Thoughts on Godzilla Minus One

Wow. I had heard the praise for this movie, but having seen it for myself, yes, this really is one of those rare occasions where the movie in question does live up to its hype.

"Godzilla: Minus One" is a hell of a film in a lot of ways. One thing I really appreciated about it was just how up-front and on-the-mark it was about the horrors of war, and about Japan's place in World War Two. The specter of war and the trauma thereof is really cleverly woven throughout the movie and its characters: from Koichi the kamikaze pilot-turned-deserter, who struggles with self-loathing and survivor guilt for much of the film; as well as Noriko and Akiko, victims of the Tokyo firebombing brought together by chance; to Koichi's fellow crewmen in the minesweeper boat (I particularly liked the doctor, Noda, though the payoff regarding the "Kid" of the crew was excellent too). A real standout moment in the film for me was the plot point of the action to fight Godzilla coming not from some miracle superweapon or government coalition, but ultimately civilians and former naval personnel, coming together to work for the future of their country.

While the nuclear allegory is present as ever with the titular monster himself (particularly in its depiction of his atomic breath weapon, which gives us one of the most horrific moments in the film during Godzilla's rampage through Ginza), the argument can easily be made just as much that Godzilla's role in the story has him just as much represent the horror and trauma of war as a whole.

And what horror that is too. This is Godzilla in what may be one of the darkest, angriest depictions of him yet. Craggy and bristling with spikes, dynamic and violent in a way that makes it clear he's actively out to kill people, this Godzilla really brings a visceral feeling to each of his rampages.

Speaking of those rampages, the movie is really clever in that each appearance by Godzilla is different. The very first one (pre-atom bomb) taking place at night, with Godzilla raging through a military camp, comes off almost like a monstrous spin on the T-rex attack from "Jurassic Park." The second set piece feels like a loving homage to "Jaws," with Koichi and friends' little minesweeper boat trying to evade or damage the nearly invincible sea monster. The Ginza rampage hits like a freight train (no pun intended), as we see Godzilla's rage in all its nightmarish power... and then finally we have the climax, which I dare not spoil, but it is glorious.

"Godzilla Minus One" is a dark and serious movie. Indeed, it's probably right up there with the 1954 original in terms of how brutal and poignant its tone can get. But, in spite of all that, it never becomes overbearing in its darkness. There is a clear ray of hope in regard to this story, and a powerful message about living through trauma and for a better future. And for that, I applaud this movie.

Highly recommended.