko) (Son of Godzilla)
• 1968 - Destroy All Monsters
• 1969 - Attack of all monsters (Gojira-Minira-Gabara: Oru kaijû daishingeki) (Godzilla, Minilla, Gabara: All Monster’s Attack), another name - “Godzilla’s Revenge”
• 1971 - Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster
• 1972 - Godzilla vs. Gigan (Chikyû kogeki meirei: Gojira tai Gaigan) (Godzilla vs. Gigan)
• 1973 - Godzilla vs. Megalon (Gojira tai Megaro) (Godzilla vs. Megalon)
• 1974 - Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (Gojira tai Mekagojira) (Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla)
• 1975 - Terror of Mechagodzilla (Mekagojira no gyakushu) (Terror of Mechagodzilla)

In addition to feature films, Godzilla appears in one episode of the Zone Fighter series, directed by Ishiro Honda in the 1970s.

Heisei (1984-1995)

After the failure of The Terror of Mechagodzilla, a more spectacular sequel was planned, but the new era of the Godzilla film series began only nine years later, in 1984, and ended in 1995. It was called Japanese. 平成 Heisei. Films of this period:

• 1984 - Godzilla (Godzilla) also Godzilla 1985, Return of Godzilla (The Return of Godzilla), is not a remake of the 1954 film.
• 1989 - Godzilla vs. Biollante (Gojira tai Biollante) (Godzilla vs. Biollante)
• 1991 - Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (Gojira tai Kingu Gidorâ) (Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah)
• 1992 - Godzilla vs. Mothra: Battle for Earth (Gojira VS Mosura) (Godzilla vs. Mothra)
• 1993 - Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla-2 (Gojira VS Mekagojira) (Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla-2)
• 1994 - Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla (Gojira VS Supesugojira) (Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla)
• 1995 - Godzilla vs. Destroyer (Gojira VS Destoroyah)

In a number of Heisei and Millennium films, events unfold in the future relative to the film's release - a year later.

Millennium or Shinsei (1999-2004)

Initially, the Godzilla epic was supposed to end with the film Godzilla vs. the Destroyer, in which the legendary monster dies, but in 1999, as a response to Hollywood, the first film of the era appeared Millennium. Another name for this era is Japanese. 新生 Shinsei(rebirth). Films of this period:

• 1999 - Godzilla: Millennium (Gojira ni-sen mireniamu) (Godzilla 2000)
• 2000 - Godzilla vs. Megaguirus (Gojira tai Megagirasu: Jî shômetsu sakusen) (Godzilla vs. Megaguirus)
• 2001 - Godzilla, Mothra, King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters all-out attack (Gojira, Mosura, Kingu Gidorâ: Daikaijû sôkôgeki)
• 2002 - Godzilla Against MechaGodzilla (Gojira tai Mekagojira), also known as Godzilla Vs. Kiriu
• 2003 - Godzilla, Mothra, Mechagodzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. (Gojira tai Mosura tai Mekagojira: Tôkyô S.O.S.)
• 2004 - Godzilla: Final Wars (Gojira: Fainaru uôzu) (Godzilla: Final Wars)

After Godzilla: Final Wars, a short video was made showing Godzilla fighting Anguirus, Gigan, and King Ghidorah. Additionally, Godzilla appears in the Toho film Always: Sunset on 3rd Avenue (2007).

Video on the topic

Computer games

Much is dedicated to Godzilla computer games, the most famous of them are: Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee, Godzilla: Save the Earth and Godzilla: Unleashed.

Films from other countries

Characteristic

Most films used an actor in a suit to create Godzilla. Since 1989, thanks to the development of computer technology, the appearance of Godzilla has become more and more realistic. In different films, Godzilla looks different and has different abilities.

• Throughout Showa's films, Godzilla's height does not change: 50 meters, weight - 20,000 tons. [ ] The character's appearance changes, especially the outline of the head. In Godzilla vs. Hedorah, Godzilla is able to fly using his atomic beam, but this ability is not used in subsequent films.
• In Heisei, Godzilla's height in the first two films is 80 m, and in the subsequent ones - already 100 m. In all seven films, the monster has a crooked upper jaw, which creates the feeling that Godzilla is baring his teeth all the time. The film "Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah" shows who Godzilla was before 1954: a giant predatory Godzillasaurus (he has nothing to do with the real-life dinosaur of that name).
• In Millennium, Godzilla's appearance is the most interesting. In the first two films, Godzilla reaches 55 m in height, has long thin teeth, large narrow eyes, tall purple spikes and a yellow-orange beam. In the film "Godzilla: Monsters Attack" the monster's height is 60 m, weight - 30,000 tons, [

Godzilla is a Japanese monster, literally and figuratively awakened by the Americans: the forerunner of the first film was the film “The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms” (USA, 1953), based on a story by Ray Bradbury. In this film, as in the first Godzilla, the monster is brought to life as a result of nuclear weapons testing. Needless to say, post-war Japan was especially sensitive to the atomic issue. And in March 1954, 23 Japanese fishermen received large doses of radiation after accidentally swimming into the area where an American hydrogen bomb was tested. It was this incident, which had a wide resonance, that served as the impetus for the creation of the first “Godzilla,” which was released exactly nine months after the ill-fated tests.

Everything you need to know about Godzilla in 10 seconds

1954
"Godzilla"

Prehistoric lizard Godzilla was reborn after a test hydrogen bomb. It emits radiation, shoots atomic rays from its mouth and destroys everything in its path. Weapons are powerless against him. In the end, the inventor of a mysterious destructive substance, sacrificing himself, descends into the abyss and destroys the monster.

On the one hand, Godzilla became for the Japanese a symbol of the destructive forces that humanity, intentionally or unwittingly, unleashes. On the other hand, Godzilla also personifies the formidable forces of nature from which Japan has suffered from time immemorial..

1955
"Godzilla Strikes Again"

Already in the second film we see the later typical formula “Godzilla vs...”: here he is opposed by another giant lizard - Anguirus. After defeating him, Godzilla leaves Japan to appear some time later somewhere in the north, on a mountainous, ice-covered island. Military aircraft buried him alive under ice avalanches.

The first two films, black-and-white films from 1954 and 1955, were clearly associated with the memory of the recent war and nuclear bombings. But gradually the horrors of the past receded, and the new peaceful life bore a noticeable imprint of American culture.

Dance scene from the movie Godzilla Strikes Again

1962
"King Kong vs. Godzilla"

In this film, Godzilla was brought together with the overseas King Kong. From now on producers are relying on a wider audience: at the same time as color appears in the frame, films about Godzilla are becoming more and more soft and entertaining.

1964
"Godzilla vs Mothra"

The typhoon washed ashore the egg of the giant Mothra butterfly. Soon Godzilla emerged from the sea. Then Mothra herself arrived and entered into battle with the lizard, who encroached on her offspring. In this fight, Mothra dies, but her larvae immobilize the dinosaur with a sticky web. In the finale, the defeated Godzilla falls into the ocean.

The Toho universe is densely populated and detailed - the studio has released many films dedicated to other giant monsters. Some of them later became Godzilla characters: Rodan, Mothra, Manda, Varan, etc. Others, on the contrary, first appeared in films about Godzilla, and then grew into solo roles.

1964
"Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster"

Starting with this film, the Japanese epic about the atomic dinosaur is enriched with reflection on the theme of humanity’s entry into the space age. Here Godzilla appears clearly for the first time positive role, saving the Earth from the alien three-headed dragon Ghidorah, who, having destroyed Venus, arrived on our planet. Here, for the first time, an alliance of earthly monsters is formed, opposing the alien: Godzilla, Rodan and Mothra (larva).

1965
"Godzilla vs. Monster Zero"

Part of the action takes place in space: the astronauts travel to Planet X, where they discover an advanced civilization that asks them to borrow the earthly monsters Godzilla and Rodan, supposedly to fight the local Monster Zero (King Ghidorah). The Earthlings, attracted by the promised cure for cancer, agree.

1966
"Godzilla vs. Sea Monster"

In the midst cold war Godzilla fights the communists. He wakes up on an island where the base of the terrorist organization Red Bamboo is located. Another monster obeys the terrorists: the giant shrimp Ebira, which, of course, Godzilla has to fight.

1967
"Son of Godzilla"

The action takes place on a remote island. Godzilla protects his suddenly found son from other monsters and teaches him Godzilla skills. As a result of an experiment by scientists, the island is covered with tons of snow and ice. Godzilla and Minilla (son) hibernate.

1968
"Destroy all monsters"

The action takes place in the future: 1999. All earthly monsters, including Godzilla, live on a reserve island allocated for them, where they are protected and studied. However, insidious aliens zombify the monsters and send them to destroy the largest cities in the world. In the end, the monsters are freed from control, and the Japanese astronauts manage to destroy the aliens with their own weapons.

1969
"Godzilla, Minilla, Gabara: All Monsters Attack"

This one A film for children epics. AND main character It’s not Godzilla here, but junior high school student Ichiro Miki. He lives in two worlds - the real one and the fantasy world inhabited by monsters. In the end, the knowledge that Ichiro received from the monsters in his dreams helps the boy get rid of the fears and difficulties of real life.

1971
"Godzilla vs. Hedorah"

Greenpeace was founded in 1971. And in the new Godzilla film, in accordance with the spirit of the times, it sounds environmental theme. The microscopic alien Hedorah, feeding on earthly waste, grew into a huge and poisonous sea monster. Godzilla confronts him. Hedorah's weakness is that he cannot survive without water. The humans, with the help of Godzilla, defeat Hedorah by drying him out.

An alien from a distant nebula in the constellation Orion, Hedorah came to Earth from a passing comet. Capable of shooting acid, is immune to radiation and Godzilla's atomic rays

1972
"Godzilla vs. Gigan"

Aliens from a dying planet want to conquer Earth. They are preparing the coming of the space cyborg Gigan and the dragon King Ghidorah, who will destroy humanity. But the earthly monsters Godzilla and Anguirus sense something is wrong.

1973
"Godzilla vs. Megalon"

Residents of the underwater civilization of Sitopia, alarmed nuclear tests in the ocean, send their insect-like god Megalon to the surface to destroy humanity. Godzilla and humanoid robot Jet Jaguar engages in battle with Megalon, as well as with the space cyborg Gigan, who has arrived to his aid.

1974
"Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla"

A monster emerges from the Fuji crater, which is initially mistaken for Godzilla. But he kills Godzilla's longtime ally Anguirus and destroys everything in his path, causing panic. Soon the real Godzilla appears. It turns out that the impostor is a disguised Mechagodzilla robot created by a race of ape-like aliens. The main battle takes place in Okinawa, where Godzilla is helped by the awakened ancient deity - King Caesar.

The Godzilla-like robot turned out to be an ideal opponent for Godzilla, who personifies the power of nature. They will have to meet more than once in the future.

1975
"Terror of Mechagodzilla"

Here Mechagodzilla appears again, as well as Titanosaurus (which bears little resemblance to the real-life dinosaur of the same name) - both of them are used by the same ape-like aliens to enslave humanity. As a result of the film's failure at the Japanese box office, Godzilla went on unpaid leave for almost nine years.

Mechagodzilla at work

How Godzilla's height changed

The entire history of Godzilla is traditionally divided into three periods: Showa (1954–1975), Heisei (1984–1995) and Millennium (1999–2004). They are separated not only by interruptions in production and changes in directors, but also by differences in the interpretation of the image of Godzilla, in particular his growth.

Changes somewhat in the films of the first period appearance character, but the height and weight of the monster remains unchanged: 50 meters and 20 thousand tons. During the second period, Godzilla's growth increases to 80, and then to 100 meters. At the beginning of the third period, the characteristics return to almost the original, but then from film to film Godzilla grows rapidly, again reaching 100 meters in the last film of the epic to date. In the third period, Godzilla's appearance changes most often.

1984
"Godzilla"

The Godzilla reboot returned the monster to its original brutality. This film, released on the thirtieth anniversary of the franchise, appealed only to the events of the very first film, ignoring all the context that grew later. Godzilla in Once again destroys Tokyo. In the finale, he is lured into the crater of an active volcano.

Despite technical progress, in all Japanese films, the role of Godzilla is played by a person in a suit, a doll or a robot. But since the late 1980s, computer processing has made films more realistic.

1989
"Godzilla vs. Biollante"

A Japanese geneticist crossed Godzilla cells with a rose. The resulting hybrid has grown to gigantic proportions - now it is the Biollante monster. But the awakened Godzilla also poses a danger to humanity. The result of the fight: the exhausted Godzilla goes to the bottom, and Biollante rotates around the Earth in the form of a huge cosmic rose.

1991
"Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah"

Thanks to the machinations of people from the future, traveling back and forth in a time machine, Japan is threatened by the three-headed dragon King Ghidorah. If it weren't for Godzilla, humanity would be in trouble. But Tokyo is once again destroyed. And now we need to somehow stop Godzilla. To do this, they send the cyborg Mechagidora from the future. Having grappled, the giants go to the bottom. The outcome of the battle is unclear.

1992
"Godzilla vs. Mothra: Battle for Earth"

Godzilla is confronted by two giant butterflies: Mothra and Battra. Mothra is the deity protecting the Earth, and Battra is the evil creation of prehistoric scientists. Once upon a time, even before the flood, Mothra defeated Battra. But now they have awakened again. Battra attacked Japan. Mothra and Godzilla soon arrive. All three begin to fight each other.

1993
"Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla 2"

The remains of Mechagidora, defeated two films ago, are raised from the bottom. Of these, to continue the fight against Godzilla, a 120-meter-long, pilot-controlled Mechagodzilla was built.

1994
"Godzilla vs. Space Godzilla"

Godzilla's cells, carried into space, passed through a black hole and gave birth to a space monster that is approaching Earth. Meanwhile, a huge combat robot, Moguera, has been created in Japan. His goal is to destroy Godzilla. But Godzilla has other plans.

1995
"Godzilla vs. Destroyer"

Godzilla attacks Hong Kong. His heart is nuclear reactor, which is about to explode from overheating. Meanwhile, the evil monster Destroyer is formed from prehistoric microorganisms. Destroyer kills Godzilla's son. Godzilla defeats the Destroyer, but he is revived again and again. After the final victory, Godzilla still melts from overheating. And Godzilla's son is resurrected, having received his father's energy.

Godzilla vs. Destroyer completes the Heisei series that began in 1984. Toho did not plan to make Godzilla films until 2004 (the franchise's 50th anniversary). However, these plans had to be revised after the release of Roland Emmerich's Godzilla.

1998
"Godzilla"

First American feature film about the Japanese monster. Of course, in it Godzilla destroys not Tokyo, but New York. The US Army, as usual in American films, successfully eliminates the monster.

Despite its box office success, critics panned the film. Fans of the Japanese Godzilla were especially offended. All this was the reason that the Toho film company launched a new Godzilla series a year later.

Timeline of Godzilla films

Godzilla (directed by Ishiro Honda)

Godzilla Strikes Again (released in the US in 1959 as Gigantis the Fire Monster)

Godzilla: King of the Monsters (directed by Ishiro Honda, Terry O. Morse. 1954 Japanese film, re-edited for release in the United States)

King Kong vs. Godzilla (directed by Ishiro Honda. Released in the United States in 1963)

Godzilla vs. Mothra (directed by Ishiro Honda. Released in the US the same year with minimal changes)

Ghidorah - the three-headed monster (directed by Ishiro Honda. Original Japanese title - "Three Giant Monsters: greatest battle on the ground")

Godzilla vs. Monster Zero (aka " Great War Monsters" (original Japanese title, 1965), "Invasion of the Astro-Monster" (US title, 1970)

Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster (directed by Jun Fukuda. Original Japanese title: Godzilla, Ebira, Mothra: Great Showdown in the South Seas)

Son of Godzilla (directed by Jun Fukuda. Released in American theaters in 1969)

Destroy all monsters (Directed by Ishiro Honda)

Godzilla, Minilla, Gabara: All Monsters Attack (released in the USA in 1971 under the title Godzilla's Revenge)

Godzilla vs. Hedorah (directed by Yoshimitsu Banno)

Godzilla vs. Gigan (directed by Jun Fukuda. Released in the United States in 1978 under the title Godzilla on Monster Island)

Godzilla vs. Megalon (directed by Jun Fukuda)

Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (directed by Jun Fukuda. Released in the United States in 1977 under the title Godzilla vs. the Cyborg Monster)

Terror of Mechagodzilla (this is last film about Godzilla directed by Ishiro Honda)

Godzilla (directed by Koji Hashimoto. The film was significantly recut before release in the United States, where it was released under the title Godzilla 1985)

Godzilla vs. Biollante (directed by Kazuki Omori)

Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (directed by Kazuki Omori)