Why I Enjoyed It
Godzilla (1954) is one of my favourite films for a couple reasons. For one, the film’s special effects are impressive for the ‘50s – even if, these days, it just looks like a dumpy Japanese man stomping on a model city, it is certainly impressive for its time and if you can suspend your disbelief, it’s a visually exciting film. On top of this, Godzilla, while appearing similar to other early kaiju films, sold on the basis of there being a massive monster attacking people, creates an interesting analogy between the drop of the atomic bomb on Japan at the end of World War 2 and the attack of the titular Godzilla on Japan. Director Ishirō Honda creates simultaneously a wonderful monster film and a disturbing look at Japanese moral following such a disaster. My enjoyment of the film is generally tied to the film’s use of its special effects and the context surrounding it.