In late 1954, the world was changed forever when the seemingly formulaic monster movie “Gojira,” soon to be rechristened “Godzilla, King of the Monsters!” upon its American release several years later. After appearing to be a simplistic tale of a monster-on-the-loose tale, the film was far more of of a cautionary tale about the nature of nuclear war and the dangers it brings when entertaining areas mankind was not meant to dwell in. Featuring heartwrenching drama alongside the genre thrills expected with the formula, it’s a testament to the power and fortune of “Godzilla” that the film has persevered and lasted as a pop-culture icon to this day.
The human drama has a lot to like about it, but the monster scenes itself are the main selling point remembered as a showcase for special effects legend Eiji Tsuburaya. The first chance we get to see the dinosaurian form of Godzilla in full-on detail, the suit constructed for the monster offering one of the most intricate and impressively designed creations in the genre being let loose in a sequence that’s every bit as harrowing as it is enjoyable. The spectacle of the whole scene, featuring the creature towering over the buildings in the city as it crashes into them, knocks them over with his size, or sets everything on fire with an atomic breath weapon, is definitely iconic. As not even electricity, tanks, or other military hardware can stop it, the overall sequence leaves a lasting impression.
What makes it even more impressive is the series of qualities attached to the sequence. Furthering the theme of the futility of nuclear research and keeping the technology out of man’s hands is the recreation of numerous pieces of media depicting the firebombing of Tokyo during WWII, with the scenes of the city burning coming off as direct inspirations of the incidents. The atomic breath it emits is a full-on take on the nuclear bombings with the mushroom cloud erupting from the point of impact and the comments about its radiation background. As a whole, the sequence is treated not as a rousing crowd-pleaser but more as a demonstration of the destructive power of the creature let loose on the world, and adds such a devastating emotional punch to the sequence. It even borders on horror with the idea of a horrifying creature more powerful than anything they’ve ever experienced before coming to end mankind with nothing they can do to prevent it.
Finally, an indictment of the scene’s power rests on the fact that it’s one of the few pieces untouched and left in its entirety when transported to the American “King of the Monsters” cut. As it’s enhanced with the presence of reporter Steve Martin covering the events and being caught up in the rampage, the sequence still holds it’s power nearly seven decades after it’s release.
