Screened in tribute to Akira Takarda (1934-2022)
“...a portrait of a country less than a decade removed from the horrors of the atomic bomb, reckoning - in a movie that is still fun and thrilling - with that trauma.”
Godzilla (a.k.a. Gojira) is the roaring granddaddy of all monster movies. It’s also a remarkably humane and melancholy drama, made in Japan at a time when the country was reeling from nuclear attack and H-bomb testing in the Pacific. Much of that's thanks to Akira Takarada in then lead (human) role as the everyman who consults with scientists and military officials in an attempt to stop Godzilla's assault.
Its rampaging radioactive beast, the poignant embodiment of an entire population’s fears, became a beloved international icon of destruction, spawning almost 30 sequels (many also starring Takarada). It's a thrilling, tactile spectacle that continues to be a cult phenomenon.
