When I think of Godzilla, I always feel like it belongs to an older generation, and although I saw a lot of movies when I was little, I have forgotten most of the content.
I watched a lot of Godzilla movies when I was a kid, but I have forgotten most of what they were about, with the exception of the fight against Mechagodzilla, which I remember only the music well.
In other words, my memories of Godzilla are all vague.
Then, in 2022, I saw “Shin Godzilla,” directed by Hideaki Anno, in a movie theater.
It was interesting in its own way, but that vague memory itself became a bottleneck. Although I did not have a clear memory of the movie, I unconsciously compared it to the old Godzilla movie, and felt uncomfortable.
Something was different. My subconscious was telling me so.
Not only in movies, but also in other things, people have vague memories that remain in their minds and are suddenly triggered when they make value judgments. Memory correction is one of the similar movements.
This sense of discomfort is surprisingly troublesome, and it plays a bigger role than the quality of the work when we watch such films.
Godzilla 1.0″ was nominated for an Academy Award.
Needless to say, I knew it was very well received and critically acclaimed, but that hazy memory and the new interpretation of Godzilla that I felt for Hideaki Anno’s Godzilla (or maybe not so for Hideaki Anno) kept me from going to the movie theater.
Then, when I finally found out that it was available for free on Amazon Prime, I rushed to see it before it became a pay-what-you-want (impatient) movie.
As it turned out, it was, as many Yahoo! It is indeed an Academy Award nominee.
However, for me, I had the impression that it was more of a war movie than a Godzilla vs. Japan movie. I was surprised that the American Academy Awards even gave it a nomination.
Of course, the main theme of the film is the attack of Godzilla, which was born from a radiation accident, but I felt that it was trying to appeal, or even remind us, of the greatness of Japan. Everything was intended as a metaphor for something.
But even from that perspective, the film was interesting enough.
And then there is that hazy memory that haunted Shin Godzilla.
Strangely enough, I was not so conscious of it this time.
That vague memory did not affect Godzilla 1.0.
Yes, I am sure that the reason I did not feel any discomfort was that it may have been somewhat similar in atmosphere and taste to the old Godzilla, while I was not conscious of it.
This may have been a factor in the widespread acceptance of the Godzilla generation, my own age and slightly older, as well as those from other parts of the world who had never heard of Godzilla.
Movies, dramas, and animations that I watched as a child. Even though I have forgotten most of them, I feel that the reason why most live-action adaptations of anime such as Casshern, Yatterman, past remakes, Dragon Ball, etc. fail is because this sense of discomfort is subconsciously triggered, rather than because the work is not good enough.
The secret of Godzilla 1.0’s success.
I think it is because it was able to present an overwhelming work of art that, while evoking a sense of nostalgic déjà vu, blew away the discomfort of those who once watched it.
When you think about it, revivals and live-action adaptations of past works may seem easy, but in fact, the hurdles are high. And when those hurdles are overcome, perhaps the winds of a renewed boom will blow.
Prime members, while it’s free… (I’m not an Amazon crank by any means).
Godzilla, blow away the rainy season dampness.
