The Consequences of War: 'Godzilla Minus One' Review
Towards the end of World War II, kamikaze pilot Koichi Shikishima (Ryunosuke Kamiki) landed on a Japanese base on Odo Island. He pretended to have technical issues to escape his responsibilities, and the head mechanic, Tachibana (Munetaka Aoki), deduced as such. After his talk with Tachibana, Koichi notices deep sea fish in shallow water, not knowing it is a warning sign of the upcoming danger: the dinosaur-like creature Godzilla. That evening, Godzilla attacked the military base, and Koichi, paralyzed with fear, could not shoot the monster from his plane. He is then knocked unconscious, and once he wakes, he sees the despair and destruction left in the monsters’ wake as the deceased corpses of men surround him. The lone other survivor of the attack, Tachibana, blames Koichi for being idle in their time of need.
The sci-fi action film Godzilla Minus One (2023) embraces the traditions of classic cinema to produce an engaging and invigorating triumph. It brilliantly delivers a cinematic masterpiece laced with remnants of nostalgia. The director and screenwriter, Takashi Yamazaki, drew inspiration from several iconic films, including Jaws (1975), Godzilla (1954), and Mothra and King Ghidorah (2001). The film deftly portrays trauma, hope, guilt, and redemption as it follows Koichi’s journey to overcome his guilt from the war. Through exploring Koichi’s journey, the film depicts the unreliability of the government in times of crisis.
After surviving the attack on Odo Island, Koichi returns home to find it in a rumble and learns his parents died during the bombing of Tokyo. As the people of Tokyo work to repair their home, he meets a woman named Noriko Oishi (Minami Hamabe) and an orphaned baby named Akiko (Saki Nakatani), whom Noriko rescued. Koichi works to provide for them as a part of a cleanup crew, operating on a minesweeper designed to remove naval mines. He invites the crew to dinner; they learn Koichi and Noriko are not married, and Koichi refuses to view Noriko or Akiko as family. His crew tries to persuade him that Noriko and Akiko are part of his family, but Koichi refuses to accept.
In May of 1947, the Japanese government had not notified the public of Godzilla’s existence and hoped to have settled the situation quietly. The government sent Koichi and his minesweeper crew to stall Godzilla from approaching Japan while waiting for the heavy cruiser Takao to engage in combat. Koichi and his crew hurled a mine into Godzilla’s mouth and set it off, causing Godzilla to sustain significant damage, but he soon began to recuperate. A few days later, Godzilla lands in Japan and strikes Ginza, destroying much of the district with its heat ray and killing thousands of people, presumably killing Noriko as well. Koichi vows to avenge Noriko.
Ever since his first debut in Ishiro Honda’s 1954 original film, Godzilla has been a metaphor for nuclear warfare, American military prowess, environmental maltreatment, and repressed American guilt. The interpretation of Godzilla in this film is fresh, as it regards the monster as an analogy of postwar nation anguish, suffering, guilt, and grief. Japan suffered a great loss during World War II, and the appearance and devastation of Godzilla worsened that loss. The shame and destruction Godzilla represents is vividly emphasized in scenes where citizens desperately gather to prevent more catastrophes.
The film is primarily centered around Koichi as he comes to terms with his past in the military and learns to move forward. His survivor’s guilt over surviving the attack on Odo Island and his fellow kamikaze comrades, who never got to return to their families, prevented him from joining Noriko and Akiko as part of their family. He fled from his responsibilities when so many died, and his body froze when he came face-to-face with Godzilla on Odo Island, making him a coward. His guilt tethered him to the past, preventing him from moving on with his life. He attempted to drown himself in providing for Noriko and Akiko as a way to repent for his past actions while simultaneously distancing himself from them.
After his second encounter with Godzilla, Koichi reluctantly allows himself to be vulnerable to Noriko. He tells her about his time as a kamikaze pilot, his escape from his duties, Godzilla’s existence, and his lack of action during the attack on Odo Island. He shows her the aspects of himself that he finds despicable. He tells her that his war is not over, and he’s not prepared to move forward with his life. It is not until the third Godzilla attack, when Noriko is presumed to have died by Godzilla’s blast, does Koichi realize the hold his shame and guilt dominate his life. He’s spent countless years mourning for his dead comrades, despite having the chance they never got to have. The guilt he carried prevented him from enjoying his newfound family, and now the family he spent so long providing for is shattered.
After hearing the devised plan to eliminate Godzilla, Koichi volunteers to act as a distraction. Although he’s grown from the man who ran from his death in the beginning, he feels the fight against Godzilla to be worth the risk. He has someone to avenge and someone to fight for. If his sacrifice, whether it makes a difference or not, ensures a better future for Akiko, it would be worth it to him. He fully prepares himself to perish during the battle if the plans fail. In the end, Koichi attains redemption from his past by risking his life to ensure a brighter future for others.
The film comments on the unreliability of the government, especially during times of crisis. The Japanese government knew of the existence of Godzilla and merely covered it up until it became too big to do so. Godzilla’s assault on Japan, and the government’s lack of action, caused civilian frustration. In the end, it was a group of civilians who devised a plan to destroy Godzilla and volunteered to protect the future for others. Yamazaki masterfully conveys civilians’ widespread anxiety, as they express dissatisfaction with the government and collaborate to solve the problem. The film accurately captures the recent irritations caused by the government’s failure to act and the collaborative effort by individuals to resolve the issue.
Godzilla Minus One by Takashi Yamazaki is a cinematic experience that pays homage to cinematic classics of the genre while incorporating complex themes of regret, atonement, and redemption. As Koichi struggles with the lingering consequences of his past actions, his journey serves as a potent metaphor for postwar trauma. The film transcends being a simple monster flick as it explores Godzilla as a symbol of pain and destruction. In the end, the audience walks away with a poignant reminder of the resilience of humanity in the face of social and personal adversity.
