Godzilla Minus One - Review: A Monstrous Drama

 

It might seem impossible to say given the thirty-seven films released over the past seventy years in the original Japanese “Godzilla” franchise, but somehow, writer/director Takashi Yamazaki (“The Great War of Archimedes,” “Lupin III: The First”) has delivered a Godzilla film unlike any that have come before it in numerous ways.

Set just after World War 2, Kōichi Shikishima, a former kamikaze pilot played by Ryunosuke Kamiki (“Howl’s Moving Castle,” “Your Name”), finds himself in Tokyo as the city attempts to rebuild after the war. After meeting Noriko Ōishi, a grifter played by Minami Hamabe (“Let Me Eat Your Pancreas,” “Shin Kamen Rider”), and a baby she’d rescued, he takes a job out at sea with a motley trio; Yōji Akitsu, the captain of the ship played by Kuranosuke Sasaki (“Samurai Hustle,” “Hanchō”), Shirō Mizushima, a young trainee played by Yuki Yamada (“Strobe Edge,” “Tokyo Revengers”), and Kenji Noda, a former military weapons engineer played by Hidetaka Yoshioka (“Always: Sunset on Third Street,” “Rhapsody in August”). However, this peace is disturbed as he discovers that Godzilla, a creature he once witnessed massacre an entire island during the war, has returned larger and more horrifying than before.

Yamazaki’s directorial style fits well within the constraints of the monster movie genre, because it doesn’t treat the film as one. This isn’t so much a Godzilla film where the appeal is seeing wanton destruction. Rather, by driving home the personal lives of its main cast, Yamazaki makes the destruction much more palpable by letting the audience connect with the characters. Kamiki is fantastic, perfectly playing the guilt laden Shikishima with care but without pity. Hamabe is effortlessly charming and wonderful, making it easy to love Ōishi and root for her and Shikishima’s relationship.

The visual effects, like the destruction, are used sparingly throughout, instead allowing for maximum impact instead of eye candy. What’s here is absolutely incredible looking, both in raw detail and realism as well in how gorgeously shot the film is. On a budget of just 15 million USD, this is a film that proves once again that talent and time will trump budget every single time.

Given the nuclear allegory that already exists within the concept of Godzilla, setting the film shortly after World War 2 is a genius move that only strengthens the themes at play. Bringing a healthy amount of realism to something like a Godzilla film might seem like a recipe for disaster, but it works because the realism isn’t the focus. Rather than trying to drag Godzilla into something “realistic”, Yamazaki has instead make sure his characters are “real people”. It works because it isn’t trying to be realistic, but grounded in characters that are easy to care for.

There are much heavier themes at play than one might initially expect, and they’re woven into the story beautifully. It feels natural, despite the giant lizard stomping around, to touch on these ideas in this kind of setting. The musical score from Naoki Satō (“The Eternal Zero,” “Stand By Me Doraemon”) also helps in both reinterpreting some classic Godzilla themes for the film, but also in blending the emotions throughout.

“Godzilla Minus One” is a daring film in quite a few ways. While operating within the skeleton of the kaiju film, Takashi Yamazaki crafts a far more touching and personal film than one might expect. But it also makes complete sense; for the big emotions that he’s going for, lead by a note perfect cast, a film of this scale, displaying catastrophes this outrageous is the only way to communicate this kind of emotion effectively. Sometimes the only way to communicate such specific emotions is to just go big. 4.5/5