Godzilla (1954) Gojira (original title)

Director:

Ishirô Honda

Writers:

Ishirô Honda
Shigeru Kayama (story)
(more)

Release Date:

7 May 2004 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

The legend begins....

Plot:

American nuclear weapons testing results in the creation of a seemingly unstoppable, dinosaur-like beast.

Plot Keywords:

Monster | Japan | Gojira | Nuclear Weapon | Death Of Title Character

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Akira Takarada	...	Hideto Ogata
Momoko Kôchi	...	Emiko Yamane
Akihiko Hirata	...	Daisuke Serizawa-hakase
Takashi Shimura	...	Kyohei Yamane-hakase
Fuyuki Murakami	...	Professor Tanabe
Sachio Sakai	...	Newspaper Reporter Hagiwara
Toranosuke Ogawa	...	Nankai Shipping Company Manager
Ren Yamamoto	...	Masaji Sieji
Kan Hayashi	...	Chairman of Diet Committee
Takeo Oikawa	...	Chief of Emergency Headquarters
Seijirô Onda	...	Parliamentarian Oyama
Tsuruko Mano	...	Mrs. Sieji
Toyoaki Suzuki	...	Shinkichi Sieji
Kokuten Kôdô	...	The Old Fisherman
Kin Sugai	...	Ozawa-san
Tadashi Okabe	...	Reporter Killed on Tower
Ren Imaizumi	...	Radio Operator
Junpei Natsuki	...	Power Substation Engineer
Katsumi Tezuka	...	Gojira / Hagiwara's Editor
Haruo Nakajima	...	Gojira / Power Station Worker
Yasuhisa Tsutsumi
Jiro Suzuki
Saburô Iketani	...	News Reporter
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Shizuko Azuma
Shizuko Higashi	...	Partygoer
Kiyoshi Kamata	...	Partygoer's Escort
Kenji Sahara	...	Young Lover on the sound
Keiji Sakakida	...	Mayor Inada
Tamae Sengo	...	Mother
Ryosaku Takasugi
Ishirô Honda	...	Power Station Worker (The Hand that Throws the Switch) (uncredited)

Directed by
Ishirô Honda

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Ishirô Honda
Shigeru Kayama		story
Takeo Murata

Produced by
Tomoyuki Tanaka	....	producer

Original Music by
Akira Ifukube

Cinematography by
Masao Tamai

Film Editing by
Kazuji Taira		(as Yasunobu Taira)

Production Design by
Satoru Chûko
Takeo Kita

Art Direction by
Satoru Chûko
Takeo Kita

Production Management
Teruo Maki	....	executive in charge of production

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Kôji Kajita	....	chief assistant director
Susumu Takebayashi	....	second assistant director

Sound Department
Ichirô Minawa	....	sound effects editor
Hisashi Shimonaga	....	sound recordist
Nobuyuki Tanaka	....	sound assistant
Norio Tone	....	sound assistant
Drew Weir	....	voice recordist

Special Effects by
Sadamasa Arikawa	....	director of photography: special effects
Kuichirô Kishida	....	special effects lighting
Yoichi Manoda	....	assistant camera
Hiroshi Mukoyama	....	matte work
Fumio Nakadai	....	special effects wire work
Yasuaki Sakamoto	....	production manager
Sokei Tomioka	....	assistant camera
Teizô Toshimitsu	....	monster builder
Eiji Tsuburaya	....	special effects director
Hajime Tsuburaya	....	assistant camera
Akira Watanabe	....	art director
Taka Yuki	....	opticals
Fuminori Ôhashi	....	special effects technical advisor (uncredited)

Stunts
Haruo Nakajima	....	stunt choreographer

Camera and Electrical Department
Yuzuru Aizawa	....	assistant camera
Chôshirô Ishii	....	lighting technician
Shinji Kojima	....	lighting assistant
Shoshichi Kojima	....	lighting assistant

Other crew
Sei Ikeno	....	assistant: Akira Ifukube
Fumio Nakadai	....	tail supervisor
Shôji Okawa	....	tail supervisor

Production Companies

• Toho Film (Eiga) Co. Ltd.

Distributors

• Toho Company (Japan)
• Vestron Video (1983) (USA) (VHS)
• Zontarian Video (1996) (USA) (VHS)
• Rialto Pictures (2004) (USA) (theatrical)
• British Film Institute (BFI) (2005) (UK) (all media)
• Atlantic Film (2006) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Classic Media (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Sony BMG Music Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Sony Wonder (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Nihon Eiga Satellite Broadcasting (2008) (Japan) (TV)
• Classic Media (2009) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Criterion Collection, The (2012) (USA) (DVD)
• Criterion Collection, The (2012) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Genius Entertainment (2009) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Genius Products (2009) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Kuk Dong (South Korea)
• Sandrew Film (1997) (Sweden) (VHS)
• Splendid Film (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
• VIP Videocasette Diffusion (????) (France) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Toho Studios  sound stages

Also Known As:

"Gojira" - Japan (original title)

Runtime:

96 min | West Germany:83 min

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Certification:

Australia:PG | USA:Unrated | West Germany:12 (nf) | Sweden:15 | UK:PG (re-rating) (2005) | UK:X (original rating) | Spain:13 | Portugal:M/12

Filming Locations:

Toba, Mie, Japan

Company:

Toho Film (Eiga) Co. Ltd.

Trivia:

Stop motion animation in the style of King Kong (1933) was rejected because of the time it would take and the subsequent cost. Also, according to special effects director, Eiji Tsuburaya, there was simply no one in Japan who was skilled and experienced in doing that kind of stop motion animation.

Goofs:

Plot holes: It's nine years after the dropping of atomic bombs at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, but the "authorities" cannot recognize radiation burns.

Quotes:

Dr. Serizawa:If my device can serve a good purpose, i would announce it to everyone in the world! But in its current form, it's just a weapon of horrible destruction. Please understand, Ogata!
Hideto Ogata:I understand. But if we don't use your device against Godzilla, what are we going to do?
Dr. Serizawa:Ogata, if the oxygen destroyer is used even once, politicians from around the world will see it. Of course, they'll want to use it as a weapon. Bombs versus bombs, missiles versus missiles, and now a new superweapon to throw upon us all! As a scientist - no, as a human being - I can't allow that to happen! Am I right?
[...]

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in Chillerama (2011)

More than just another monster movie

It's been fifty years since Ishiro Honda and the gang at Toho made the first Godzilla movie, and looking back on it, it's plain to see why this film has become more than just a cult sensation. It's mix of raw human emotion, fantastical story, and menacing precautionary messages help to deliver one of the silver screens greatest films. Akira Ifkube's foreboding score adds just the right amount of dark edge to Honda's masterpiece,as does Akihiko Hirata's performance as jaded scientist, Dr. Daisuke Serizawa. The suitmation and set designs used in this classic are superb as well, giving a certain level of realism missing from many later monster films. And, of course, veteran actor Takashi Shimura exceeds all expectations as Dr. Yamane.

Looking back on this film, taken in it's entirety and without the added American scenes, Godzilla (Gojira) truly is a film that will last the ages.